Vehicle liens.

Existing law provides one lien sale procedure for vehicles that have been determined to have a value that does not exceed $4,000 and a different lien sale procedure for vehicles that have been determined to have a value exceeding $4,000. Existing law requires a lienholder to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the issuance of an authorization to conduct a lien sale, upon an application that is to be executed under penalty of perjury. This bill would require a lienholder to obtain a federal National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) vehicle history report from a NMVTIS data provider prior to applying to the department for the authorization to conduct a lien sale. This bill would require a NMVTIS vehicle history report to be included in the application and would also revise the applicability of each lien sale procedure based on information from the NMVTIS vehicle history report. This bill would include the amount of the fee charged for a NMVTIS vehicle history report in the cost of processing the vehicle that is paid to the lienholder from the proceeds of a vehicle lien sale. This bill would provide that these NMVTIS vehicle history report requirements would be inoperative if NMVTIS data providers cease to make a report available to the public, as specified. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.