307.01 AUTHORITY TO IMPOUND.

   Police officers are authorized to provide for the removal and impounding, or the “booting” of a vehicle under the following circumstances:

   (a)    When any vehicle is left unattended upon any public street, bridge or causeway and is illegally parked, or constitutes a hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic, or unreasonably interferes with street cleaning or snow removal operations.

   (b)    When any vehicle or "abandoned junk motor vehicle" as defined in Ohio R.C. 4513.63 is left on private property for more than forty-eight consecutive hours without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property, or on a public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking, or upon or within the right of way of any road or highway, for forty-eight consecutive hours or longer, without notification to the Police Chief of the reasons for leaving such vehicle in such place. Prior to disposal of an “abandoned junk motor vehicle" as defined in Ohio R.C. 4513.63, it shall be photographed by a law enforcement officer.

   (c)    When any vehicle has been stolen or'operated without the consent of the owner and is located upon either public or private property.

   (d)    When any vehicle displays illegal license plates or fails to display the current lawfully required plates and is located upon any public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking.

   (e)    When any vehicle has been used in or connected with the commission of a felony and is located upon either public or private property.

   (f)   When any vehicle has been damaged or wrecked so as to be inoperable or violates equipment provisions of this Traffic Code whereby its continued operation would constitute a condition hazardous to life, limb or property, and is located upon any public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking.

   (g)    When any vehicle is left unattended either on public or private property due to the removal of an ill, injured or arrested operator, or due to the abandonment thereof by the operator during or immediately after pursuit by a law enforcement officer.

   (h)    When any vehicle has been operated by any person who has failed to stop in case of an accident or collision and is located either on public or private property.

   (i)    When any vehicle has been operated by any person who is driving without a lawful license or while his license has been suspended or revoked and is located upon a public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking.

   (j)    When any vehicle is found for which two or more citation tags for violations of this Traffic Code have been issued and the owner or operator thereof has failed to respond to such citation tags as lawfully required, and is located upon a public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking. To the extent of any conflict with the provisions of this chapter, any vehicle removed under authority of subsection (b) hereof shall be ordered into storage and/or disposed of as provided under Ohio R.C. 4513.60 et seq. Any other vehicle removed under authority of this section shall be ordered into storage and the Police Division shall forthwith notify the registered vehicle owner of the fact of such removal and impounding, as provided in Section 307.03.

   (k)    When any vehicle is abandoned or parked without the property owner's permission in such a manner as to prevent other motor vehicles from entering onto or exiting from a public or private driveway, when such entrance or exit is reasonably required by one owning, possessing or controlling the obstructed property and there is no other means of entrance or exit reasonably available.

      (Ord. 98-145. Passed 7-7-98.)