(A) Property abandoned in streets or public places, or on private property after complaint, prohibited; deemed nuisance. No person shall abandon, leave, or place in any street, alley or public place in the city any property of any kind; and no person shall permit any property of any kind so abandoned, left or placed to be or remain for more than 24 hours in any street, alley, or public place in the city, adjacent to or in the vicinity of his or her property or residence without reporting the same; and any property heretofore and hereafter so abandoned, left, or placed in the street, alley, or public place, and any property heretofore or hereafter abandoned, left, or placed by any person on any private property of which report or complaint may have reached any department of the city is declared to be a public nuisance and an obstruction and menace to the public welfare, comfort, safety, and health.
(B) Removal and abatement. The Chief of Police shall see to the removal of any property abandoned or left or placed in any street, alley, or public place in the city in violation of this section as soon as is reasonably possible after he or she shall have received a report of its presence.
(C) Expense made lien. It shall be the duty of the Police Department to take possession of any property abandoned, left, or placed on any public or private property in violation of this section, and if the same is believed to have any value, to keep it and make an attempt to find the owner thereof, and to retain any such article heretofore so taken by it. It shall be the duty of the Department to maintain a place for the keeping of any such article until the same shall be claimed or otherwise disposed of, and the city shall have a lien thereon for the reasonable expense incurred or value and cost of the time and effort necessary in taking, removing or storing the article, and for the value of the storage and keeping thereof, and may retain possession until any and all the liens are paid and discharged.
(D) Sale and disposition. If any article of property has been or is kept for 90 days or more without being claimed, the same may be disposed of by any department. If of no value, or slight value, it may be destroyed. If the same shall be of slight value but of use to the city it may be turned over to the proper department and used until claimed, and the charges thereby made a lien thereon shall be regarded as a sufficient offset to the value of any such use. If the property shall be of more than slight value it shall be sold by the Department 10 days after notice of the sale has been given by 1 publication in a legal newspaper published in the city, and the city may be a bidder at the sale. If on the sale an amount is bid in excess of the charges or lien of the city, the excess shall be deposited to the credit of the General Fund of the city.
(1975 Code, § 15-57) (Ord. 431, passed 7-1-1963) Penalty, see § 90.99