Liens on vehicles; public sale or auction; civil damages

Sec. 21.5. (a) A person that provides towing services for a vehicle: (1) at the request of a person on whose property an abandoned vehicle is located; or (2) in accordance with this chapter; has a lien on the vehicle for the reasonable value of the charges for the towing services and other related costs in accordance with IC 9-22-6. (b) Subject to subsection (c), a person that obtains a lien for an abandoned vehicle under this section must comply with sections 16, 17, 19, and 23 of this chapter. After the requirements of this subsection have been met, a vehicle may be sold at public sale or public auction. (c) If the vehicle is determined in a commercially reasonable manner to have a fair market value of more than three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500) by the person that obtains a lien for the abandoned vehicle, the lienholder shall comply with: (1) section 16 of this chapter; (2) section 17 of this chapter; (3) section 19 of this chapter; and (4) IC 9-22-6. After the requirements of this subsection have been met, a vehicle may be sold at public auction. (d) A person that violates subsection (b) or (c) is liable for civil damages to any person that suffers harm because of the violation. As added by P.L.125-2012, SEC.124. Amended by P.L.262-2013, SEC.106; P.L.198-2016, SEC.369; P.L.157-2017, SEC.4.