When any vehicle is parked, standing, left unattended or abandoned
on any public street or highway within the City during a flood, fire
or other public emergency which affects that portion of the public
street or highway upon which said vehicle is parked, standing, left
unattended or abandoned, said vehicle may be removed by authority
of the Supervisor of the Department of Public Service or by authority
of the Oneonta Police Department.
When any vehicle is parked, standing, left unattended or abandoned
on any public street or highway within the City during a snowstorm
or after a precipitation of snow of 2 1/2 inches or more and continuing
to such time as the snow is plowed and removed from the streets by
the Department of Public Service, said vehicle may be removed by authority
of the Supervisor of the Department of Public Service or the Oneonta
Police Department.
When any vehicle is parked, standing, left unattended or abandoned
on any public street or highway within the City when the Department
of Public Service has posted appropriate signs at least 12 hours in
advance of its intention to engage in snow removal, sweeping, washing
or maintenance work affecting that portion of the public street or
highway upon which said vehicle is parked or abandoned, said vehicle
may be removed by authority of the Supervisor of the Department of
Public Service or by the Oneonta Police Department. The signs to be
used in giving such no-parking notice shall be placed as near as possible
to the curb, if any, and with sufficient frequency along the street
so as to be visible and legible to any reasonable person.
When any vehicle is found unattended on any highway within this City
where said vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic or expired
registration, said vehicle may be removed by authority of the Supervisor
of the Department of Public Service or any police officer.
When any vehicle is parked or abandoned on any highway within this
City where stopping, standing or parking is prohibited, said vehicle
may be removed by authority of the Supervisor of the Department of
Public Service or any police officer.
When any vehicle is found to be in violation of Subsection A, B, C, D or E above, such vehicle may be impounded and towed to a place of storage, at the expense of the owner, by the authority of the Supervisor of the Department of Public Service or by the authority of the Oneonta Police Department or any officer thereof.
When a vehicle is found unattended on the private property of another,
upon receipt of a signed complaint by the owner of such property that
said vehicle was parked on said property without his permission, said
vehicle may be removed by any police officer.
When a vehicle has accrued fines for parking violations of $250 or
more, wherein notification has been issued and not been answered within
45 days of the appearance date or dates shown on such summonses, said
vehicle may be impounded and towed to a place of storage, at the expense
of the owner, or immobilized by the authority of the Oneonta Police
Department.
After removal of any vehicle as provided in this article, the Supervisor
of the Department of Public Service or any police officer may store
such vehicle in a suitable place at the expense of the owner. Such
owner or person in charge of the vehicle may redeem the same upon
payment of fees and charges to the City Chamberlain, as set from time
to time by the Common Council. Such payment may be made to the Police
Department during hours when the City Chamberlain's office is
not open for business.
If a vehicle has been impounded or immobilized for failure to pay
parking fines of $250 or more, said vehicle will be released to its
owner upon payment of all towing and storage charges, if any, together
with payment of all fines and penalties for delinquent parking tickets
or judgments against the owner arising from such nonpayment. Payment
may be made to the City Chamberlain or to the Oneonta Police Department
during hours when the City Chamberlain's office is not open for
business.
If a vehicle has been impounded or immobilized for failure to pay
parking fines of $250 or more and the vehicle owner contests the outstanding
parking violations, the vehicle owner shall be required to appear
in City Court to answer outstanding summonses and post bond, the amount
of which shall not exceed the total of the maximum fines permitted
upon conviction of the offenses charged in outstanding summonses against
the vehicle (including accrued penalties) plus the expense of towing
and storage. Upon authorization of the City Court, the vehicle shall
be released to the owner.
The impounding authority shall, without delay, report the removal
and the disposition of any vehicle removed as provided in this article
to the Police Department, and it shall be the duty of such Police
Department to ascertain to the extent possible the owner of the vehicle
or person having charge of same and to notify him of the removal and
disposition of such vehicle and of the amount which will be required
to redeem same.
Notice that any person tampering with the immobilization device or
the vehicle will be subject to criminal prosecution and liable for
any loss to the City of Oneonta.
Tampering with or attempted removal of immobilization device prohibited.
No person shall attempt to or tamper with, deface, remove or destroy
any immobilization device or move a vehicle immobilized as herein
provided. A violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine
not exceeding $250 or by imprisonment for up to 10 days, or both.