Assembly Bill 711
Vehicle towing and storage liens
Topics: Garage, Lien, Postage and postal service
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 9, 2010
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Apr 28, 2010: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a person authorized to tow or store a motor vehicle who does so at the direction of a traffic officer or the vehicle's owner (towing service provider) has a lien on the motor vehicle for reasonable towing and storage charges and may retain possession of the vehicle until these charges are paid. A towing service provider must, within 30 days after taking possession of a motor vehicle, make a reasonable effort to provide written notice to the vehicle owner and any secured party whose security interest is noted on the vehicle's certificate of title (secured party) that they must take steps to obtain the release of the motor vehicle. Current law specifies that a towing and storage lien has priority over the prior security interest of a secured party only up to a specified dollar amount (the priority amount). Current law also specifies that, to reclaim the towed vehicle, the owner or secured party must pay all towing and storage charges up to the priority amount and all reasonable storage charges accruing more than 60 days after the vehicle was towed. If a towing service provider fails to make a reasonable effort to notify the owner and secured party as required, the towing service provider's lien is void.
Under current law, the procedure for enforcing a towing and storage lien depends upon the value of the vehicle. Under the procedure applicable to motor vehicles with a value of $500 or less, a towing service provider must provide at least 20 days notice by registered mail to the owner and any secured party before selling or junking the vehicle.
Read the full summary Show less
This bill makes various changes relating to towing and storage liens, including all of the following:
1. Under the bill, these liens apply to the towing and storing of any vehicle, not just motor vehicles. The bill defines a vehicle as any device for moving persons or property or pulling implements from one place to another on land or rails or in the air.
2. The bill clarifies the towing service provider's lien rights and the vehicle owner's payment obligation, a secured party's obligation in repossessing the vehicle, and the towing service provider's obligation to provide notice of vehicle possession and lien rights. The bill also requires the towing service provider's notice before selling or junking the vehicle to be by certified mail, rather than registered mail.
3. The bill increases the priority amount and provides for the priority amount to be annually adjusted for inflation.
4. The bill increases the trigger amount for determining which lien enforcement procedure is used and specifies that the lien enforcement procedure described for lesser value vehicles is the exclusive enforcement procedure.
Who's behind it
Jeff Smith, a Democrat, is its .
1 more lawmaker .
See all 2 names Hide the names
Author (1)
- Jeff Smith · Democrat, Senate
Signed on in support (1)
- Jeffrey Plale · Democrat, Senate
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Transportation vote to recommend it
Passed, 11 to 0 · Feb 26, 2010
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by committee on Transportation, Ayes 11, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Apr 28, 2010
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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Feb 26, 2010
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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Feb 26, 2010
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 11 to 0.
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Feb 11, 2010
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 9, 2010
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Transportation.
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Feb 9, 2010
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 9, 2010 · Assembly
Introduced by Representative Smith;Cosponsored by Senator Plale
- Feb 9, 2010 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to committee on Transportation
- Feb 11, 2010 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Feb 25, 2010 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- Feb 26, 2010 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by committee on Transportation, Ayes 11, Noes 0
- Feb 26, 2010 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Apr 7, 2010 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 4-13-2010 by committee on Rules
- Apr 13, 2010 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Apr 28, 2010 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote