1394                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 651

71D.

(a)     Whenever the owner or any person, firm or corporation
entitled to the possession of any vehicle, or part thereof, which has an
apparent salvage value only, shall abandon it on any private or public
property for a period of more than thirty days, then the owner of such
property or any person, firm or corporation obtaining custody of the
vehicle or part at the direction of any member of the State Police, any
county police department or any police department of a municipality
may dispose of the vehicle or part as provided in this section.

(b)     The property owner or person with custody of the vehicle or
part may at any time after the expiration of the thirty day period,
notify the owner or person entitled to possession that the vehicle or
part has been abandoned and warning that it will be sold unless it is
promptly claimed or removed. Upon failure to claim or remove the
vehicle or part or in the event the owner or other person cannot be
located, the property owner or person with custody of the vehicle or
part may proceed to sell it at a public or private sale. Before making
any sale, the property owner or person with custody of the vehicle or
part shall (1) obtain a certification, on forms prescribed by the
Department of Motor Vehicles, from any member of the State Police,
any county police department or any police department of a munici-
pality, stating that the vehicle or part APPARENTLY has a salvage
value only, and (2) send a notice of the sale at less than LEAST (10)
days prior thereto by registered mail to the owner, any lienholder as
shown on the records of the Department of Motor Vehicles and any
person entitled to possession, if his address is known or can be reason-
ably obtained, of the vehicle or part. No notice is required to be given
for a vehicle not registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(c)    The property owner or person with custody of the vehicle or
part shall obtain a certificate of sale upon forms prescribed and issued
by the Department of Motor Vehicles and following the sale, shall
present the certificate to the purchaser or transferee of the vehicle or
part, together with the certification of salvage value as provided for
in subsection (b) of this section.

(d)     The certificate of sale and certification of salvage value shall
constitute the purchaser's or transferee's evidence of ownership for
the purpose of obtaining a new certificate of title under the provisions
of this article. If the purchaser or transferee is a wrecker or dis-
mantler of motor vehicles, who acquired the vehicle or part to scrap,
dismantle or destroy it, the certificate of sale and certification of
salvage value shall constitute a certificate of title for the vehicle
or part for the purpose of compliance with the provisions of Section
56 of this article.

(e)     Whenever there has been a sale of an abandoned vehicle or
part thereof pursuant to this section and in compliance with its pro-
visions, there shall be no liability on account of its sale on the part of
the seller of the vehicle or part to the original owner, any lienholder,
or any person entitled to the possession of the vehicle or part.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1967.

Approved May 4, 1967.