[Amended 6-5-1985 by Ord. No. 12661]
The Bureau of Police and the designated enforcement officer(s) of the Allentown Parking Authority shall have the authority to remove and impound any motor vehicle/conveyance parked on the streets or highways of the City in violation of any ordinances of the City or of any provisions of the Motor Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
A. 
If any motor vehicle/conveyance is illegally parked in violation of this chapter or any applicable provision of the Motor Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or whose owner is delinquent in payment of fines and costs imposed by a Magisterial District Judge and for whom a warrant of arrest has been issued by a Magisterial District Judge or whose owner is delinquent in payment of fines and penalties as a result of his violation of the parking laws of the City or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, then that owner's motor vehicle(s)/conveyance(s) shall be prohibited from parking on City streets and shall be seized, removed and impounded or immobilized.
[Amended 10-8-1998 by Ord. No. 13700]
B. 
Nonparking offenses.
(1) 
Upon conviction of or entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for one or more of the following non-parking-related offenses and upon imposition of a fine or fines which separately or together with any other outstanding or unpaid fines imposed for the following offenses total in excess of $250, the owner of the motor vehicle/conveyance shall be allowed 24 hours either to pay the fine or fines and costs or to make arrangements to pay installments, during which time the vehicle/conveyance may be rendered temporarily inoperable by the Bureau of Police.
[Amended 5-21-2004 by Ord. No. 14183]
(a) 
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1301 (relating to registration and certificate of title required);
(b) 
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1332 (relating to display of registration plate);
(c) 
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1371 (relating to operation following suspension of registration);
(d) 
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1501 (relating to drivers required to be licensed);
(e) 
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1786 (relating to required financial responsibility);
(f) 
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 7124 (relating to fraudulent use or removal of registration plate).
(2) 
If the owner neither makes payment nor makes arrangements for payment within the twenty-four-hour period or defaults upon such payment, an impoundment order for the vehicle/conveyance may be issued, and its enforcement directed by a police officer, a Magisterial District Judge or an authorized impoundment official as authorized by the issuing authority.
(3) 
The owner of any vehicle/conveyance impounded under this section may obtain possession of the vehicle/conveyance by:
(a) 
Furnishing proof of valid registration and financial responsibility; and
(b) 
Paying all fines and costs associated with the impoundment or making arrangements with the appropriate authority to make payments of all fines and costs by installments.
(4) 
This Subsection B applies only to non-parking-related violations set forth above and does not in any manner limit the authority of the Bureau of Police to seize, remove, impound or immobilize a vehicle/conveyance pursuant to Subsection A for parking related violations.
[Amended 5-21-2004 by Ord. No. 14183]
(5) 
The Bureau of Police and the designated law enforcement officer(s) of the Allentown Parking Authority are hereby further empowered to immobilize any motor vehicle/conveyance parked on the streets or highways of the City of Allentown in violation of this chapter by attaching a wheel-locking device.
(6) 
No immobilized or impounded motor vehicle/conveyance shall be released until all costs and fines including towing and storage charges owed by the vehicle's owner have been paid in full or otherwise in compliance with the payment plan imposed by the Magisterial District Judge. For the purpose of this section "all fines and costs" shall include fines, penalties and costs owed by the vehicle's owner on either a state citation or a notice of outstanding parking ticket issued by the Allentown Parking Authority.
[Amended 10-9-1998 by Ord. No. 13700; 5-3-2023 by Ord. No. 15898]
The Bureau of Police shall do the following:
A. 
Designate garages as approved storage places of the storage of impounded motor vehicles/conveyances, such list of designated garages to be posted in the Bureau of Police.
B. 
Provide for the bonding of approved storage places in an adequate amount for the indemnifying of the owner of a motor vehicle/conveyance against the loss thereof or injury or damage thereto, while in the study of such poundkeeper.
C. 
Fix specific towing and storage charges and post a list of towing and storage charges in the Bureau of Police and the offices of the Allentown Parking Authority.
Within 12 hours from the time of removal of a motor vehicle/conveyance, notice of the fact that such motor vehicle/conveyance has been impounded shall be sent by the Bureau of Police or the Allentown Parking Authority, whichever has impounded said motor vehicle/conveyance, designating the place from which the motor vehicle/conveyance was removed, the reason for its removal and the pound in which it has been impounded.
The payment of towing and storage charges, unless such payment shall be made "under the protest," shall be final and conclusive and shall constitute a waiver of any right to recover the money so paid. In the event that the towing and storage charges are paid "under protest," the offender shall be entitled to a hearing before a Magisterial District Judge or court of record having jurisdiction, in which case the defendant shall be proceeded against and receive such notice as provided by applicable law in other cases of summary offense, and shall have the same right as to appeal and waiver of hearing.
[Amended 5-3-2023 by Ord. No. 15898]
Whoever violates any of the provisions of this article shall be fined not more than $50 and costs for each offense.