(a) Whenever an abandoned, lost, stolen, or other impounded motor vehicle, or a vehicle determined to be a hazardous dilapidated motor vehicle pursuant to Section 11-40-3.1 of the Illinois Municipal Code, remains unclaimed by the registered owner, lienholder or other person legally entitled to possession for a period of 18 days after notice has been given pursuant to Section 9-92-070(a) or (b), if, during that 18-day period, the department of police or department of streets and sanitation has sent an additional notice by first class mail to the registered owner, lienholder, or other legally entitled person, the superintendent of police or commissioner of streets and sanitation shall authorize the disposal or other disposition of such unclaimed vehicles as provided in this section; provided, however, that the registered owner may request from the department of streets and sanitation one extension of 15 days before a vehicle is sold or otherwise disposed of. The department of streets and sanitation shall honor such request and shall not sell or otherwise dispose of a vehicle during the 15-day extension period.
(b) Impounded motor vehicles which remain unclaimed after notice has been provided pursuant to Section 9-92-070 shall be disposed, pursuant to the provisions of the "Municipal Purchasing Act for cities of 500,000 or more population", to a person licensed as an automotive parts recycler, rebuilder or scrap processor under Chapter 5 of the Illinois Vehicle Code; provided, however, that such vehicles having a value that substantially exceeds its scrap value may be disposed of in accordance with subsections (c) or (d) of this section.
(c) Where the superintendent of police or commissioner of streets and sanitation determines that an unclaimed impounded vehicle has a value substantially in excess of the scrap value of such vehicle, he may cause it to be sold at a public auction to a person licensed as an automotive parts recycler, rebuilder or scrap processor. 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 superintendent or commissioner shall cause a notice of the time and place of the sale to be sent in the same manner as the notice sent pursuant to Section 9-92-070 to the registered owner, lienholder or other person entitled to possession of the vehicle. Such notice shall contain a complete description of the vehicle to be sold and the steps that must be taken by any legally entitled person to reclaim such vehicle.
In those instances where the notification specified in Section 9-92-070 has been returned by postal authorities due to the addressee having moved, or being unknown at the address obtained from the registration records of the state, the sending of a second notice shall not be required.
(d) The superintendent of police is authorized to reserve for the city's use such unclaimed impounded vehicles for which a notice has been sent pursuant to Section 9-92-070, as the various departments of the city may require. Any vehicle reserved for such purpose shall be added to the list of the respective department's fleet of vehicles.
(e) Disposal of a vehicle pursuant to this section shall not relieve the violator of liability for all costs, fines and penalties incurred in conjunction with such vehicle: provided, however, that with respect to disposal of an abandoned vehicle, the amount of liability for towing and storage costs shall be reduced by any amounts realized in the disposal of the vehicle in accordance with Article II of Chapter 4 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.
(Added Coun. J. 7-12-90, p. 18634; Amend Coun. J. 5-22-91, p. 823; Amend Coun. J. 10-7-98, p. 78566, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 12-12-01, p. 75777, § 5.9; Amend Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 40508, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 11-16-16, p. 37901, Art. VIII, § 11)