[§708-837] Failure to return a rental motor vehicle; penalty. [(1)] A person commits the offense of failure to return a rental motor vehicle when he intentionally does not return the motor vehicle to the person, or his agent, from whom the vehicle was rented within forty-eight hours after the time stated on the rental agreement, unless the person renting the vehicle gives notice that he will not be able to return the vehicle in the stated time and extends the time in which the vehicle will be returned.
[(2)] Failure to return a rental motor vehicle is a misdemeanor. [L 1973, c 63, §1]
COMMENTARY ON §708-837
This section was added by Act 63, Session Laws 1973, "to provide an incentive to a person who rents a motor vehicle to return it to its lawful owner." House Standing Committee Report No. 821.
The Committee Report further states that "rental agencies have been plagued for a number of years with overdue and abandoned vehicles. Presently, there is no legal means available to compel a person to return the vehicle when it is overdue. This proposed bill would make it a misdemeanor if a person intentionally fails to return a rental motor vehicle."
Case Notes
Where police stopped defendant's rental car after they had received a report from the car's owner that the car was overdue, police had reasonable suspicion to stop the car, even if the report turned out to be mistaken due to its timing, because the police were acting on a police report from the car's owner, whose honesty had not been questioned. 241 F.3d 1124 (2001).
Mentioned: 86 H. 207, 948 P.2d 1048 (1997).
Section: Previous 708-835.6 708-835.7 708-835.8 708-835.55 708-836 708-836.5 708-836.6 708-837 708-837.5 708-838 708-839 708-839.5 708-839.6 708-839.7 708-839.8 NextLast modified: October 27, 2016