Sec. 32.
(1) A police officer or a peace officer may seize and impound a vehicle that is operated by a motor carrier in violation of this act or a rule promulgated by this act or is in such a condition that the continued operation of the vehicle upon the highway would constitute an immediate hazard to the public. Upon impoundment, the vehicle is subject to a lien, subordinate to a prior lien of record, in the amount of any fine, costs, and damages that the defendant may be ordered to pay under this act. Upon impoundment, a notice shall be sent to the owner and any lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state of the vehicle that the vehicle is available for pickup by the owner or lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state. The notice shall be accompanied by an invoice for any outstanding charges imposed under this act. The notice shall inform the owner and any lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state that the owner and lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state have 30 days from the date of the notice and upon payment of applicable charges to pick up the impounded vehicle. A notice under this subsection shall be sent by the agency authorizing the impoundment of the vehicle to the applicable address on record with the secretary of state by certified mail or by another commercially available delivery service providing proof of delivery. The defendant or a person with an ownership interest in the vehicle may post with the court a cash or surety bond in the amount of $750.00. If a bond is posted, the vehicle shall be released from impoundment. The vehicle shall also be released, and the lien shall be discharged, upon a judicial determination that the defendant is not responsible for a violation of this act or upon payment of the fine, costs, and damages. Additionally, if the defendant is determined to be not responsible for the violation of this act, the court shall assess against the governmental entity bringing the action costs, payable to the defendant, for any damages that the defendant has sustained due to the impoundment of the vehicle.
(2) If the court determines that the defendant is responsible for the violation of this act and the defendant defaults in the payment of any fine, costs, or damages, or any installment, as ordered under this section, a bond posted under subsection (1) shall be forfeited and applied to the fine, costs, damages, or installment. The court shall certify any remaining unpaid amount to the attorney for the governmental entity bringing the action. If the owner or lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state does not pick up the vehicle within the 30-day period described in subsection (1), the vehicle may be sold by foreclosure sale. The foreclosure sale shall be conducted in the manner provided and subject to the same rights as apply in the case of execution sales under sections 6031, 6032, 6041, 6042, and 6044 to 6047 of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.6031, 600.6032, 600.6041, 600.6042, and 600.6044 to 600.6047.
(3) Not less than 21 days before a foreclosure sale under subsection (2), the attorney for the governmental entity bringing the action shall by certified mail send written notice of the time and place of the foreclosure sale to the owner and any lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state. In addition, not less than 10 days before the foreclosure sale, the attorney shall twice publish notice of the time and place of the foreclosure sale in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the vehicle was seized. The attorney for the governmental entity bringing the action shall provide the buyer and the secretary of state with a copy of the proof of notice under this subsection to the owner and lienholder of record as kept by the secretary of state, and a bill of sale. The secretary of state shall use the documentation provided to issue the appropriate certificate of title. The proceeds of the foreclosure sale shall be distributed in the following order of priority:
(a) To discharge any lien on the vehicle that was recorded prior to the creation of the lien under subsection (1).
(b) To the clerk of the court for the payment of the fine, costs, and damages, that the defendant was ordered to pay.
(c) To discharge any lien on the vehicle that was recorded after the creation of the lien under subsection (1).
(d) To the owner of the vehicle.
(4) The department may use any and all available legal and equitable remedies of a civil nature to enforce this act, an order issued, or a rule promulgated pursuant to this act. The department may employ experts, assistants, inspectors, and other personnel as necessary subject to civil service rules, to enable it to administer and enforce this act. An employee of the department shall not ask for or receive any fee from a person for the taking of acknowledgments or any other service. State and local police officers shall enforce this act and the rules promulgated pursuant to this act. A police officer or a peace officer may arrest, on sight or upon warrant, any person found violating or having violated a provision of this act or a rule promulgated pursuant to this act. The attorney general of this state and the prosecuting attorneys of the counties of this state shall prosecute all violations of this act. A violation of this act may be prosecuted in any jurisdiction in or through which the bus implicated was present at the time of the violation.
History: Add. 1989, Act 233, Imd. Eff. Dec. 21, 1989 ;-- Am. 2016, Act 349, Eff. Mar. 21, 2017
Admin Rule: R 474.101 et seq. of the Michigan Administrative Code.