(a) Any illegally parked or wrecked vehicle, or any vehicle with improper or expired license plates, or any vehicle which lacks equipment required by law or which has been involved in two or more violations of traffic ordinances for which citation tags have been issued and fines due thereon not paid, may be impounded by a police officer of the City. Such officer is hereby authorized to do every act, including entry into such vehicle which may be reasonably necessary to effect such impounding. Any person having the right to possession thereof, shall first obtain a release from the Police Department, and upon payment of towing and storage charges to the company or individual that towed and stored such vehicle, the vehicle shall be released.
(Passed 4-2-84.)
(b) Whenever any vehicle which has been impounded by a police officer remains unclaimed by any person having the right to the possession of such vehicle, for a period of ten days, written notice of such impounding shall be given to such person, if his name and address can be reasonably ascertained by the Police Department. If such name and address cannot be ascertained, a newspaper notice of such impounding shall be published at least one time in a newspaper of general circulation within the City.
(c) If the impounded vehicle remains unclaimed for a period of thirty days after written notice or newspaper notice in conformity with this section, such vehicle may be sold under the direction of the Chief of Police at public auction to the highest bidder, after notice of such auction has been given for not less than one week by one publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the City. The proceeds of such sale, after payment of all costs, fines and charges, shall be held by the City subject to the right of the owner or lienholder to receive the same within a period of six months, but not thereafter, from the date of such sale.
(1975 Code Sec. 19-22)