Partial-payment release - partial charge - form required

(1) (a) A vehicle immobilization company shall immediately release an immobilized vehicle if: (I) The authorized or interested person pays at least sixty dollars of the amount owed to the vehicle immobilization company for the immobilization; (II) The authorized or interested person is not a lienholder or insurance company; and (III) The authorized or interested person complies with subsection (1)(b) of this section. (b) (I) For an authorized or interested person to retrieve a vehicle without paying the vehicle immobilization company the total amount owed to the company, the authorized or interested person must sign a form affirming that the authorized or interested person owes the company payment for fees that comply with this article 10.1 or article 20 of title 38. Knowingly providing false information on the form is unlawful. Signing the form does not prohibit an authorized or interested person from filing a complaint with the commission or pursuing other remedies. The vehicle immobilization company may use the form to take reasonable actions to collect the debt. Reasonable actions include initiating a court action or using a collection agency. (II) The commission shall: (A) Create the form; (B) Title the form: "Immobilized Vehicle Release Notice with Payment Owed"; and (C) Provide the form on the commission's website for vehicle immobilization companies to retrieve and use. (c) To release a vehicle in accordance with subsection (1)(a) of this section, a vehicle immobilization company shall not require a person to undergo an approval process, other than signing the form created pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section. (2) (a) A vehicle immobilization company shall charge a reduced release charge in an amount set by the commission to release a vehicle if the vehicle is released after an employee of or agent of the vehicle immobilization company starts to immobilize the vehicle but before the agent or employee leaves the private property. (b) If approached by an authorized or interested person before the vehicle is immobilized on private property, the vehicle immobilization company shall notify the authorized or interested person that the company is required to release the vehicle upon request of the authorized or interested person and payment of the charge described in subsection (2)(a) of this section. (c) Upon request by the authorized or interested person and payment of the charge described in subsection (2)(a) of this section, the vehicle immobilization company shall immediately stop an immobilization in progress on private property.