(a) No person, firm, partnership, or corporation shall park or store or permit to be parked or stored, on any private property in the Municipality, unlicensed motor vehicles without current registration numbers or any motor vehicle which is not in operating condition for street or highway purposes in accordance with law, except in an enclosed building or garage. The absence of current license plates and registration numbers from any vehicle shall be prima-facie evidence that the same is unlicensed and not in operating condition. Each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense.
(b) Any motor vehicle parked or stored in violation of this section, in addition to penalty prescribed in Section 303.99 for an offense in violation of subsection (a) hereof, may have his motor vehicle removed from the private property and impounded by order of any police officer or Fire Chief and placed in storage and shall not be released until the owner certifies that the motor vehicle shall be towed outside the corporation limits or otherwise stored in an enclosed building or garage. The motor vehicle shall not be released to the owner until towing and storage fees or charges have been paid. No motor vehicle shall be towed and placed into impound until the police officer or Fire Chief has given the owner, if found, and if not found, has securely fastened a "NOTICE OF INTENT TO IMPOUND MOTOR VEHICLE"the front windshield of the motor vehicle which shall inform the owner of the motor vehicle of this section and the towing and storage fees or charges. The notice shall describe the motor vehicle by make, model, location, manufacturer's serial number, license plate registration number, if any, and any other identification the Chief of Police may prescribe by form. Once the notice has been securely fastened to the motor vehicle or given to the owner, the owner shall have seventy-two hours to comply with this section. If the owner is not found or fails, neglects or refuses to comply with this section, any police officer or Fire Chief may order the towing and storage of the motor vehicle from private property wherever it is found or located within the Municipal corporation limits and no further notice shall be necessary. Motor vehicles so removed may be disposed of according to provisions of Ohio R.C. 737.32.
(c) This section shall not be applicable to bona-fide owners of a business engaged in the fixing, repair and replacement of damaged motor vehicles or restoration and rehabilitation of the same. A bona-fide owner shall be a person, firm or corporation duly reporting taxable income in accordance with Chapter 171, Income Tax, or any statute or ordinance enacted by the General Assembly or Council or hereafter amended or adopted for the immobilization of motor vehicles and confiscation of license plates by law enforcement officers or pursuant to Court Order for alleged violators and convicted violators of a State or Municipal law or ordinance for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
(Ord. 1539-93. Passed 10-25-93.)
(d) Whoever violates any provision of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.