Tex. Transp. Code § 683.031 · Subchapter C. VEHICLE ABANDONED IN STORAGE FACILITY
GARAGEKEEPER'S DUTY: ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLES.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A motor vehicle is abandoned if the vehicle is left in a storage facility operated for commercial purposes after the 10th day after the date on which:
(1) the garagekeeper gives notice by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known registered owner of the vehicle and to each lienholder of record of the vehicle under Chapter 501 to remove the vehicle;
(2) a contract for the vehicle to remain on the premises of the facility expires; or
(3) the vehicle was left in the facility, if the vehicle was left by a person other than the registered owner or a person authorized to have possession of the vehicle under a contract of use, service, storage, or repair.
(b) If notice sent under Subsection (a)(1) is returned unclaimed by the post office, substituted notice is sufficient if published in one newspaper of general circulation in the area where the vehicle was left.
(c) The garagekeeper shall report the abandonment of the motor vehicle to a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction where the vehicle is located and shall pay a $10 fee to be used by the law enforcement agency for the cost of the notice required by this subchapter or other cost incurred in disposing of the vehicle.
(d) The garagekeeper shall retain custody of an abandoned motor vehicle until the law enforcement agency takes the vehicle into custody under Section 683.034.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 737 (H.B. 2630), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 216 (H.B. 864), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.683.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 e55e61719c5b5e27e548a6ad7ad4784fc721f4eb2a5ed4797df088d67a10f1de
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Cited by 4 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Transp. Code § 683.031. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Occupations Code
Transportation Code
- Tex. Transp. Code § 683.012TAKING ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE INTO CUSTODY: NOTICE.Printed as Section 683.031
- Tex. Transp. Code § 683.032GARAGEKEEPER'S FEES AND CHARGES.Printed as Section 683.031(a)
- Tex. Transp. Code § 683.034DISPOSAL OF VEHICLE ABANDONED IN STORAGE FACILITY.Printed as Section 683.031 | Section 683.031(c)
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.