(a) A vehicle storage fee of $5 per day for those vehicles stored at facilities owned by Greenville County is hereby established. The vehicle storage fee established by this article shall be collected by the Greenville County vehicle service center. Any vehicle stored at facilities owned by the county shall not be released until payment of the vehicle storage fee is received.
(b) The sheriff of Greenville County is authorized to reduce or waive any storage fees when in his opinion special circumstances exist to warrant the reduction or waiver of such fees. Such special circumstances would include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) A vehicle seized or impounded in error;
(2) Proper seizure procedures were not followed, making it necessary to return the vehicle to the owner, but accumulated fees prevent owner from reclaiming the vehicle;
(3) Vehicle found to belong to an innocent third party, but accumulated fees prevent owner from reclaiming the vehicle;
(4) Vehicle returned to owner as part of negotiated forfeiture settlement; fees could be negotiated as part of the settlement;
(5) Forfeiture process ended, where costs of litigation exceed value of vehicle, but accumulated fees prevent owner from reclaiming vehicle;
(6) A court of lawful jurisdiction orders that fees be waived or reduced.
(1976 Code, § 9-147) (Ord. 2473, § 1, passed 6-29-1993; Ord. 2688, § 2, passed 3-7-1996)