AI-generated summary, not yet reviewed by Better Utah staff. Please consult the bill text.

When a vehicle is towed from private property without the owner's knowledge, Utah law already requires the towing company to immediately report the tow to the Motor Vehicle Division and send a certified letter to the vehicle owner and any lien holder within two business days. This bill would strengthen enforcement of those notice rules by making the towing company's right to collect fees — called a possessory lien — unenforceable if proper notice wasn't given, and by allowing owners or lien holders to demand immediate release of their vehicle without paying towing, storage, or impound fees if they can show proof of ownership and the towing company cannot prove notice was properly sent. If an owner disputes whether notice was given, the bill creates a legal presumption that notice was improper, which the towing company can only overturn by producing time-stamped proof of database reporting or a certified mail record; whoever wins a court case over this issue could be awarded attorney fees and costs. The bill also allows the Utah Department of Transportation to write rules spelling out the process for owners or lien holders to formally request release of their vehicle under these protections.