(a) 
The city police department may take into custody any abandoned motor vehicle found on public or private property. In such connection, the city may employ its own personnel, equipment, and facilities or hire persons, equipment, and facilities for the purpose of removing, preserving, and storing abandoned motor vehicles.
(b) 
When the police department takes into custody an abandoned motor vehicle, the city shall notify, within ten (10) days thereof, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, the last known registered owner of the motor vehicle and all lienholders of record pursuant to the Certificate of Title Act, as amended (chapter 501, Texas Transportation Code) that the vehicle has been taken into custody. The notice shall describe the year, make, model, and vehicle identification number of the abandoned vehicle, set forth the location of the facility where the motor vehicle is being held, and inform the owner and any lienholders of their right to reclaim the motor vehicle upon payment of all towing, preservation, and storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody, or garagekeeper’s charges if notice is pursuant to the provisions of section 14.05.042 of this article dealing with garagekeepers and abandoned vehicles. Further, the notice shall state that the failure of the owner or lienholders to exercise their right to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver by the owner and all lienholders of all right, title, and interest in the vehicle and their consent of the sale of the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction.
(c) 
If the identity of the last registered owner cannot be determined, or if the registration contains no address for the owner, or if it is impossible to determine with reasonable certainty the identity and addresses of all lienholders, notice by one publication in one newspaper of general circulation in the area where the motor vehicle was abandoned shall be sufficient to meet all requirements of notice pursuant to this article. Such notice by publication can contain multiple listings of abandoned vehicles. Any such notice shall be within the time requirements prescribed for notice by registered or certified mail and shall have the same contents required for a notice by registered or certified mail.
(d) 
The consequences and effect of failure to reclaim an abandoned motor vehicle shall be as set forth in a valid notice given pursuant to this section.
(e) 
If an abandoned motor vehicle has not been reclaimed as provided for in subsection (b) of this section, the police department shall sell the abandoned motor vehicle at a public auction. Proper notice of the public auction shall be given, and in the case of a garagekeeper lien the garagekeeper shall be notified of the time and place of such auction. The purchaser of the motor vehicle shall take title to the motor vehicle free and clear of all liens and claims of ownership, shall receive a sales receipt from the police department and shall be entitled to register the purchased vehicle and receive a certificate of title. From the proceeds of the sale of an abandoned motor vehicle the city shall reimburse itself for the expenses of the auction, the costs of towing, preserving, and storing the vehicle which resulted from the abandoned motor vehicle in custody, and all notice and publication costs incurred pursuant to this section. Any remainder from the proceeds of a sale shall be held for the owner of the vehicle or entitled lienholder for ninety (90) days, and then shall be deposited in a special fund which shall remain available for the payment of auction, towing, preserving, storage, and all notice and publication costs which result from placing other abandoned or junked vehicles in custody, whenever the proceeds from a sale of such other abandoned vehicles are insufficient to meet these expenses and costs.
(Ordinance 85-12-10-2, sec. 3, adopted 12/10/85)
Any motor vehicle left for more than ten (10) days in a storage facility operated for commercial purposes after notice by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the owner to pick up the vehicle (if such notice is returned by the post office unclaimed, notice by one publication in one newspaper of general circulation in the area where the vehicle was left in such storage facility shall constitute notification), or for more than ten (10) days after the period when, pursuant to contract, the vehicle was to remain on the premises of such storage facility, and any motor vehicle left for more than ten (10) days in such storage facility by someone other than the registered owner or left by a person authorized to have possession of the motor vehicle under a contract of use, service, storage, or repair, shall be deemed an abandoned vehicle, and shall be reported by the garagekeeper to the police department. Any garagekeeper who fails to report the possession of such a vehicle within ten (10) days after it becomes abandoned within the meaning of this section shall no longer have any claim for storage of the vehicle. The police department, upon receipt of a report from a garagekeeper of the possession of a vehicle deemed abandoned under the provisions of this section, shall follow the notification procedures set forth in section 14.05.041 of this article, except that custody of the vehicle shall remain with the garagekeeper until after the notification requirements have been complied with. A fee of two dollars ($2.00) shall accompany the report of the garagekeeper to the police department. The two dollar ($2.00) fee shall be retained by the police department receiving the report and used to defray the cost of notification or other cost incurred in the disposition of abandoned motor vehicles. All abandoned vehicles left in storage facilities which are not reclaimed after such notice in accordance with procedures set forth in section 14.05.041 of this article shall be taken into custody by the police department and sold in accordance with the procedure set forth in section 14.05.041 of this article. The proceeds of a sale under the provisions of this section shall first be applied to the garagekeeper’s charges for servicing, storage and repair; provided, however, that as compensation for the expense incurred by the police department in placing the vehicle in custody and the expense of auction the police department shall retain an amount of two percent (2%) of the gross proceeds of the sale of each vehicle auctioned, but in case such percent of the gross proceeds shall be less than ten dollars ($10.00), the department shall retain the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) to defray expenses of custody and auction. Any surplus proceeds remaining from such auction shall be distributed in accordance with section 14.05.041 of this article. Except for the termination of claim for storage for failure to report an abandoned motor vehicle, nothing in this section shall be construed to impair any lien of a garagekeeper under the laws of this state.
(Ordinance 85-12-10-2, sec. 4, adopted 12/10/85)
(a) 
Any person, firm corporation, or unit of government upon whose property or in whose possession is found any abandoned motor vehicle may apply to the state department of transportation for authority to sell, give away, or dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher in accordance with the provisions of section 683.014 of the Abandoned Motor Vehicle Act (chapter 683, V.T.C.A., Transportation Code.
(b) 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, any person, firm corporation, or unit of government in possession of an abandoned vehicle which was authorized to be towed in by a police department and which is over eight (8) years old and has no engine or is otherwise totally inoperable may, upon affidavit of such fact and approval of the police department, apply to the state department of transportation for a certificate of authority to dispose of such vehicle to a demolisher for demolition, wrecking or dismantling only.
(Ordinance 85-12-10-2, sec. 5, adopted 12/10/85)