I’m a registration service in California and one of our clients has a towed vehicle registered to an active duty service member. We’ve confirmed this through the Navy, but we know we can’t start the lien process. So, what steps do we need to take to remove the vehicle from the towing yard? Can we dispose of it or do we need to keep it until the service member’s active duty is over?
That’s a tricky one. I think you have a few options. You can release the vehicle to someone with power of attorney or a legal representative of the service member. Also, you could send a certified letter to their commanding officer. Lastly, a court order might be needed to move forward with the lien process. Have you tried the verification service yet?
I’ve heard you can send a letter to the service member’s commanding officer to get them to respond. I guess this is for situations like when you can’t reach the service member directly.
What if I don’t know who the commanding officer is? How would I go about getting this information?
If a record comes back with a base address like Camp Pendleton, do you just send the letter to the CO of that base directly?
If you need to get a court order, you’ll have to petition a civil court. It’s usually a custom process, so you might need to talk to a lawyer for help with that part. Good luck!