(a) Officers of the Police Department are hereby authorized to remove, or cause to be removed, a motor vehicle from a snow emergency street to a garage designated or maintained by the Police Department when a motor vehicle is parked on a street on which a parking prohibition is in effect.
(b) Whenever an officer has removed or caused to be removed a motor vehicle from a street as authorized in this section and the officer knows or is able to ascertain from the registration records of the vehicle, the name and address of the owner thereof, such police officer shall immediately give, or cause to be given, notice in writing to such owner of the fact of such removal and the reason therefor, and the place to which such motor vehicle has been removed. In the event any such motor vehicle is stored in a public garage, a copy of such notice shall be given to the proprietor of such garage.
(c) Whenever an officer removes or has removed a motor vehicle from a street as authorized in this section and does not know nor is able to ascertain the name of the owner, or for any other reasons is unable to give notice to the owner, and in the event the motor vehicle is not returned to the owner within a period of three days, then in that event the officer shall immediately send or cause to be sent a written report of such removal by mail to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, and shall file a copy of such notice with the proprietor of any public garage in which the motor vehicle may be stored. Such notice shall include a complete description of the motor vehicle, the date, time and place from which removed, the reasons for such removal and the name of the garage or place where the motor vehicle is stored.
(d) No person shall recover any motor vehicle removed in accordance with this
section except as provided herein. Before the owner or person in charge of such motor vehicle shall be allowed to recover it from the location where it has been placed, he shall present to a member of the Police Department, evidence of his identity, ownership or right of possession of the motor vehicle. Prior to issuance of a release form, the claimant, owner or operator shall either pay the amount due for any fines for violations on account of which such vehicle was impounded, or as the court may require, post a bond in an amount set by the court, to appear and answer such violations. The garage operator shall release such motor vehicle upon receipt of the release form and payment of all towage and storage charges.
(e) It shall be the duty of the Police Department to keep a record of each motor vehicle removed in accordance with this section. The record shall include a description of the motor vehicle, its license number, the date and time of its removal, where it was removed from, its location, the name and address of its owner and its final disposition.
(f) This section shall be supplemental to any other provisions of law granting members of the Police Department authority to remove motor vehicles.
(Ord. 86-132. Passed 4-20-86.)