[Amended 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349]
No person shall park, place or leave parked any motor vehicle on any portion of any private street, alley or other private way so as to obstruct the entrance or use thereof without the express permission of the owner thereof, his or her tenant or agent.
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 47-40, Manner of parking generally, which immediately preceded this section, was repealed 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349.
[Added 10-21-1996 by Ord. No. 343]
A. 
No person shall park or leave parked, any motor vehicle on any publicly owned or privately owned parking lot within the corporate limits of Pocomoke City in violation of the terms and conditions of a sign conspicuously posted on such parking lot by the owner, operator, tenant or other person with authority to regulate parking of vehicles on such parking lot, when such sign meets the requirements of Subsection B of this section.
B. 
Signs.
(1) 
The owner, operator, tenant, or other person with authority to regulate parking on publicly or privately owned parking lots may not have a vehicle towed or otherwise removed from the parking lot unless signs have been placed in one or more conspicuous locations as described in Subsection B(2) of this section, and the signs conform, as a minimum, to the following:
(a) 
Are at least 24 inches high and 30 inches wide;
(b) 
Are clearly visible to the driver of a motor vehicle entering or being parked in the parking lot;
(c) 
State the hours of each day of the week when parking restrictions apply and the exact restrictions which apply to the lot including that a vehicle parking in violation may be towed;
(d) 
State the location to which the vehicle will be towed or removed, which location may not be more than five miles from the parking lot;
(e) 
State the hours during which the vehicle may be reclaimed;
(f) 
State the maximum amount that the owner of the vehicle may be charged for the towing or removal of the vehicle and for storage of the vehicle, which amount may not exceed for towing more than twice the amount of the total fees normally charged for towing vehicles within the City and the sum of $10 per day storage for vehicle up to 20 feet in length, $20 per day for vehicles 21 to 40 feet and $30 per day for vehicle over 41 feet in length.
(g) 
Provide the telephone number of a person who can be contacted to arrange for the reclaiming of the vehicle by its owner or owner's agent.
(h) 
That the owner of the vehicle shall bear the liability for the costs of towing, removal and storage of the vehicle.
(i) 
That an improperly parked vehicle will be subject to a lien for towing and storage until the owner or owner's agent pays the tow truck operator the costs for towing and storage allowed by this section.
(2) 
Location. A sign shall be placed so that it is clearly visible from each entrance to the parking lot, with additional signs for every 10,000 square feet of parking area in excess of the first 10,000 square feet of parking area shall be placed within that parking lot area.
C. 
Towing or removing vehicles. Any person who undertakes to tow or remove a vehicle from a publicly owned or privately owned parking lot within the City shall comply with the following:
(1) 
Shall have authorization from the owner, operator, tenant or other person with authority to regulate parking of vehicles on the parking lot which authorization shall name the tow truck operator and the person authorizing the towing or removal and state that the owner, operator, tenant or other person with authority to regulate parking of vehicles or the parking lot has posted signs in compliance with this § 220-15.1 and requests the removal of vehicle parked in violation of this § 220-15.1.
(2) 
Shall notify the Pocomoke City Police Department within two hours of the towing or removal of the vehicle and provide a description of the vehicle, the license number and vehicle identification number (VIN), the location from which the vehicle was towed, the time of towing and place where the vehicle is being stored or held.
(3) 
May not charge the owner of the vehicle any fees in excess of those allowed by this § 220-15.1.
(4) 
Shall maintain a policy of commercial liability insurance in an amount of at least $50,000 per occurrence to cover the costs of any damage to the vehicle resulting from the person's negligence.
(5) 
Shall provide the owner of the vehicle or the owner's agent immediate and continuous opportunity to retake possession of the vehicle.
D. 
Penalties.
(1) 
The owner, operator, tenant or other person with authority to regulate parking of vehicles or the parking lot may, in addition to or in lieu of having the vehicles towed or removed, request the Pocomoke City Police Department issue a municipal infraction citation for the vehicles parked in violation of the restrictions posted on the signs.
(2) 
The Pocomoke City Police Department is hereby authorized to issue municipal infraction citations if requested to do so provided in Subsection D(1).
A. 
It shall be unlawful for the operator of a motor vehicle to stop or park such vehicle on any street, alley or other public way within the space of 20 feet from either side of the center of the main entrance of the public buildings in the City. All of the spaces in which parking is so prohibited shall be marked and indicated by painting the curb yellow or by the placing of appropriate signs.
[Amended 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349]
B. 
For the purpose of this section, the term "public building" shall include all churches, hotels, railroad stations, theaters and all buildings owned or occupied by departments of the City, county, state or federal government.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 47-43, Double parking, prohibition against; exceptions, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349.
No person shall park any motor truck or commercial vehicle for more than two hours on any public street of the City between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
A. 
