When a vehicle is stored at a local towing company/garage at the direction of a Department member, a notice of the storage shall be mailed or personally delivered to the registered and legal owners. If the vehicle has been impounded per 14602.6 CVC, the notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the legal owner of the vehicle. The notice shall be sent within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, and shall include all of the following information:
- The name, address, and telephone number of the agency providing the notice;
- The authority and purpose for the removal of the vehicle (reason for storage/impound);
- The location of the place of storage/impound and description of the vehicle, which shall include, if available, the name, make, manufacturer, license plate number, and the mileage;
- How the vehicle may be obtained; and
- Notification of Stored Vehicle (22852 CVC) - this form includes a statement that informs the recipient of the opportunity for a post storage/impound hearing to specifically address/determine the validity of the storage/impound. This form is the carbon copy half sheet attached to the CHP-180 form. In order to receive their post storage/impound hearing, the owners, or their agents, must request the hearing in person, in writing, or by telephone within 10 days of the date appearing on the notice.
Notification reports shall be made using the CHP-180 form. The station/unit shall be responsible for verifying the registration fee has been paid and is current.
When a CHP-180 form is processed, the notification report shall be sent as follows:
- Original notification including the Notification of Stored Vehicle form (pursuant to 22852 CVC) is to be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle;
- Copy to be delivered or mailed to the garage at which the vehicle is stored;
- Copy to be mailed to the legal owner of the vehicle when the legal owner is determined to be a person or firm other than the registered owner; and
- Copy to the station/unit file.