(A) No person shall abandon a motor vehicle on a street, highway, or other public property. Any member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol or any qualified sheriff, deputy sheriff, or any member of the Police Department shall deem a vehicle abandoned and shall have the authority to remove or direct the removal of the vehicle when found upon a portion of the street, highway, shoulder, or right-of-way, if after a period of 48 hours, there is no evidence of an apparent owner who intends to remove the vehicle.
(B) If such officer has reasonable cause to believe a vehicle has been abandoned in a location which would be hazardous to the free flow of traffic or be highly susceptible to damage from vandalism or other harm, he or she shall have the authority to remove or direct the removal of the vehicle immediately.
(C) Any officer or agent who has removed or directed the removal of an abandoned vehicle must promptly request the Oklahoma Tax Commission or other appropriate motor license agent to furnish the name and address of the owner of and any lienholder on the vehicle, and must within 20 days from receipt of the requested information, send a notice to the owner and any lienholder by regular mail, postage prepaid, at the addresses furnished by the Tax Commission or motor license agent of the vehicle’s location. This section shall not be construed to create any civil liability upon such officer, any agency, department, or political subdivision of the city or employee thereof for failure to provide such notice to the owner or lienholder.
(D) The owner of a motor vehicle abandoned in violation of this chapter or the owner of any vehicle which shall have been lawfully removed from any highway or other public property, or any lienholder on such vehicle, may regain possession of the vehicle in accordance with regulations of the city upon payment of the reasonable cost of removal and storage of such vehicles.
(E) A lienholder as used in this section means those lienholders as shown on the vehicle title.
(Prior Code, § 70.096) Penalty, see § 70.999
Statutory reference:
Similar provisions, see 47 O.S. §§ 901 to 904.1