(A) General. Any motor vehicle parked upon a public street or alley, or upon any street or way used by the public generally as a street, within the city, at a place, in a manner, for a length of time or at a time prohibited or declared to be unlawful by an ordinance of the city is, if unoccupied, hereby declared to be an obstruction in such street or alley and a public nuisance. Any police officer of the city is hereby authorized to cause such vehicle to be removed and impounded in a depository designated by the Police Department.
(B) Records and care. Whenever any such vehicle shall be ordered removed and impounded, it shall become the duty of the Police Department to take possession of and safely keep the same until any such vehicle shall have been repossessed by the owner or other person legally entitled to possession thereof or otherwise disposed of as hereinafter provided. The Police Department shall keep an accurate record of the description of any such vehicle, including the name of the officer ordering the removal and impoundage, the person, firm, or corporation, if any, employed to tow or deliver the same, and the charges, if any, therefore, the date, time and place of the removal and impoundage, the make and color of car, style of body, vehicle identification number, year built, state license number, city vehicle license number, equipment and general description of condition. Such record shall be a public record and shall be available for public inspection.
(C) Notification. Whenever a motor vehicle is removed and impounded, the Police Department shall promptly notify the owner or other person legally entitled to possession of such vehicle of the fact. If such owner or other person cannot be ascertained from the records of the city, the Police Department shall immediately instigate action to determine any registered owner or lien holder. Notification shall be made to the proper state authorities of the impoundment and intent of sale at public auction should legal owners fail to make claim for the impounded vehicle. All notifications and any sale at public auction of impounded vehicles shall coincide and conform to 625 ILCS 5/4-201 through 4-215 and as amended from time to time. No person may make claim or reimbursement for an auctioned vehicle against the city if said owner or other person legally entitled to possession of said vehicle fails to respond to proper notification.
(D) Costs. When a vehicle removed from either public or private property is authorized by the Police Department, the owner of the vehicle will be responsible for all towing and storage costs.
(E) Reclaiming vehicle. Before the owner or person entitled to possession of any impounded vehicle shall be permitted to redeem the same from the Police Department, he or she shall furnish sufficient evidence of his or her identity and ownership of the vehicle; present a receipt for towing storage, and other necessary charges and expenses; and shall sign a receipt for the vehicle.
(F) State statute. Said vehicle shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of Ill. Rev. Stat. Chapter 95-1/2 and as amended from time to time.
(G) Causes for removal. Any police officer is hereby additionally authorized to remove or cause to be removed any vehicle found upon a highway when:
(1) Report has been made that such vehicle has been stolen or taken without the consent of its owner;
(2) The person or persons in charge of such vehicle are unable to provide for its custody or removal; or
(3) When the person driving or in control of such vehicle is arrested for an alleged offense.
(Ord. 07-08, passed 2-20-2007; Ord. 2016-11, passed 2-16-2016)