A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to establish a maximum fee for storage charges that may be charged by a towing service or company.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 20‑219.15.  Wrecker service storage fees.
Notwithstanding the applicability of this Article, as established in G.S. 20‑219.10, no wrecker service operator or tower shall charge a storage fee greater than twenty‑five dollars ($25.00) a day for any stored vehicle. A storage fee may not be charged if the wrecker service operator or tower does not place the towed vehicle inside a private locked area preventing access by the general public. This section is not designed to limit any other fee charged by a wrecker service operator or tower for services related to towing. A variance of up to fifty percent (50%) of the maximum storage fee established by this section may be allowed when the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety determines that the cost of complying with the rules of the Department regarding storage lots warrant a waiver."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2009, and applies to vehicles towed by a tower on or after that date.