§20-28.9. Authority for the Department of Public Instruction to administer a statewide or regional towing, storage, and sales program for vehicles forfeited

(a)        The Department of Public Instruction is authorized to enter into a contract for a statewide service or contracts for regional services to tow, store, process, maintain, and sell motor vehicles seized pursuant to G.S. 20-28.3. All motor vehicles seized under G.S. 20-28.3 shall be subject to contracts entered into pursuant to this section. Contracts shall be let by the Department of Public Instruction in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes. All contracts shall ensure the safety of the motor vehicles while held and any funds arising from the sale of any seized motor vehicle. The contract shall require the contractor to maintain and make available to the agency a computerized up-to-date inventory of all motor vehicles held under the contract, together with an accounting of all accrued charges, the status of the vehicle, and the county school fund to which the proceeds of sale are to be paid. The contract shall provide that the contractor shall pay the towing and storage charges owed on a seized vehicle to a commercial towing company at the time the seized vehicle is obtained from the commercial towing company, with the contractor being reimbursed this expense when the vehicle is released or sold. The Department shall not enter into any contract under this section under which the State will be obligated to pay a deficiency arising from the sale of any forfeited motor vehicle.

(b)        The Department, through its contractor or contractors designated in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, may charge a reasonable fee for storage not to exceed ten dollars ($10.00) per day for the storage of seized vehicles pursuant to G.S. 20-28.3.

(c)        In order to help defray the administrative costs associated with the administration of this section, the Department shall collect a ten dollar ($10.00) administrative fee from a person to whom a seized vehicle is released at the time the motor vehicle is released and shall collect a ten dollar ($10.00) administrative fee out of the proceeds of the sale of any forfeited motor vehicle. The funds collected under this subsection shall be paid to the General Fund.

(1998-182, s. 8; 2014-115, s. 2.2.)