Vehicle and Recreational Vehicle Parking

Sec. 5‑411  VEHICLES, ABANDONED AUTOMOBILES.  It shall be unlaw­ful to abandon any automobile or recreational vehicle as defined in Section 5‑406.01 on the Municipal Streets, highways, alleys, parks, or other property.  An automobile or recreational vehicle shall be deemed to be abandoned if left unattended:            

1)    with no current license plates affixed thereto for more than six (6) hours on any public property;

(2)   for more than twenty‑four (24) hours on any public property where parking is not legally permit­ted;

(3)   for more than forty-eight (48) hours in a seventy-two (72) hour period if left on a portion of public property on which parking is legally permitted; or

(4)   for more than twenty‑four (24) hours on private property if left initially without the permission of the owner, or after the permission of the owner shall have been terminated.

Any automo­bile or recreational vehicle shall immediately become the proper­ty of the Municipality if, in the estimation of the Chief of Police the said automobile or recreational vehicle is of a whole­sale value of one hundred ($100.00) dollars or less.  In the event the automobile or recreational vehicle is of an estimated value of over one hundred ($100.00) dollars, the Chief of Police shall make a reasonable effort to contact the owner of said automobile or recreational vehicle by sending a notice to the registered owner, if known; by sending an inquiry to the county it is registered in, if the owner is unknown; or by contacting the Director of Motor Vehicles, if the automobile or recreational vehicle is without license plates and the owner is unknown.  If it is known to the Chief of Police that a lien or mortgage exists on the vehicle, notice shall also be sent to the lien holder or mortgagee.  If the owner is known and does not claim the automo­bile or recreational vehicle within five (5) days after the date when notice was mailed, or upon receiving word from the Director of Motor Vehicles that the owner is unknown, title will immedi­ately vest in the City and the automobile or recreational vehicle  may be sold.  Any proceeds from the sale of the automobile or recreational vehicle less any expenses incurred by the City in such sale shall be held without interest for the benefit of the owner of such vehicle for a period of two (2) years.  If not claimed within such period of time, the proceeds shall then be placed into the General Fund.  Any person who abandons an automo­bile or recreational vehicle as hereinbefore defined shall be deemed to be guilty of a misdemeanor.  (Ref. 60‑1901 et seq.)

Sec. 5-406.01  RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKING.   It shall be unlawful for any person to park any recreational vehicle, including but not limited to travel trailers, folding trailers, motor homes, utility trailers, boats, or boat trailers on any street or any portion of the municipal right of way, for more than forty-eight (48) hours in a seventy-two (72) hour period.  Any person failing to comply with the parking prohibition as set forth herein shall be subject to the penalties of Section 5-414 of the Municipal Code.