Vehicle Laws - Towing of Vehicles from Parking Lots - Civil Action for Nonpayment
Sponsor: Mary-Dulany James (District 34)Committee: Judicial ProceedingsSubject: Vehicle Laws - Rules of the RoadStatus: Hearing 2/19 at 1:00 p.m. (as of Sep 4, 2026)
What this bill does
Official synopsis
Authorizing a person in possession of a towed vehicle to require the owner of the vehicle to present a valid government-issued photo identification card before retaking possession of the vehicle without payment; authorizing a tower to bring a civil action against a vehicle owner who withholds payment for retaking the vehicle; etc.
AI analysis is off. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to enable summaries, pros and cons, and questions.
Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.
Testimony (12)
MGA witness listFAV 5FavorableFWA 2Favorable with amendmentsUNF 4UnfavorableINFO 1Information only
| Position | Witness | Organization | Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAV | DeMinco, Lynne | BCRW | Position only |
| FAV | Malone, Seanlobbyist | HJM | Oral |
| FAV | Smith, Kelvin | Henry's Wrecker Service | Oral |
| FAV | James, Mary-Dulany | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Senator James, Senator Jameslegislator | Individual | Oral |
| UNF | Sakamoto-Wengel, Steve | Consumer Protection Division | Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Bevan-Dangel, Jenniferlobbyist | Economic Action Maryland Fund | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Gordon, Richard | Individual | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| UNF | Lent, Michael | Individual | Position only |
| FWA | Mansfield, Andrealobbyist | Towing and Recovery Professionals of Maryland | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FWA | PARRISH, CHARLES | Vision Wrecker Service | Oral |
| INFO | Rezvani, Tracy | Howard County Office of Consumer Protection | Written (PDF) |
Organizations on record
Registered lobbyists who testified
FAVMalone, SeanHJMRegistered for: AFT Maryland; Associated Builders & Contractors; Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) on behalf of National Strategies, LLC; Baltimore Gas and Electric Company; Baltimore Industrial Group; Baltimore Orioles Limited Partnership…
UNFBevan-Dangel, JenniferEconomic Action Maryland FundRegistered for: Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition DBA Economic Action Maryland; Humane Society of the United States; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Humane World for Animals
FWAMansfield, AndreaTowing and Recovery Professionals of MarylandRegistered for: HDR Engineering, Inc.; Adventist HealthCare, Inc.; Alkermes; Alterwood Health, Inc.; American Chemistry Council; Amrize North America Inc., formerly Holcim Participations (US) Inc.…