Gill Advances Proposal to Help Stolen Vehicle Crime Victims Out of House Committee

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A plan led by state Rep. Mary Gill, D-Chicago, would help stolen vehicle crime victims by eliminating government towing fees and expanding the ability for the victim to recover personal belongings.

“This proposal responds to the experience of a constituent who had their vehicle stolen and subsequently towed and stored by a private towing company,” Gill said. “When the victim went to recover their vehicle, the private towing company refused to provide them with the vehicle and their personal belongings inside of it – including hearing aids – until they paid towing and storage fees. That’s not reasonable, and is just another thing that was piled onto a crime victim who deserved better.”

Under Gill’s Senate Bill 2654, if an individual presents a valid police report of their vehicle being stolen to the towing company, they will not be charged government fines, fees and penalties. If a private towing company is involved – and if they know the name and address of the owner at the time of towing – they would be required to provide written notice to the vehicle owner within two days. No storage fees can be charged if the owner recovers their vehicle within seven days. Additionally, when authorizing towing, law enforcement would be required to provide the registered owner’s name and mailing address to the towing company.

Senate Bill 2654 also explicitly prevents medical devices stored within vehicles, such as hearing instruments, from being held as collateral for fee payment. Existing law already prevents wallets, purses, eyeglasses, food, and similar items from being held; this proposal adds personal medical and health care devices, social security cards, passbooks, and higher education textbooks and study materials.

Gill’s measure passed a House committee this week with bipartisan support, and is headed to the full chamber for consideration.

For more information, please contact RepMaryGill@gmail.com.