GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

H	2 

HOUSE BILL 1334
Judiciary II Senate Committee Substitute Adopted 8/2/89

Short Title:  Clarify/Study MV Salvage Title.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors:
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  
─────────────────────────────────────── 

April 17, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CLARIFY THE MOTOR VEHICLE SALVAGE TITLE LAW AND TO AUTHORIZE THE LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH COMMISSION TO STUDY THE LAWS RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE SALVAGE TITLES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 20-71.3 as amended by Chapter 455 of the 1989 Session Laws, reads as rewritten:
"§ 20-71.3.  Titles and registration cards to be branded.
Motor Vehicle certificates of title and registration cards issued pursuant to G.S. 20-57 shall be branded.  As used herein ‘branded' means that the title and registration card shall contain a designation that discloses if the vehicle is classified as (a)	Flood Vehicle, (b) Non-U.S.A. Vehicle, (c) Reconstructed Vehicle, (d) Salvage Motor Vehicle, or (e) Salvage Rebuilt Vehicle or other classification authorized by law.  Any motor vehicle damaged by collision or other occurrence which is to be retitled in this State shall be subject to preliminary and final inspections by the Enforcement Section of the Division, and the Division shall refuse to issue a title to a vehicle which has not undergone a preliminary inspection.  Any motor vehicle which has been branded in another state shall be branded with the nearest applicable brand specified in this section, except that no junk vehicle or vehicle that has been branded junk in another state shall be titled or registered.  A motor vehicle titled in another state and damaged by collision or other occurrence may be repaired and an unbranded title issued in North Carolina only if the cost of repairs, including parts and labor, does not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of its fair market retail value.  The Commissioner shall prepare necessary forms and may adopt regulations required to carry out the provisions of this Part 3A.  The title shall reflect the branding until surrendered to or cancelled by the Commissioner."
Sec. 2.  The Legislative Research Commission may study the laws relating to motor vehicle salvage titles, including protection for purchasers of rebuilt and repaired vehicles and the retitling of vehicles titled in other states, and may report its findings, together with any recommended legislation, to the 1990 Regular Session of the 1989 General Assembly, which may consider any such recommended legislation during that session.
Sec. 3.  Section 1 of this act shall become effective June 30, 1989 and shall expire June 30, 1990.  The remainder of this act is effective upon ratification.