§32-13-6. Deductions from proceeds; report of sale.

(a) The person or firm, other than a governmental entity, making the sale of the motor vehicle shall deduct from the proceeds of such sale the reasonable cost of repair, towing, storage, and all expenses incurred in connection with such sale, and pay the balance remaining to the license plate issuing official of the county in which such sale is made to be distributed to the general fund of the county; provided, that such costs shall in no event exceed the customary charges for like services in the community where the sale is made. Any contest regarding the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle shall be filed in the circuit court in the county where the sale occurred.

(b) The person or entity making the sale shall attach to the bill of sale either:

(1) The statement, form, or document from the Department of Revenue identifying the current owners, secured parties, lienholders of record, if any, of the motor vehicle, or other parties with a known interest in the motor vehicle, and the certified mail return receipts or equivalent documentation as determined by the department proving that notice of the sale was given, or was attempted to be given, to the current owners, secured parties, lienholders of record, if any, or parties known to have an interest in the motor vehicle, as required by subsection (a) of Section 32-13-4.

(2) The statement, form, or other document from the department indicating that it has no record of the current owners, secured parties, or lienholders of record, if any, for the motor vehicle, or parties known to have an interest in the motor vehicle.

The department shall not issue a title for the motor vehicle unless the statement, form, or document from the department identifying the current owners, secured parties, lienholders of record, if any, for the motor vehicle, or parties known to have an interest in the motor vehicle, or stating that the department has no information of record and a notarized affidavit from the seller attesting to the fact that the seller gave notice, or attempted to give notice, as required by Section 32-13-4, are submitted to the department.

(c) If the current certificate of title to a motor vehicle sold pursuant to this chapter is designated a salvage certificate of title, or if the records of the department indicate an application for a salvage certificate of title has previously been received, the new certificate of title issued by the department shall also be a salvage certificate of title. The purchaser of a salvage abandoned motor vehicle shall not be permitted to register the vehicle or to operate it upon the highways of Alabama until such time as the vehicle is restored by a licensed rebuilder and inspected by the department as required by Section 32-8-87 and a rebuilt Alabama certificate of title is issued.

(Acts 1971, No. 1154, p. 1999, §6; Act 2003-402, p. 1170, §1; Act 2006-414, p. 1027, §1.)