Other LanguagesWhere a law enforcement officer, acting in good faith, determines that an abandoned motor vehicle meeting the other qualifications set forth in § 1 (1), chapter 111, Laws of 1971, 1st Ex. Sess., has a fair market value of $50 or less, and on the basis of this evaluation authorizes the disposal of the vehicle as an "abandoned junk motor vehicle," the officer will have a defense against liability to the owner of the vehicle in an action for a conversion thereof if it is later proven that the vehicle disposed of was actually worth more than this amount.
(1) A police officer may employ the services of a commercial towing truck to move a parked automobile from a highway under RCW 46.61.565. (2) In such a case, the tow truck operator will have a statutory lien against the owner of the automobile for payment of his charges, and will also have a contractual right to payment by the county or city which retained his services if the vehicle involved later turns out to have been abandoned and is not claimed by its owner.