A. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this section, it shall be unlawful and a misdemeanor offense for any cart owner to provide or offer, or permit to be provided or offered, any cart to a customer without a current and valid abandoned cart prevention plan approved by the city as required by and in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
B. It shall be unlawful for any person other than the cart owner or its authorized representative to do any of the following acts:
1. To temporarily or permanently remove a cart from the premises or parking lot of a retail establishment without the express prior written approval of the owner or on-duty manager of the retail establishment. Written permission shall be valid for a period not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours.
2. To leave or abandon a cart upon any public or private property other than the premises of the retail establishment or its parking lot.
3. To be in possession of a cart that has been removed from the premises or parking lot area of a retail establishment unless it is in the process of being immediately returned to the owner or retail establishment.
4. To tamper with any cart, or remove any part or portion thereof, or to remove, obliterate, or alter any identification, including but not limited to any serial numbers, or to possess any cart that has been altered, converted, or tampered with or whose identification has been removed, obliterated, or altered, with the intent to temporarily or permanently deprive the owner or retailer of possession of the cart without the prior written consent of the cart owner.
This section shall not apply to carts that are removed for the purposes of repair or maintenance which has been authorized by the owner.
(Ord. 2593 §1 (part))