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PREFACE
Chapter C HOME RULE CHARTER
Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 5 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Chapter 14 AUTHORITIES
Chapter 23 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
Chapter 36 FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Chapter 51 INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Chapter 62 PENSIONS
Chapter 70 PERSONNEL
Chapter 77 POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chapter 91 SALARIES AND COMPENSATION
Chapter 120 ALARM SYSTEMS
Chapter 127 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Chapter 141 ANIMALS
Chapter 166 CABLE TELEVISION
Chapter 173 COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY CODE
Chapter 180 CONSTRUCTION CODES
Chapter 185 CONVERSION THERAPY
Chapter 188 CURFEW
Chapter 201 ELECTRIC SERVICE
Chapter 212 FEES
Chapter 219 FIREARMS
Chapter 225 FIREWORKS
Chapter 231 FIRE INSURANCE PROCEEDS
Chapter 237 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
Chapter 251 FOOD CODE
Chapter 272 GRAFFITI
Chapter 288 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 295 HISTORICAL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
Chapter 302 HOUSE NUMBERING
Chapter 308 HOUSING
Chapter 317 INVASIVE PLANTS AND NOXIOUS WEEDS
Chapter 325 LAW ENFORCEMENT
Chapter 328 LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
Chapter 332 LIBRARY
Chapter 339 LICENSES AND PERMITS
Chapter 346 LITTER AND ADVERTISING MATERIAL
Chapter 353 LOITERING AND PANHANDLING
Chapter 364 MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Chapter 378 MUNICIPAL CLAIMS AND LIENS
Chapter 387 NOISE
Chapter 396 PARKS AND RECREATION
Chapter 403 PAWNBROKERS
Chapter 410 PEDDLING AND SOLICITING
Chapter 424 POLES
Chapter 431 PROPERTY SALES
Chapter 433 PUBLIC ART
Chapter 438 RAIN BARRELS
Chapter 442 RECORDS, PUBLIC ACCESS
Chapter 453 SALES
Chapter 460 SCRAP METAL DEALERS
Chapter 467 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
Chapter 473 SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES
Chapter 479 SIDEWALK CAFES
Chapter 485 SIGNS
Chapter 496 SOLID WASTE
Chapter 502 STORAGE FACILITIES
Chapter 505 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Chapter 508 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter 515 SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 521 SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 536 TAMPERING WITH PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter 540 TATTOO AND PIERCING ESTABLISHMENTS
Chapter 543 TAX ABATEMENTS
Chapter 546 TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM
Chapter 549 TAXATION
Chapter 555 TREES
Chapter 564 VEHICLE NUISANCES, STORAGE OF
Chapter 570 VEHICLE REPAIR SHOPS
Chapter 576 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Chapter 583 VENDING MACHINES
Chapter 600 ZONING
Chapter A610 ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY
Chapter A611 BOND ISSUES AND LOANS
Chapter A612 FRANCHISE AND SERVICES
Chapter A613 GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Chapter A614 PLAN APPROVAL
Chapter A615 PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter A616 SEWERS
Chapter A617 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter A618 WATER
Chapter A619 ZONING; PRIOR ORDINANCES
Chapter DT DERIVATION TABLE
Chapter DL DISPOSITION LIST
§ 576-803. Authority to remove and impound unattended vehicles on private property by any privately operated towing businesses operating within the City of Reading, as per 75 Pa.C.S. § 3353.3.b.
[Added 7-24-2017 by Ord. No. 73-2017; Amended 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 43-2022]
   A.   No person shall park or leave an unattended vehicle on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control or possession of the property except in case of emergency or disablement of the vehicle, in which case the operator shall arrange for the removal of the vehicle as soon as possible.
   B.   The provisions of this section shall only apply to privately owned lots where signage is posted to notify the public about the restriction. For purposes of this section, “private parking lot” shall mean a parking lot open to the public or used for parking without charge; or a parking lot used for parking with charge.
   C.   The required signage shall be posted at each entry to the parking lot. If there are no designated entrances—such as when a lot has one or more sides continuously open to a roadway—one or more signs should be erected so as to be readily visible to an ordinarily observant driver.
      1.   The sign(s) shall conform to 67 Pa. Code, § 212.115. Posting of private parking lots and contain language approved by the City of Reading Police Department.
      2.   Letters must have a minimum height of 3 inches.
      3.   The sign must have a retro-reflectorized sign message or background and be positioned so as to be illuminated by the headlight beams of entering vehicles, or the sign may be illuminated during applicable hours of darkness so as to be readily visible to an ordinarily observant driver.
      4.   Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3353(b), the prosecution of an owner or towing a vehicle from a private parking lot is prohibited unless restrictions are posted in accordance with this subsection.
   D.   The property owner or person in control or possession of the property shall have the ability to remove or have removed an unattended vehicle by a privately operated towing business if (i) the vehicle in violation of this section is reported to the City of Reading Police Department by the property owner, or person in control or possession of the property; (ii) a citation is issued to the vehicle by the City of Reading Police Department; and (iii) the property owner provides the City of Reading Police Department with a valid contract permitting the privately operated towing business to conduct business on the private property or, in lieu thereof, the private property owner has, prior thereto, provided the City of Reading Police Department with documentation indicating the private property that the privately operated towing business has authority to conduct business at along with a copy of the fully signed contract between the private property owner and the privately operated towing business. Any towing company contracted to remove vehicles from private property shall not charge more than $100 for towing, $50 for "dropping" the vehicle on site with no tow and no more than $10 a day for storage, charged to the owner of the vehicle, beginning the day after the vehicle is towed as per Chapter 212, Tow Service Charges.
   E.   This section shall be enforced by the City of Reading Police Department and shall apply to all private property and privately owned towing businesses operating within the City of Reading. The enforcement hereunder shall include, but not be limited to, ensuring compliance of the signage required under subsection C above.
   F.   Violations and penalties. Whoever violates any provision of this section shall be, upon conviction thereof, sentenced to pay a fine not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 30 days. Each day during which any person violates any provision of this chapter shall constitute a separate offense.