11. Owners and lienholders remedy. An owner or lienholder who fails to reclaim a vehicle within the time prescribed shall nevertheless be entitled to recover the fair market value of any vehicle disposed of pursuant to this subchapter if: (1) The owner or lienholder requests a hearing with respect to the notices of infractions that provided the basis for the impoundment of the vehicle; (2) The hearing is requested within 60 days after the issuance of the notices of infraction; (3) A hearing examiner dismisses the notices of infraction or finds no liability; and (4) The owner or lienholder establishes the vehicle’s fair market value by a preponderance of the evidence; provided, that if the District has sold the vehicle, the price paid by a good faith purchaser, other than the owner, shall establish a rebuttable presumption of the fair market value of the vehicle. (Oct. 28, 2003, D.C. Law 15-35, § 11, 50 DCR 6579.) Emergency Legislation For temporary (90 day) addition of this section, see § 11 of Removal and Disposition of Abandoned and Other Unlawfully Parked Vehicles Reform Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-171, October 6, 2003, 50 DCR 9163).
District of Columbia Legal Code