South Dakota § 32-3-68 - Possessor due to unpaid repair bill--Application for title--Notice to owner, insurer, lien holder--Publication.

§ 32-3-68. Possessor due to unpaid repair bill--Application for title--Notice to owner, insurer, lien holder--Publication.

A person with possession of a vehicle described in § 32-3-67 may apply for a title on any motor vehicle, boat as defined in § 32-3A-2, moped, motorcycle, off-road vehicle as defined in § 32-20-1, snowmobile as defined in § 32-20A-1, or trailer, that is left unclaimed as the result of an unpaid repair bill, by its owner or person lawfully in possession thereof, on private property for a period of thirty days after written notice of intent to apply for a title is sent to the owner at the owner's last known address and to any readily identifiable insurer or lien holder by certified mail. The notice must set forth the location where the vehicle is being kept, the circumstances surrounding acquisition of the vehicle, and the year, make, model, and serial number or hull identification number of the vehicle. The notice must inform the owner, insurer, and any lien holder of the right to reclaim the vehicle as provided by § 32-3-69. The notice must be on a form provided by the department.

If it is impossible to determine with reasonable certainty the identity and address of the registered owner, insurer, and any lien holder, a notice must be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the area where the vehicle was left for repair. Published notices may be grouped together for convenience and economy.

Source: SL 2005, ch 154, § 3; SL 2026, ch 128, § 2.