The Florida Senate

715.05  Reporting of unclaimed motor vehicles.--

¹(1)  Whenever any law enforcement agency authorizes the removal of a vehicle or whenever any towing service, garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place notifies the law enforcement agency of possession of a vehicle pursuant to s. 715.07(2)(a)2., the applicable law enforcement agency shall contact the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, or the appropriate agency of the state of registration, if known, within 24 hours through the medium of electronic communications giving the full description of the vehicle. Upon receipt of the full description of the vehicle, the department shall search its files to determine the owner's name and whether any person has filed a lien upon the vehicle as provided in s. 319.27(2) and (3) and notify the applicable law enforcement agency within 72 hours. The person in charge of the towing service, garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place shall obtain such information from the applicable law enforcement agency within 5 days from the date of storage and shall, by certified mail, return receipt requested, notify the owner and all lienholders of the location of the vehicle and of the fact that it is unclaimed. Such notice shall be given within 7 days, excluding Saturday and Sunday, from the date of storage and shall be complete upon mailing; however, if the state of registration is unknown, the person in charge of the towing service, garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place shall make a good faith best effort in so notifying the owner and any lienholders, and such notice shall be given within a reasonable period of time from the date of storage.

(2)  Nothing herein contained shall apply to any licensed public lodging establishment.

(3)  Failure to make good faith best efforts to comply with the notice requirement of this section or of s. 715.07(2)(a)2., as appropriate, shall preclude the imposition of any storage charges against such vehicle.

History.--ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 63-431; s. 1, ch. 65-112; ss. 24, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 79-271; s. 1, ch. 82-157; s. 8, ch. 90-283; s. 318, ch. 99-248.

¹Note.--Section 318, ch. 99-248, amended subsection (1), effective July 1, 2000, to read:

(1)  Whenever any law enforcement agency authorizes the removal of a vehicle or whenever any towing service, garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place notifies the law enforcement agency of possession of a vehicle pursuant to s. 715.07(2)(a)2., the applicable law enforcement agency shall contact the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, or the appropriate agency of the state of registration, if known, within 24 hours through the medium of electronic communications giving the full description of the vehicle. Upon receipt of the full description of the vehicle, the department shall search its files to determine the owner's name, the name of the insurance company insuring the vehicle, and whether any person has filed a lien upon the vehicle as provided in s. 319.27(2) and (3) and notify the applicable law enforcement agency within 72 hours. The person in charge of the towing service, garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place shall obtain such information from the applicable law enforcement agency within 5 days from the date of storage and shall, by certified mail, return receipt requested, notify the owner, the insurer, and all lienholders of the location of the vehicle and of the fact that it is unclaimed. Such notice shall be given within 7 days, excluding Saturday and Sunday, from the date of storage and shall be complete upon mailing; however, if the state of registration is unknown, the person in charge of the towing service, garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place shall make a good faith best effort in so notifying the owner, the insurer, and any lienholders, and such notice shall be given within a reasonable period of time from the date of storage.