This bill amends Iowa's laws concerning abandoned vehicles, focusing on the processes for towing, impounding, and reclaiming these vehicles. It revises Section 321.88 to state that a vehicle will be deemed abandoned if not claimed within forty days. Section 321.89 is rewritten to establish new procedures for towing and impounding, requiring notice to be sent to the registered owner and any lienholders within ten days of towing, and extending the reclamation period for owners from ten days to twenty days. The bill also mandates that notice be provided in at least two ways, such as regular mail and certified mail or personal delivery.

Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for garagekeepers, including notifying the police within two hours of towing an abandoned vehicle and displaying their contact information on towing vehicles. It prohibits garagekeepers from calculating storage fees on a calendar-day basis and from charging for days when they are closed. The bill also removes the requirement for individuals to present a valid driver's license and proof of financial liability coverage to reclaim an impounded vehicle, allows registered owners to retrieve personal property from impounded vehicles without it being considered reclaiming the vehicle, and mandates that garagekeepers allow lienholders to inspect impounded vehicles for a fee. Furthermore, it eliminates the 90-day holding requirement for proceeds from the sale of abandoned vehicles, streamlining the overall process while ensuring owners are adequately notified.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 321.88, 321.89, 321.90