No person shall park any motor truck or commercial vehicle equipped with a mechanical refrigeration device for more than two hours on any public street of the City while such mechanical refrigeration device is in operation.
B. 
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to apply to the parking of motor trucks or commercial vehicles loaded with farm products and waiting in line, attended by a driver, for the purpose of delivering produce to any auction block, cannery or other food-processing plant located in the City.
No person shall park or leave standing any trailer on any street, alley or other public way of the City for longer than two hours, except in an emergency caused by mechanical failure, in which event the foregoing period of time shall be extended to six hours.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any commercial vehicle to park said vehicle on any street, alley or public way in any residential area of the City for a period of time longer than necessary for the purpose of loading or unloading said vehicle.
[Amended 4-18-1988 by Ord. No. 295]
It shall be unlawful for the owner or operator thereof to park or leave standing any vehicle on any street, alley or public way for a longer period of time than 72 hours when to do so creates a nuisance or interferes with the lawful use by others of the street, alley or public way.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to make major repairs or overhaul any vehicle on any street, alley or public way.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to park or leave standing upon any street, alley or other public way any vehicle from which an excessive amount of grease, oil, gasoline or other petroleum product may leak and be deposited or spread upon any such street, alley or public way.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 47-51, Unlawful to park inoperable vehicle, which immediately followed this section, was repealed 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349.
A. 
No person shall abandon any vehicle within the City, and no person shall leave any vehicle at any place within the City for such time and under such circumstances as to cause such vehicle reasonably to appear to have been abandoned.
B. 
No person shall leave any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked or junked vehicle on any street or highway within the City.
C. 
No person in charge or control of property within the City, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, shall allow any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, junked or discarded vehicle to remain on such property longer than 24 hours, and no person shall leave any such vehicle on any property within the City for a longer time than eight hours, except that this subsection shall not apply with regard to a vehicle in an enclosed building, a vehicle on the premises of a business enterprise operated in a lawful place and manner when necessary to the operation of such business enterprise or a vehicle in an appropriate storage place or depository maintained in a lawful place and manner by the City.
D. 
The Chief of Police or any member of his or her department designated by him or her is hereby authorized to remove or have removed any vehicle left in any place within the City which reasonably appears to be in violation of this section or lost, stolen or unclaimed. Such vehicle shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of in accordance with § 25-201 et seq. of the Transportation Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349. The following original sections, which immediately followed this section, were repealed 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349: § 47-53, Impounding of vehicles, and § 47-54, Violations and penalties, as amended 2-20-1989 by Ord. No. 300.
[Added 2-2-1987 by Ord. No. 291; amended 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349]
A. 
Definitions. For the purpose of this section, terms hereinafter set forth shall be defined as follows:
EMERGENCY VEHICLE
A vehicle so designated or authorized by the Administrator of the State Motor Vehicle Administration.
FIRE LANE
A designated lane required to be permanently open for the ingress or egress of Fire Department and other emergency vehicles only in order that fires may be prevented or controlled and exitways kept unobstructed for safety of life.
FIRE MARSHAL
That person designated under Chapter 132, Fire Prevention, of the Code of Pocomoke City, Maryland.
B. 
Designation of fire lanes; penalty for tampering with signs.
(1) 
When he or she deems it necessary, the Fire Marshal shall designate fire lanes on public streets and on private property used for commercial, industrial or apartment projects for the purpose of preventing parking in front of or adjacent to fire hydrants or to provide access for fire-fighting equipment. He or she shall also designate fire lanes on private property used by the public in general for the purpose of preventing parking in front of or adjacent to fire hydrants or to provide access for fire-fighting equipment.
(2) 
Posting of signs. The Fire Marshal shall cause the owner to post sufficient signs at all established fire lanes, the notice to read: "No Parking. Fire Lane." Such sign(s) shall not be removed without written permission of the Fire Marshal.
C. 
Duty of property owner. The property owner is hereby directed, wherever necessary to secure compliance with the terms of this section, to furnish and erect appropriate signs as directed and to give appropriate warning or notice concerning unlawful obstruction as set forth herein and, if necessary in order to enforce compliance, to cause the removal, by towing away or otherwise, of any debris, vehicles or other objects which interfere with or obstruct previously established and marked fire lanes or fire hydrants for the access or operation of any Fire Department equipment or other emergency vehicles or equipment.
D. 
Obstruction of fire lanes, parking, etc. It shall be unlawful for any person or for any property owner whose private property is used by the public in general to obstruct or interfere or to allow the obstruction of or interference with the operation of any emergency vehicle or equipment or to obstruct or to allow the obstruction of access by emergency equipment to any fire hydrant, to any Fire Department connection or to any designated fire lane on either public or private property or to park or to allow parking within any fire lane.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 47-56, Handicapped parking spaces, as amended 2-20-1989 by Ord. No. 300, which immediately followed this section, was repealed 6-2-1997 by Ord. No. 349.