(a) Members of the Police Division are hereby authorized to remove or have removed a vehicle from a street to a lot designated or maintained by the Division or otherwise maintained by the City when:
(1) The vehicle is parked on a part of an emergency snow route on which a parking prohibition is in effect.
(2) The vehicle is stalled on a part of an emergency snow route on which there is a covering of snow, sleet or ice, or on which there is a parking prohibition in effect, and the operator of such vehicle does not appear to be removing the vehicle in accordance with this chapter.
(3) The vehicle is parked in violation of a parking ordinance or law and is interfering or about to interfere with snow removal operations.
(b) Whenever a police officer removes or has removed a vehicle from a street, as authorized in subsection (a) hereof, and the officer knows or is able to ascertain from the registration records in the vehicle the name and address of the owner thereof, such officer shall immediately give or cause to be given notice in writing to such owner of the fact of such removal, the reasons therefor and the place to which such vehicle has been removed.
(c) Whenever a police officer removes or has removed a vehicle from a street, as authorized in subsection (a) hereof, and the officer does not know and is not able to ascertain the name of the owner thereof, or for any reason is unable to give the notice to the owner as provided in subsection (b) hereof, and if the vehicle is not returned to its owner within a period of three (3) days, then the officer shall immediately send or cause to be sent, by mail, a written report of such removal to the State department in charge of the registration of motor vehicles.
(d) No person shall recover a vehicle removed in accordance with this section except as provided herein. Before the owner or person in charge of such vehicle is allowed to recover it from the place where it has been placed or impounded, he or she shall present to a member of the Police Division evidence of his or her identity and right to possession to the vehicle, shall sign a receipt for its return and shall pay all costs associated with the removal and storage of such vehicle. Until paid, such costs constitute a lien on the vehicle which may be enforced in the same manner as a garagekeeper’s lien.
(e) The Police Division shall keep a record of each vehicle removed in accordance with this section. The record shall include a description of the vehicle; its license number; the date and time of its removal; the place from which it was removed; the place in which it was impounded; the name and address of its owner and last operator, if known; its final disposition; and the parking violation involved.
(f) This section shall be supplemental to any other provision of law granting members of the Police Division authority to remove vehicles.
(Ord. 962. Passed 1-28-80; Ord. 1652. Passed 1-11-11; Ord. 1772. Passed 11-24-15.)