(A) (1) The Police Chief of the municipality, upon complaint of any person adversely affected, may order into storage any motor vehicle, other than an abandoned junk motor vehicle as defined in § 95.04, that has been left on private residential or private agricultural property for at least four hours without the permission of the of person having the right to the possession of the property. The Police Chief, upon complaint of the owner of a repair garage or place of storage, may order into storage any motor vehicle, other than an abandoned junk motor vehicle, that has been left at the garage or place of storage for a longer period than that agreed upon. The place of storage shall be designated by the Police Chief. When ordering a motor vehicle into storage pursuant to this division, the Police Chief, whenever possible, shall arrange for the removal of the motor vehicle by a private tow truck operator or towing company. Subject to division (C) of this section, the owner of a motor vehicle that has been removed pursuant to this division may recover the vehicle only in accordance with division (E) of this section.
(2) Divisions (A)(1) through (A)(3) of this section do not apply to any private residential or private agricultural property that is established as a private tow- away zone in accordance with division (B) of this section.
(3) As used in divisions (A)(1) and (A)(2) of this section, PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY means private property on which is located one or more structures that are used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by one or more persons, if no more than three separate households are maintained in the structure or structures. The term does not include any private property on which is located one or more structures that are used as a home, residence, or sleeping place by two or more persons, if more than three separate households are maintained in the structure or structures.
(B) (1) The owner of private property may establish a private tow-away zone only if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(a) The owner posts on the owner’s property a sign that is at least 18 inches by 24 inches in size, that is visible from all entrances to the property, and that contains at least all of the following information:
1. A notice that the property is a private tow-away zone and that vehicles not authorized to park on the property will be towed away;
2. The telephone number of the person from whom a towed-away vehicle can be recovered, and the address of the place to which the vehicle will be taken and the place from which it may be recovered;
3. A statement that the vehicle may be recovered at any time during the day or night upon the submission of proof of ownership and the payment of a towing charge, in an amount not to exceed $90, and a storage charge, in an amount not to exceed $12 per 24-hour period; except that the charge for towing shall not exceed $150, and the storage charge shall not exceed $20 per 24-hour period, if the vehicle has a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 10,000 pounds and is a truck, bus, or a combination of a commercial tractor and trailer or semitrailer.
(b) The place to which the towed vehicle is taken and from which it may be recovered is conveniently located, is well lighted, and is on or within a reasonable distance of a regularly scheduled route of one or more modes of public transportation, if any public transportation is available in the municipality in which the private tow- away zone is located.
(2) If a vehicle is parked on private property that is established as a private tow-away zone in accordance with division (B)(1) without the consent of the owner of the property or in violation of any posted parking condition or regulation, the owner or the owner’s agent may remove, or cause the removal of, the vehicle, the owner and the operator of the vehicle shall be deemed to have consented to the removal and storage of the vehicle and to the payment of the towing and storage charges specified in division (B)(1)(a)3. of this section, and the owner, subject to division (C) of this section, may recover a vehicle that has been so removed only in accordance with division (E) of this section.
(3) If the municipality requires tow trucks and tow truck operators to be licensed, no owner of private property located within the municipality shall remove or shall cause the removal and storage of any vehicle pursuant to division (B)(2) of this section by an unlicensed tow truck or unlicensed tow truck operator.
(4) Divisions (B)(1) through (B)(3) of this section do not affect or limit the operation of division (A) of this section, §§ 95.02 through 95.06 or R.C. §§ 4513.61 through 4513.65 as they relate to property other than private property that is established as a private tow-away zone under division (B)(1) of this section.
(C) If the owner or operator of a vehicle that has been ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section or of a vehicle that is being removed under authority of division (B)(2) of this section arrives after the vehicle has been prepared for removal but prior to its actual removal from the property, the owner or operator shall be given the opportunity to pay a fee of not more than one-half of the charge for the removal of vehicles under division (A)(1) of this section or of vehicles under division (B)(2) of this section, whichever is applicable, that normally is assessed by the person who has prepared the vehicle for removal, in order to obtain release of the vehicle. Upon payment of that fee, the vehicle shall be released to the owner or operator, and upon its release, the owner or operator immediately shall move it so that:
(1) If the motor vehicle was ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section, it is not on the private residential or private agricultural property without the permission of the person having the right to possession of the property, or is not at the garage or place of storage without the permission of the owner, whichever is applicable;
(2) If the vehicle was being removed under authority of division (B)(2) of this section, it is not parked on the private property established as a private tow-away zone without the consent of the owner or in violation of any posted parking condition or regulation.
(D) (1) If an owner of private property that is established as a private tow-away zone in accordance with division (B)(1) of this section or the authorized agent of such an owner removes or causes the removal of a vehicle from that property under authority of division (B)(2) of this section, the owner or agent promptly shall notify the Police Department of the removal, the vehicle’s license number, make, model, and color, the location from which it was removed, the date and time of its removal, the telephone number of the person from whom it may be recovered, and the address of the place to which it has been taken and from which it may be recovered.
(2) The Police Chief shall maintain a record of vehicles that the Police Chief orders into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section and of vehicles removed from private property in the Police Chief’s jurisdiction that is established as a private tow-away zone of which the Police Chief has received notice under division (D)(1) of this section. The record shall include an entry for each such vehicle that identifies the vehicle’s license number, make, model, and color, the location from which it was removed, the date and time of its removal, the telephone number of the person from whom it may be recovered, and the address of the place to which it has been taken and from which it may be recovered. Any information in the record that pertains to a particular vehicle shall be provided to any person who, either in person or pursuant to a telephone call, identifies self as the owner or operator of the vehicle and requests information pertaining to its location.
(3) Any person who registers a complaint that is the basis of the Police Chief’s order for the removal and storage of a vehicle under division (A)(1) of this section shall provide the identity of the law enforcement agency with which the complaint was registered to any person who identifies self as the owner or operator of the motor vehicle and requests information pertaining to its location.
(E) The owner of a vehicle that is ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section or of a vehicle that is removed under authority of division (B)(2) of this section may reclaim it upon payment of any expenses or charges incurred in its removal, in an amount not to exceed $90, and storage, in an amount not to exceed $12 per 24-hour period; except that the charge for towing shall not exceed $150, and the storage charge shall not exceed $20 per 24-hour period, if the vehicle has a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 10,000 pounds and is a truck, bus, or a combination of a commercial tractor and trailer or semitrailer. Presentation of proof of ownership, which may be evidenced by a certificate of title to the vehicle also shall be required for reclamation of the vehicle. If a vehicle that is ordered into storage pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section remains unclaimed by the owner for 30 days, the procedures established by §§ 95.02 and 95.03 shall apply.
(F) No person shall remove, or cause the removal of, any vehicle from private property that is established as a private tow-away zone under division (B)(1) of this section other than in accordance with division (B)(2) of this section, and no person shall remove, or cause the removal of, any motor vehicle from any other private property other than in accordance with division (A)(1) of this section, §§ 95.02 through 95.06 or R.C. §§ 4513.61 through 4513.65.
(G) Whoever violates division (B)(3) or (F) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(R.C. § 4513.60) (Rev. 2012)