A. A disabled vehicle upon a street or highway may be impounded, under the following circumstances:
1. If left unattended and improperly parked on a street or highway;
2. If left unattended longer than seventy two (72) hours on the shoulder of any highway; or
3. If the person in charge of the vehicle is physically incapacitated to such extent as to be unable to provide for its custody or removal.
B. Any unattended vehicle left upon any bridge, viaduct, causeway or within the structure of a grade separation may be impounded.
C. Whenever the driver, or person in charge, of any vehicle is placed under arrest, taken into custody, and detained by police under circumstances which leave, or will leave, a vehicle unattended on any street or highway, the vehicle may be impounded.
D. A vehicle left unattended upon any street, alley or thoroughfare, and so parked illegally as to constitute a definite hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic, shall be impounded.
E. When any derelict vehicle is discovered by the Police Department to have been parked upon any street in the City for a period of seventy two (72) hours, or more, the Police Department is authorized to impound the vehicle, and if the owner of the vehicle may be ascertained by reasonable diligence, the owner shall be notified of the action by the Police Department.
F. A trespassing unattended vehicle may be impounded when the required complaint has been properly made and filed. The owner or legal occupant who complains shall sign a complaint against the person parking the vehicle on the owner's (or legal occupant's) property; if the identity of the person parking the vehicle is unknown, then the complaint may be filed against the registered owner of the vehicle. The complaint shall be verified and shall allege that the complaining party is the owner or legal occupant of the property upon which the vehicle is parked or standing. Upon filing of the complaint by the property owner or legal occupant, and if there appears to be proper cause to believe a violation has occurred, the Police Department shall cause the vehicle to be impounded and placed in storage.
G. Any unattended vehicle parked at the street curbing of any zone where parking is prohibited, and where official signs are in place giving notice thereof in violation of the prohibition, may be impounded.
H. Any vehicle illegally parked in such a manner that it blocks a fire escape, ladder or exit, or blocks ready access to a fire hydrant shall be impounded.
I. Any unattended vehicle illegally parked in any street intersection shall be impounded. A disabled vehicle in an intersection with the person in charge of the vehicle being present shall be moved out of the intersection and to the nearest available legal parking space at the street curbing.
J. Whenever a stolen vehicle is located by police and the registered owner cannot be found within a reasonable time, not exceeding eight (8) hours, or cannot be determined from the registration papers or other identification in the vehicle (or from records or information available from reports of stolen cars), the vehicle may be removed to the nearest authorized place of impoundment and the registered owner of the vehicle notified of the location of the place of impoundment as soon as possible by the Police Department If the registered owner is identified, located and notified of the recovery of the stolen vehicle, the owner shall be given the right to make arrangements for the removal of the vehicle within a period of twenty four (24) hours from the time he or she is actually notified of its recovery; if the owner is unable or unwilling to effect the removal within the time specified, the vehicle may be impounded.
K. Any vehicle improperly parked or otherwise obstructing rights-of-ways or easements to public utilities, as provided in section 8-1-4 of this Code, maybe impounded. (2007 Code § 18-35; amd. Ord. 09132021-06, 9-13-2021)