(A) An officer who finds on public property a vehicle believed to be abandoned shall attach in a prominent place a notice tag containing the following information:
(1) The date, time, officer’s name, agency and address and telephone number to contact for information;
(2) The vehicle is considered abandoned;
(3) The vehicle will be removed after 72 hours;
(4) The owner will be held responsible for all costs, not to exceed $100, incidental to the removal, storage and disposal, and if not paid, the owner’s registration privileges will be suspended on the car; and
(5) The owner may avoid costs by removal of the vehicle within 72 hours.
(B) An officer who finds on private property a vehicle believed to be abandoned shall:
(1) Notify the owner of the property and the owner of the vehicle of the officer’s findings;
(2) Notify the owner or owners that they have 30 days to:
(a) Remove the vehicle from the property; or
(b) Have the vehicle mechanically operable and legally licensed according to state statutes.
(3) Notify the owner or owners that failure to do so shall result in the officer, by use of an agency, removing the vehicle while the costs, not to exceed $100, shall be charged to the owner; and
(4) Log all pertinent information concerning the abandoned vehicle, including the date, time, officer’s name, agency, make and model of the vehicle. The information shall be kept up to date and available for public inspection.
(C) Upon removal of an abandoned and unclaimed vehicle, the vehicle shall be sold at a public sale after notice as required by law.
(D) All proceeds from the sale of the abandoned vehicle shall be deposited with the County Treasurer and placed in the Abandoned Vehicle Account.
(E) The proceeds of an abandoned vehicle sale shall be credited against all costs incident to the removal, storage and disposal of the vehicle and paid for from the Abandoned Vehicle Account.
(F) (1) If the vehicle is not removed within the requisite time period, and should the officer determine that market value of the abandoned vehicle to be less than $100, the officer shall prepare a written abandoned vehicle report of the vehicle including information on the condition, missing parts and other facts that might substantiate that market value. Photographs shall be taken to describe the condition of the vehicle.
(2) Upon completion of the report, the officer shall immediately dispose of the vehicle to an automobile scrap yard.
(Prior Code, § 90.03) (Ord. 1989-5, passed 6-6-1989)