(a) No person shall willfully leave any vehicle or an "abandoned junk motor vehicle" as defined in Ohio R.C. 4513.63 on private property for more than seventy-two consecutive hours without the permission of the person having the right to the possession of the property or on a public street or other property open to the public for purposes of vehicular travel or parking, or upon or within the right of way of any road or highway, for forty-eight consecutive hours or longer, without notification to the Police Chief of the reasons for leaving the vehicle in such place.
For purposes of this section, the fact that a vehicle has been so left without permission or notification is prima-facie evidence of abandonment. Nothing contained in this section shall invalidate the provisions of other ordinances regulating or prohibiting the abandonment of motor vehicles on streets, highways, public property or private property within the Municipality.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor and shall also be assessed any costs incurred by the Municipality in disposing of an abandoned junk motor vehicle that is the basis of the violation, less any money accruing to the Municipality from this disposal of the vehicle.
(c) Police officers, at their discretion, shall be permitted to issue fines as described herein, in addition or in lieu of any of the penalties described in subsection (b) hereof.
(d) Police officers shall attach to the vehicle in violation of any section of this chapter, a notice to the owner or operator thereof that the vehicle has been parked in violation of a provision of this chapter and instructing the owner or operator to report to the Police Department or Municipal Building in regards to the violation.
(e) The owner of any vehicle violating this Chapter shall pay a fee in accordance with the following schedule:
(1) Five dollar ($5.00) on the first and second offense committed within a calendar year;
(2) Ten dollars ($10.00) for the third offense committed within a calendar year;
(3) Twenty dollars ($20.00) for the fourth and any subsequent offense committed within a calendar year.
(f) For the purposes of computing fees under the schedule in subsection (e) hereof, a service fee shall be attached to a motor vehicle on a vehicle by vehicle basis as long as title to the vehicle is in the name of the same person.
(g) Payment of the fees authorized under subsection (e) hereof shall be made at the Police Department or at the Municipal Building on Spring Street. If payment of the fee is not made within five (5) calendar days from the date of the issuance of the violation notice, an additional fee of ten dollars ($10.00) shall be imposed. If the owner or operator fails to make payment within ten (10) days from the date of issuance of the violation notice, the owner or operator may be issued a citation to appear in court for the particular violation alleged.
(ORC 4513.64; Ord. 2023-08. Passed 2-27-23.)