(A) If in the opinion of the officer the market value of an abandoned vehicle or parts determined in accordance with § 90.17 is less than $500, the officer shall immediately dispose of the vehicle to a storage yard. A copy of the abandoned vehicle report and photographs relating to the abandoned vehicle shall be forwarded to the Town Council. A towing service may dispose of the abandoned vehicle not less than 30 days after the date on which the towing service removed the abandoned vehicle. A city, county, or town that operates a storage yard under I.C. 36-9-30-3 may dispose of an abandoned vehicle to an automobile scrapyard or an automotive salvage recycler upon removal of the abandoned vehicle. The public agency disposing of the vehicle shall retain the original records and photographs for at least two years.
(I.C. 9-22-1-13(a))
(B) (1) If in the opinion of the officer the market value of the abandoned vehicle or parts determined in accordance with § 90.17 is at least $500, the officer, before placing a notice tag on the vehicle or parts, shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain the person who owns the vehicle or parts or who may be in control of the vehicle or parts.
(2) After 72 hours, the officer shall require the vehicle or parts to be towed to a storage area.
(I.C. 9-22-1-14)
(C) If a vehicle or parts are in a condition that vehicle identification numbers or other means of identification are not available to determine the person who owns or holds a lien on the vehicle, the vehicle may be disposed of without notice.
(I.C. 9-22-1-21)
(D) Abandoned vehicle report: within 72 hours after removal of a vehicle to a storage yard or towing service under this section, the public agency or towing service shall conduct a search of national data bases, including a data base of vehicle identification numbers, to attempt to obtain the last state of record of the vehicle in order to attempt to ascertain the name and address of the person who owns or hold a lien on the vehicle.
(I.C. 9-22-1-19(a))
(Ord. 2015-06, passed 5-11-2015)