Texas Governor Greg Abbott Signs Optional Towing Bill Into Law

SSA congratulates and thanks the Texas Self Storage Association for its successful advocacy in support of Senate Bill 1181. The bill will permit optional towing of certain property in lieu of selling the property. Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill late last month.

Starting on September 1, 2021, if the tenant is in default, and the property subject to the owner’s lien is a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, motorboat, vessel, or outboard motor, the storage owner may have the property towed if certain conditions are met. Those conditions are: (1) towing is expressly authorized in the written rental agreement; (2) the storage lessor provides the required lien notice and the tenant does not pay within the allotted time; and (3) the vehicle storage facility (towing company) agrees in writing to accept possession of the property. Storage lessors are encouraged to amend their rental agreement to expressly authorize towing, if not currently addressed in the rental agreement.

Please email Joe Doherty at the SSA with any questions. The updated Annotated Texas Lien Law, which explains the amendments in more depth, will be available soon on the SSA website.