§ 20-28.9. Authority for the Department of Public Instruction to administer a statewide or regional towing, storage, and sales program for driving while impaired vehicles forfeited.
§ 20‑28.9. Authorityfor the Department of Public Instruction to administer a statewide or regionaltowing, storage, and sales program for driving while impaired vehiclesforfeited.
(a) The Department ofPublic Instruction is authorized to enter into a contract for a statewideservice or contracts for regional services to tow, store, process, maintain,and sell motor vehicles seized pursuant to G.S. 20‑28.3. All motorvehicles seized under G.S. 20‑28.3 shall be subject to contracts enteredinto pursuant to this section. Contracts shall be let by the Department ofPublic Instruction in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter143 of the General Statutes. All contracts shall ensure the safety of the motorvehicles while held and any funds arising from the sale of any seized motorvehicle. The contract shall require the contractor to maintain and makeavailable to the agency a computerized up‑to‑date inventory of allmotor vehicles held under the contract, together with an accounting of allaccrued charges, the status of the vehicle, and the county school fund to whichthe proceeds of sale are to be paid. The contract shall provide that thecontractor shall pay the towing and storage charges owed on a seized vehicle toa commercial towing company at the time the seized vehicle is obtained from thecommercial towing company, with the contractor being reimbursed this expensewhen the vehicle is released or sold. The Department shall not enter into anycontract under this section under which the State will be obligated to pay adeficiency 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 tendollars ($10.00) per day for the storage of seized vehicles pursuant to G.S. 20‑28.3.
(c) In order to helpdefray the administrative costs associated with the administration of thissection, the Department shall collect a ten dollar ($10.00) administrative feefrom a person to whom a seized vehicle is released at the time the motorvehicle is released and shall collect a ten dollar ($10.00) administrative feeout of the proceeds of the sale of any forfeited motor vehicle. The fundscollected under this subsection shall be paid to the General Fund. (1998‑182,s. 8.)