City of Meriden, CT Parking

In any prosecution or proceeding for unlawful parking, the registered owner of a vehicle so parked shall be presumed to have been the operator thereof and prima facie guilty of having parked unlawfully.

§ 200-20 Charges for investigations by Parking Commission.

[Added 12-4-1967]

Where the Parking Commission is compelled to make an investigation to determine the identity of the owner or operator of any vehicle for which the regular parking charges for off-street parking remain unpaid, an additional sum of $1 per day per violation shall be assessed against the delinquent owner or operator to defray the cost of such investigation.

§ 200-21 Reasons for which vehicles may be impounded.

[Amended 2-20-1990]

Any vehicle that is parked in violation of this chapter may be removed and impounded at the expense of owner of such vehicle by a person authorized to do so by the Chief of Police.

§ 200-22 Removal by authorized tower.

[Amended 2-20-1990]

Any person authorized to remove a vehicle from the streets under the provisions of Chapter 191, Tow Trucks and Towing, shall be an authorized tower, who shall carry adequate insurance to indemnify the owner of any vehicle so removed for any damage caused to such vehicle while such vehicle is being removed or stored by such tower.

§ 200-23 Record of impounded vehicles; notice to owner.

The Chief of Police, or such other officer of the Police Department as he shall designate, shall keep a record of the names of the owners of all vehicles impounded, the numbers of the vehicles' state license plates, the place where each vehicle was impounded, the nature of each violation and the disposition of each case. The owner of an impounded vehicle shall be duly informed as to the nature and circumstances of the violation on account of which such vehicle has been impounded.

§ 200-24 Release of impounded vehicles; charges.

[Amended 12-5-1966; 2-20-1990]

Before the owner or person in charge of any impounded vehicle shall be permitted to remove the same from the place to which it has been removed, he shall furnish to the Chief of Police, or such other police officer as the Chief shall designate, evidence of his identity and ownership of the vehicle and shall pay the towing and storage charges for each day the vehicle is impounded in excess of the first 24 hours. The tower shall not charge the owner or person in charge of the impounded vehicle any more than the towing and storage rates which have been approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes § 14-66 and on file with the Chief of Police in accordance with § 191-4B(1) of the City Code. The payment of the towing and storage charges shall be in addition to any fine imposed for the parking violation.

§ 200-25 Tagging of vehicles; establishment of penalties; payment procedure.

[Amended 2-20-1990; 7-2-1990; 1-21-1997; 7-17-2000; 8-21-2000]

Whenever any vehicle is found parked in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or any ordinance or any rule or regulation of the Traffic Authority which relates to parking a police officer shall attach to such vehicle a notice to the owner or operator thereof stating that such vehicle has been parked unlawfully and instructing such owner or operator to report to the Traffic Division of the Police Department in regard to such violation. The Traffic Authority of the City or any of its legally empowered agents shall be empowered to excuse any such issued notice within 30 days of the issuance of such notice. Each such owner or operator may, within 48 hours of the time when such notice is attached to such vehicle, pay to the Traffic Division of the Police Department, as a penalty for and in full satisfaction of such violation, excluding any towing or storage charges assessed, the following fees:

	$85.00	Posted handicapped parking space
	$50.00	Parking during severe weather conditions
	$50.00	Parking a truck, trailer or van on a public street or highway except for deliveries or service calls
	$15.00	Hindering snow plowing, street sweeping or snow removal
	$15.00	Parking on lawn/front yard as defined in the Housing Code
	$10.00	Parking any vehicle angled to and/or perpendicular to the curb or curbline in or on any cul-de-sac on any accepted City street, if posted by the Traffic Authority for parallel parking only
	$10.00	Within 25 feet from corner
	$10.00	Fire zone
	$10.00	Fire hydrant
	$10.00	Hospital zone
	$25.00	Driveway
	$10.00	Loading zone
	$10.00	Crosswalk
	$10.00	Double parking
	$10.00	No parking zone
	$15.00	Overtime parking

The above penalty for a violation of parking in a posted handicapped parking space is subject to change without notice with mandatory increases as set forth in Connecticut General Statutes § 14-253a.

The above penalty for parking during severe weather conditions is defined as parking any vehicle on any public street or highway from November 15 to March 15 of each year during any snow, sleet or freezing rain storm before the Director of Public Works for the City of Meriden deems the streets and sidewalks sufficiently cleared for public parking. The parking of any vehicle on the streets during a snowstorm or until the snow has completely cleared from the streets following a storm is prohibited between 12:00 midnight and 7:00 a.m.

The above penalty for parking during street cleaning operations is defined as parking any vehicle on any public street or highway which has been designated by signs for street sweeping.

The failure of such owner or operator to make such proper payment as set forth above within 48 hours shall render him liable to an additional two-dollar penalty. The payment of the total penalty within 30 days of the time when such notice is attached to such vehicle, excluding any towing or storage charges assessed, shall constitute full satisfaction for such violation. After the expiration of the thirty-day period, such owner or operator shall become subject to a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both, as set forth in § 14-314 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended, and the Traffic Division of the Police Department shall submit all such notices to the prosecutor having jurisdiction for criminal action.

§ 200-26 Prohibited parking.

[Added 1-21-1997; amended 8-21-2000]

If a vehicle remains parked in any parking space beyond the parking time limit fixed for such space, such vehicle shall be deemed unlawfully parked.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: Former §§ 200-27 and 200-27.1, which immediately followed this section, were repealed 2-20-1990. Former § 200-27 pertained to parking during severe weather and was added 5-5-1969 and amended 9-15-1980, 11-7-1984, 3-16-1987 and 11-21-1988. Former § 200-27.1 pertained to parking during street cleaning operations and was added 3-16-1987 and amended 11-21-1988.