(A) Any towing service that engages in a trespass tow, or any storage facility that receives motor vehicles that have been towed as a result of a non-consensual tow from private property, shall accept cash and at least two major credit cards and any debit card for any fee established by this subchapter. Upon request, the employee for the towing service or storage facility will provide a receipt to the owner or operator of the towed motor vehicle.
(B) Any towing service that engages in a trespass tow, or any storage yard that receives motor vehicles that have been towed as a result of a non-consensual tow from private property, shall have on call 24 hours every day a person who acknowledges requests to retrieve a towed motor vehicle, within 15 minutes of receiving an inquiry from the owner or operator of the towed motor vehicle. If the owner or operator wishes to retrieve the motor vehicle, then the towing service or storage facility must make the vehicle available within 45 minutes of the request.
(C) The lot or facility to which a trespass towed vehicle is removed shall be located within 20 miles of the town limits.
(D) No towing service shall remove a motor vehicle from a private lot from the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., unless the owner or agent of the private lot signs a contemporaneous, specific written authorization for such removal that is presented to the wrecker driver of the towing service. The agent must be someone other than an employee of the towing service. The written authorization shall contain the reason for the tow, the make, model, year, color, vehicle identification number (VIN) and license plate number of the vehicle to be towed. The wrecker driver shall contact the non-emergency number for the Police Department and provide the above information. The motor vehicle will not be removed from the private lot until the driver has been advised of a complaint number.
(Ord. 2023-01, passed 5-9-2023) Penalty, see § 75.99