Police officers are authorized to provide for the removal and impounding of a vehicle under the following circumstances:
(a) When any vehicle is left unattended upon any street, bridge or causeway and is so illegally parked so as to constitute a hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic, or so as to unreasonably interfere with street cleaning or snow removal operations, or when any vehicle is parked illegally in such a manner that it is blocking a private or public driveway to the extent that any part of the parked vehicle clearly extends beyond the boundaries of such private or public driveway.
(Ord. 77-103. Passed 1-16-78.)
(b) (1) When any vehicle, subject to the tax provisions of Ohio R.C. Chapter 4503 and requiring license display as contemplated by Ohio R.C. Chapter 4503; or any "abandoned junk motor vehicle" as defined by Ohio R.C. 4513.63(B) to (E), is left on private property for more than twelve consecutive hours without the permission of the person having right to possession to the property; or on a public street or other property open to the public for the 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 Chief of Police of the reasons for leaving such vehicle in such place, and the approval reasonably granted by the Chief of Police for leaving such vehicle in such place. Prior to disposal of an "abandoned junk motor vehicle", it shall be photographed by a law enforcement officer.
(2) When any vehicle, subject to the tax provisions of Ohio R.C. Chapter 4503 and requiring license display, or an "abandoned junk motor vehicle" as defined by Ohio R.C. 4513.63 (B) to (E), is left on private property without the permission of the person having right to possession of such property, in such a manner as to deprive the person having right of possession to the reasonable use of any driveway or vehicular way within such property including, but not limited to precluding the owner's or tenant's right to ingress or egress from such property, from a garage or other shelter located on such property, any vehicle is parked upon a public street or alley in a manner which effectively blocks or prevents ingress or egress of the person having right to possession of the property, such vehicle may forthwith be impounded and removed at the direction of a law enforcement officer.
(3) For the purposes of subsections (b)(1) and (2) hereof, the provisions of Section 351.02 are hereby adopted, making the registered owner prima facie liable for such unlawful parking.
(Ord. 80-20. Passed 4-21-80.)
(c) When any vehicle has been stolen or operated without the consent of the owner.
(d) When any vehicle displays illegal license plates or fails to display the current lawfully required license plates.
(e) When any vehicle has been used in or connected with the commission of a felony.
(f) When any vehicle has been damaged or wrecked so as to be inoperable or violates equipment provisions of this Traffic Code whereby its continued operation would constitute a condition hazardous to life, limb or property.
(g) When any vehicle is left unattended due to the removal of an ill, injured or arrested operator.
(h) When any vehicle has been operated by any person who has failed to stop in case of an accident or collision.
(i) When any vehicle has been operated by any person who is driving without a lawful license or while his license has been suspended or revoked.
(j) When any vehicle is found for which two or more citation tags for violations of this Traffic Code have been issued and the owner or operator thereof has failed to respond to such citation tags as lawfully required.
(Ord. 74-7. Passed 2-4-74.)
(k) When any vehicle is left unattended on public property, or on private property devoted to public use, in an area designated by the City Administrator as a "fire lane" or "ambulance lane".
(Ord. 76-21. Passed 4-5-76.)
The Police Department shall forthwith notify the registered vehicle owner of the fact of such removal and impounding, reasons therefor and the place of storage. Any person desiring to redeem an impounded vehicle shall appear at the Police Department to furnish satisfactory evidence of identity and ownership or right to possession. Prior to issuance of a release form, the claimant, owner or operator shall either pay the amount due for any fines for violations on account of which such vehicle was impounded or, as the court may require, post a bond in an amount set by the court, to appear to answer to such violations. The pound operator shall release such vehicle upon the receipt of the release form and payment of all towage and storage charges.