A. A vehicle impounded pursuant to section 9.19.030 shall be released to the legal owner, or the legal owner's agent, prior to the end of the impoundment period if both of the following conditions are met:
1. The legal owner is a motor vehicle dealer, bank, credit union, acceptance corporation, or other licensed financial institution legally operating in California, or is another person who is not the registered owner and holds a security interest in the vehicle; and
2. The legal owner, or the legal owner's agent, pays all of the towing and storage fees related to the seizure and impoundment of the vehicle.
B. No lien sale processing fees shall be charged to the legal owner who redeems the vehicle prior to the fifteenth (15th) day of the impoundment period. Neither the city, the impounding agency, nor any person having possession of the vehicle shall collect from the legal owner as described in subsection 9.19.070(A)(l) of this section, or the legal owner's agent, any administrative charges imposed pursuant to Section 22850.5 of the California Vehicle Code, unless the legal owner voluntarily requested a post-storage hearing.
C. The legal owner, or the legal owner's agent, shall present the following documentation to the Chico Police Department, impounding agency, person in possession of the vehicle, or any person acting on behalf of those agencies:
1. A copy of the assignment as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 7500.1 of the California Business and Professions Code;
2. A release of liability from the Chico Police Department;
3. A government-issued photographic identification card; and
4. Any one of the following as determined by the legal owner or the legal owner's agent:
a. A certificate of repossession for the vehicle;
b. A security agreement for the vehicle; or
c. Title (whether or not paperless or electronic) showing proof of legal ownership for the vehicle.
D. Any documents presented may be originals, photocopies, or facsimile copies, or may be transmitted electronically. The Chico Police Department, impounding agency, or any person acting on behalf of those agencies shall not require any documents to be notarized.
E. The Chico Police Department, or any person acting on its behalf may require the agent of the legal owner to produce a photocopy or facsimile copy of its repossession agency license or registration issued pursuant to Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 7500) of Division 3 of the California Business and Professions Code, or to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Chico Police Department that the agent is exempt from licensure pursuant to Section 7500.2 or 7500.3 of the California Business and Professions Code.
F. A city, county, city and county, or state agency shall not require a legal owner or a legal owner's agent to request a post-storage hearing as a requirement for release of the vehicle to the legal owner or the legal owner's agent.
G. The Chico Police Department or the impounding agency or any person acting on behalf of these agencies shall not require any documents other than those specified in subsection 9.19.070(C) for the release of the vehicle. The legal owner or the legal owner's agent shall be given a copy of any documents he or she is required to sign, except for a vehicle evidentiary hold log book.
H. The Chico Police Department, the impounding agency, or any person acting on behalf of these agencies, or any person in possession of the vehicle may photocopy and retain the copies of any documents presented by the legal owner or legal owner's agent.
I. The legal owner shall indemnify and hold harmless a storage facility from any claims arising out of the release of the vehicle to the legal owner or the legal owner's agent and from any damage to the vehicle after its release including the reasonable costs associated with defending any such claims.
J. The legal owner, who meets the requirements for release of a vehicle pursuant to subsection 9.19.070(A), or the legal owner's agent, shall not release the vehicle to the registered owner of the vehicle, or the registered owner's agent (unless the registered owner is a rental car agency) until after the termination of the impoundment period.
K. Prior to relinquishing the vehicle to the registered owner, the legal owner may require the registered owner to pay all towing and storage charges related to the seizure and impoundment of the vehicle.
(Ord. 2558)