RCW
46.55.080
Law
enforcement
impound,
private
impound
— Master
log —
Certain
associations
restricted.
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(1) If a
vehicle is in
violation of the
time
restrictions of
*RCW
46.55.010(13),
it may be
impounded by a
registered tow
truck operator
at the direction
of a law
enforcement
officer or other
public official
with
jurisdiction if
the vehicle is
on public
property, or at
the direction of
the property
owner or an
agent if it is
on private
property. A law
enforcement
officer may also
direct the
impoundment of a
vehicle pursuant
to a writ or
court order.
(2) The
person
requesting a
private impound
or a law
enforcement
officer or
public official
requesting a
public impound
shall provide a
signed
authorization
for the impound
at the time and
place of the
impound to the
registered tow
truck operator
before the
operator may
proceed with the
impound. A
registered tow
truck operator,
employee, or his
or her agent may
not serve as an
agent of a
property owner
for the purposes
of signing an
impound
authorization
or, independent
of the property
owner, identify
a vehicle for
impound.
(3) In the
case of a
private impound,
the impound
authorization
shall include
the following
statement: "A
person
authorizing this
impound, if the
impound is found
in violation of
chapter
46.55 RCW,
may be held
liable for the
costs incurred
by the vehicle
owner."
(4) A
registered tow
truck operator
shall record and
keep in the
operator's files
the date and
time that a
vehicle is put
in the
operator's
custody and
released. The
operator shall
make an entry
into a master
log regarding
transactions
relating to
impounded
vehicles. The
operator shall
make this master
log available,
upon request, to
representatives
of the
department or
the state
patrol.
(5) A
person who
engages in or
offers to engage
in the
activities of a
registered tow
truck operator
may not be
associated in
any way with a
person or
business whose
main activity is
authorizing the
impounding of
vehicles. |