Whenever a vehicle is repossessed on behalf of the legal owner under the terms of a security agreement and such repossession occurs within the geographical area served by this Department, the person making the repossession is required by law to immediately notify this Department by the most expeditious means available. When so notified, the station/unit watch deputy or trained desk personnel at the concerned unit having jurisdiction in which the repossession occurred, shall query the Stolen Vehicle System (SVS) for any record of the vehicle in question. If no record is found, the unit shall be responsible for assigning an URN, entering the repossession data onto a Department “Private Tow / Vehicle Repossession Report” (SH-R-256) form, and into SVS. A copy of the SH-R-256 shall be recorded in the “Station Daily Log of Stolen, Stored, Repossessed, and Impounded Vehicles.” Refer to MPP section 5-01/020.00 for log details.
Before the debtor can regain possession of a vehicle from the legal owner or person in possession, the debtor must pay a fee to the Department. Upon receipt of the fee, the unit shall provide the debtor with a receipt acknowledging payment of the fee. The fee shall be treated in the same manner as "Miscellaneous Fees Account Bank Deposits," section 3-05/060.15. Receipt of checks shall be governed by section 3-05/060.05 "Acceptance of Checks and Handling of Non-Sufficient Fund (NSF) Checks."
The debtor may, as an alternative, pay the fee, plus an administrative fee not to exceed $5.00, to the legal owner or person in possession of the vehicle, who must forward the fee to the Department within three days. Upon receipt by the unit, such fees should likewise be deposited in the same manner as "Miscellaneous Fees Account Bank Deposits."
Members of this Department shall not authorize or participate in the repossession of stored vehicles. Repossession of a stored vehicle should proceed only with the consent of the legal owner or by court order for claim and delivery.