(A) The abandonment of a motor vehicle or any part thereof on any street, highway, alley or other public way or public property in this municipality is unlawful and subject to penalties as set forth herein. Any police authority of the city or acting on behalf of the city or any member of any such police authority’s force or department is hereby authorized to remove a vehicle from a street, highway, alley, or other public thoroughfare or public property, to the nearest garage or other place of safety or to the garage designated or maintained by the city under the circumstances hereinafter enumerated:
(1) When any vehicle is left unattended upon any bridge viaduct or causeway, where such vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic.
(2) When a vehicle upon a highway, street or alley is so disabled as to constitute an obstruction to traffic and the person or persons in charge of the vehicle are by reason of physical injury incapacitated to such an extent as to be unable to provide for its custody or removal.
(3) When any vehicle is left abandoned or unattended upon a street, highway, other public thoroughfare or alley, and is so parked illegally as to constitute a definite hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic.
(4) When any vehicle is left abandoned or unattended upon public property for over 24 hours.
(5) Immediate removal from the street or highway, or private property adjacent to the highway when any vehicle left abandoned, unattended, wrecked, burned or partially dismantled is creating a traffic hazard because of its position in relation to a street or highway or its physical appearance is causing the impeding of traffic.
(B) No person shall abandon any vehicle within the city and no person shall leave any vehicle at any place within the city for such time and under such circumstances as to cause such vehicle to reasonably appear abandoned. Further, no person shall leave any partially dismantled, inoperable, wrecked or junked vehicle on any street or highway or other public property. Any vehicle so left may be removed by the city through its lawful police force or by any police force acting on behalf of the city whenever any such vehicle is so parked illegally as to constitute a definite hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic or is left unattended for over 24 hours.
(C) The abandonment of a vehicle or any part thereof on private property in view of the general public is unlawful except on property of the owner or bailee of such abandoned vehicle or any part thereof. A vehicle or any part thereof so abandoned on private property shall be authorized for removal by any police authority of the city or acting on behalf of the city after a waiting period of seven days from the time the abandoned vehicle or any part thereof was first made known to the police authority.
(D) No person shall leave any inoperable motor vehicle on private property for a period longer that seven days unless such inoperable vehicle is kept within a building when not in use, is a historic or antique vehicle as such vehicles are defined in ILCS Ch. 625, Act 5, § 1-102.1, (as amended), or such vehicle is on the premises of a place of business engaged in the wrecking or junking of motor vehicles and such business is duly licensed by the state and city, if applicable, to engage in such business. Any vehicle so left, whether on public or private, property, is declared a public nuisance. Any police authority of the city or acting on behalf of the city seven days after the existence and location of the inoperable motor vehicle has been brought to the police authority’s attention, may serve notice upon the owner or occupant of the property upon which the inoperable motor vehicle is located to remove and dispose of said vehicle. If the inoperable motor vehicle is not removed within seven days after receiving notice by certified mail, or service of process as provided by law, the property owner, or occupant, or both, will be responsible for all towing charges, storage charges, court costs and attorney fees, incurred by the city and shall be deemed to be in violation of this subchapter and may be fined by a court of competent jurisdiction for failure to obey the notice and dispose of the inoperable motor vehicle.
(E) The provisions of this subchapter and remedies provided herein are cumulative with and non-exclusive in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Illinois Compiled Statutes.
(Ord. 533, passed 4-20-87; Am. Ord. 653, passed 9-5-95) Penalty, see § 91.99