351.02 ADOPTION OF PARKING TICKET; FORM AND SERVICE; REGISTERED OWNER PRIMA-FACIE LIABLE FOR UNLAWFUL PARKING.
(a) For purposes of enforcement of parking prohibitions, the Chief of Police is authorized to create parking tickets in such form as he may determine which shall be used by City law enforcement officers for the purpose of giving notice to owners and operators of vehicles found parked in violation of provisions of this Traffic Code or the Ohio Revised Code pertaining to the illegal parking of vehicles. Any owner or operator, when a parking ticket is attached to the vehicle which has been illegally parked shall appear at the place designated on the ticket according to the directions thereon, and shall comply with the instructions appearing on the parking ticket.
(b) In any hearing on a charge of illegally parking a motor vehicle, testimony that a vehicle bearing a certain license plate, or vehicle identification number (VIN) if no license plate is displayed was found unlawfully parked as prohibited by the provisions of this Traffic Code or the Ohio Revised Code pertaining to the parking of vehicles, and further testimony that the record of the Ohio Registrar of Motor Vehicles shows that the license plate or VIN was issued to the defendant, shall be prima-facie evidence that the vehicle which was unlawfully parked, was so parked by the defendant. A record provided by the registrar through the Ohio Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS) shall be proof of such ownership.
(c) A law enforcement officer who issues a parking ticket for a parking violation shall complete the parking ticket by identifying the parking violation charged, recording the license plate number, if any, make or model of the vehicle, and the date, time, and place of the parking violation charged. The officer shall sign the parking ticket thereby affirming the facts it contains. If the operator of the vehicle is present, the officer shall record on the parking ticket the name of the operator in a space provided on the parking ticket for identification of the violator, and shall personally serve the parking ticket upon the violator. If the operator of the vehicle is not present, the officer shall insert the registered owner’s name and address in the space provided on the parking ticket for identification of the owner, then shall affix the parking ticket to the vehicle in a conspicuous place, which shall constitute service of the parking ticket upon the owner.
(d) The original of a parking ticket issued pursuant to this section or any true copy of it shall be considered a record created in the ordinary course of business of the Fairfield Police Department and shall be prima-facie evidence of the facts contained therein.
(e) “Parking ticket” as described herein has the same meaning as “citation tag” described in Section 303.08(a)(10). (Ord. 129-08. Passed 10-14-08.)