(A) (1) Whenever an abandoned, lost, stolen or unclaimed vehicle, seven years of age or newer, remains unclaimed by the registered owner, or other person legally entitled to its possession, for 30 days after the notice provided for in § 468.06 has been given, the Police Department shall cause the vehicle to be sold at public sale to the highest bidder. Notice of the time and place of the sale shall be posted in a conspicuous place for at least ten days prior to the sale, on the premises where the vehicle has been impounded. At least ten days prior to the sale, the Police Department shall cause a notice of the time and place of the sale to be sent, by certified mail, to the registered owner or other person known by the Police Department or towing service to be legally entitled to the possession of the vehicle. The notices shall contain complete descriptions of the vehicle to be sold and what steps must be taken by a person legally entitled to reclaim the vehicle to do so.
(2) If the certified notice has been returned by the postal authorities to the Police Department because the addressee has moved or is unknown at the address obtained from the registration records of the state, the sending of a second certified notice is not required.
(B) When the identity of the registered owner, or other person legally entitled to the possession, of an abandoned, lost, stolen or unclaimed vehicle, seven years of age or newer, cannot be determined by any means provided for in this chapter, the vehicle may be sold, as provided in division (A) hereof, or disposed of in the manner set forth in division (C) hereof, without notice to the owner or other person.
(C) When an abandoned, lost, stolen or unclaimed vehicle of more than seven years of age is impounded under this chapter, it will be kept in custody for a minimum of ten days for the purposes of determining ownership, contacting the registered owner by mail, public service or in person for a determination of disposition and examining the State Police stolen motor vehicle files for theft and wanted information. At the expiration of the ten-day period, without the benefit of disposition information being received from the registered owner, the Superintendent of Police will authorize the disposal of the vehicle as junk only.
(D) Divisions (A) through (C) hereof do not apply to antique vehicles.