(a) Definitions.
(1) “Abandoned motor vehicle” means any motor vehicle which is left on private property for more than seventy-two hours without the permission of the person owning or having possession of the property, or any motor vehicle which is left on public property for forty-eight hours or longer without notifying the Chief of Police.
(2) “Historical motor vehicle” means any historical motor vehicle twenty- five years or older having a fair market value of three hundred dollars ($300.00) or more, whether operable or not, that is owned, operated, collected, preserved, restored, maintained or used essentially as a collector’s item, leisure pursuit or investment but not as the owner’s principal means of transportation.
(3) “Junk motor vehicle” means any motor vehicle three years old or older; extensively damaged, such as missing a wheel, tire, motor or transmission; apparently inoperable; and having a fair market value of three hundred dollars ($300.00) or less.
(4) “Unlicensed motor vehicle” means any motor vehicle, whether operable or not, required to be licensed pursuant to Ohio R.C. Chapter 4503 when used on public roads or highways, but not so licensed, or any motor vehicle whose license has expired for longer than thirty days.
(5) “Private property” means any real property within the Village which is privately owned or used for solely private operations.
(6) “Public property” means any public street, highway, road, alley, sidewalk, bikeway and the right of way thereof; any property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking; and any property owned or operated by the Village.
(b) Junk Motor Vehicles on Private Property.
(1) No person shall leave any junk motor vehicle, whether attended or not, for longer than forty-eight hours upon any private property within the Village, unless such vehicle is completely enclosed within a building, garage or carport.
(2) No person in charge or control of any private property within the Village, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, shall allow any junk motor vehicle to remain upon such property for longer than forty-eight hours, unless such vehicle is completely enclosed within a building, garage or carport.
(c) Unlicensed Motor Vehicles on Private Property.
(1) No person shall park or leave any unlicensed motor vehicle, whether attended or not, for longer than forty-eight hours upon any private property within the Village, unless such vehicle is completely enclosed within a building, garage or carport.
(2) No person in charge or control of any private property within the Village whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, shall allow any unlicensed motor vehicle to remain upon such property for longer than forty-eight hours, unless such vehicle is completely enclosed within a building, garage or carport.
(d) Collector's Vehicles on Private Property.
(1) No person shall park or leave any unlicensed collector's motor vehicle, whether attended or not, for longer than forty-eight hours upon any private property within the Village, unless such vehicle is completely enclosed within a building, garage or carport.
(2) No person in charge or control of any private property within the Village, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, shall allow any unlicensed collector's motor vehicle to remain upon such property for longer than forty-eight hours, unless such vehicle is completely enclosed within a building, garage or carport, or entirely covered and secured with a tarpaulin or other waterproof covering and located as not to be able to be seen from any public street, highway or road.
(e) Abandoned Vehicles on Private Property. No person shall park or leave, whether attended or not, any abandoned motor vehicle on private property.
(f) Abandoned and Junk Vehicles on Public Property. No person shall park or leave, whether attended or not, any abandoned motor vehicle or junk motor vehicle on public property.
(g) Disposition of Abandoned Motor Vehicles.
(1) The Chief of Police or his designee, may order into storage any motor vehicle which has been left on public property for forty-eight hours or longer without notification of the reasons for leaving the motor vehicle in such place. The Chief of Police shall designate the place of storage of any motor vehicle removed by him and make disposition of such motor vehicle in the manner provided by Ohio R.C. 4513.61.
(2) The Chief of Police, upon complaint of any person adversely affected, may order into storage any motor vehicle which has been left on private property for more than seventy-two hours without the permission of the person having right of possession of the property.
(h) Disposition of Abandoned Junk Motor Vehicles. The Chief of Police, within his respective territorial jurisdiction, may order any abandoned junk motor vehicle located on private or public property to be disposed of in the manner provided by Ohio R.C. 4513.63.
(i) Disposition of Vehicles on Private Property. When any motor vehicle is found on private property in violation of subsections (b), (c) or (d) hereof, the Chief of Police shall serve written notice, by personal service or certified mail with return receipt requested, upon the registered owner of the motor vehicle, the person in charge or control of the property upon which the vehicle is located, or both of them, that such motor vehicle violates the provisions of this section, and that within five days the motor vehicle is to be removed to a place of lawful storage or to be housed or stored in conformity with this section. If no person in charge or control of such private property can be found, notice may be served by advertisement published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the Village.
(j) Removal of Vehicles on Private Property. In addition to and not in lieu of any other procedure or penalty prescribed in this section, if the registered owner or person in charge and control of private property notified pursuant to subsection (i) hereof, fails, neglects or refuses to remove, house or store such motor vehicle in accordance with the notice given, the Chief of Police may remove and dispose of such motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The owner of the motor vehicle may reclaim it upon payment of any expenses or charges incurred in its removal and storage upon presentation of proof of ownership, which may be evidenced by a certificate of title to the motor vehicle. If the motor vehicle remains unclaimed by the owner for ten days, it may be disposed of in the manner provided by subsections (h) and (l) hereof.
(k) Right of Entry. The Chief of Police, and any employee and any contracting agent of the Village and any employee of such contracting agent, and each of them, are hereby expressly authorized to enter upon private property, other than within any private structure, for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this section. No person shall hinder or interfere with any law enforcement officer or contractual agent or employee in the inspection or removal of any motor vehicle under the provisions of this chapter.
(l) Disposal of Unclaimed Motor Vehicles. Unclaimed motor vehicles ordered into storage pursuant to subsections (b) and (d) hereof, shall be disposed of at the order of the Chief of Police at public auction, after giving public notice thereof by advertisement published once a week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the Village. Any motor vehicle not receiving a bid shall be disposed of to a motor vehicle salvage dealer. Any moneys accruing from the disposition of such unclaimed motor vehicles that are in excess of the expenses resulting from the removal, storage and sale of the vehicle shall be credited to the general fund of the Village, as the case may be.
(Ord. 28-1991. Passed 7-1-91.)