[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Westhampton Beach 4-14-1989 by L.L. No. 6-1989. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose and intent of this chapter is to establish an orderly system for the safe and prompt removal of illegally parked automobiles within the Village of Westhampton Beach. The Board of Trustees finds that the removal of illegally parked vehicles is necessary from time to time during the year and in substantial volume during the summer season. Illegally parked automobiles increase the risk of pedestrian and vehicular accident, diminish the ability of emergency vehicles to reach their destination and constitute a hazard to persons and property within the Village of Westhampton Beach. By this chapter, the Trustees intend to regulate the operation of towing businesses servicing the needs of this community in the removal of illegally parked automobiles.
[Amended 6-10-2002 by L.L. No. 5-2002; 6-4-2009 by L.L. No. 6-2009]
No person shall conduct a towing business in the Village of Westhampton Beach without having first obtained a permit as provided for herein. Permit shall be available, subject to compliance with the conditions herein contained, to any person conducting a towing business within the Village of Westhampton Beach or within a radius of three miles from the Village of Westhampton Beach; that is, operating one or more tow trucks for hire and regularly maintaining a depot, garage, storage yard for vehicles or body shop within the Village or within a radius of three miles from the Village of Westhampton Beach which can respond to calls and otherwise can provide towing services within the Village of Westhampton Beach.
No permit shall be issued unless an application is completed and filed with the Village Clerk requiring the following:
A. 
The name and address of the applicant, specifying, in the case of a partnership, each partner and, in the case of a corporation, each officer, director and stockholder. The applicant must be the owner of the tow truck vehicle.
B. 
The date of birth of the applicant or each partner, officer, director or stockholder.
C. 
With respect to each tow truck to be operated within the Village by the applicant for which the permit is requested:
(1) 
The vehicle identification number.
(2) 
The make, model and year.
(3) 
The license plate number.
(4) 
The amount of liability and property damage insurance with the name of the insurance company, policy number and expiration date, attaching a copy of a certificate of insurance.
(5) 
The name and address of the owner of the tow truck vehicle.
D. 
The address of the depot, garage, storage yard for vehicles or body shop within the Village of Westhampton Beach or within a radius of three miles from the Village of Westhampton Beach used by the applicant in connection with the towing business.
[Amended 6-10-2002 by L.L. No. 5-2002; 6-4-2009 by L.L. No. 6-2009]
E. 
A listing of daytime and nighttime telephone numbers where the applicant, his agent or employee can be located at all times.
F. 
A copy of the certificate of occupancy/certificate of compliance issued by the Village of Westhampton Beach, Village of Quogue or Town of Southampton establishing that the premises are authorized as a depot, garage, storage yard for the storage of vehicles or body shop.
[Added 6-10-2002 by L.L. No. 5-2002]
Upon receipt of a properly completed application, the Village Clerk shall notify the Mayor and Chief of Police. The Chief of Police shall cause an inspection to be made of the tow truck and depot, garage or body shop in order to assure compliance with the within regulations and all applicable building and fire regulations and codes. Upon completion of said review, the Chief of Police shall forward a written report to the Mayor who shall then, on the basis of said report, either approve or deny said permit. Any denial of a permit shall allow an appeal to the Village Board of Trustees within 30 days of said denial. No permit shall be denied unless the Mayor finds in denying said permit that the applicant is incapable of properly conducting the towing business or that the applicant's depot, garage or body shop used in connection with his towing business is in violation of local zoning, building or fire laws or other regulations of the municipality or that the applicant has made a materially false statement or misrepresentation in his application. Any said appeal to the Board of Trustees shall be limited to findings and a determination based upon the foregoing factors.
[Amended 6-10-2002 by L.L. No. 5-2002; 6-4-2009 by L.L. No. 6-2009]
Each person holding a permit hereunder shall maintain a depot, garage, storage yard for the storage of vehicles or body shop within the Village of Westhampton Beach or within a radius of three miles from the Village of Westhampton Beach to which all motor vehicles towed pursuant to this chapter may, on release from impound, be transported and maintained pending release to the automobile owner. Unless otherwise directed in writing by the owner of the vehicle, no such motor vehicle may be transported to any location other than said depot, garage, storage yard for the storage of vehicles or body shop and within the Village of Westhampton Beach or within a radius of three miles from the Village of Westhampton Beach. All such facilities must have a fenced storage area, and all vehicles so towed must be stored in said fenced storage area.
Tow trucks used to respond to calls must be equipped at all times with:
A. 
At least two emergency lights, one of which shall be affixed to each side of the rear of the tow truck or to each side of the rearmost part of the towed vehicle so as to be clearly visible on the highway to the rear.
B. 
One authorized emergency light.
C. 
A CO2 or dry powder fire extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 10 pounds.
D. 
At least one dozen red railroad-type flares.
E. 
Safety chains.
F. 
A push bar.
G. 
A shovel.
H. 
A rigid tow bar.
I. 
A lifting boom on the rear of the truck.
J. 
A minimum one-and-one-half-ton power winch equipped with 150 feet of three-eights-inch steel cable.
K. 
Dolly wheels.
[Amended 6-10-2002 by L.L. No. 5-2002]
Each permit issued hereunder shall be effective from the date of issuance until May 1 of the next calendar year unless earlier suspended or revoked by the Board of Trustees. The Village Board of Trustees may revoke or suspend any permit if the person holding the permit shall be convicted of a violation of any provision of the Codes of the Village of Westhampton Beach, Village of Quogue or the Town of Southampton or the rules or regulations of the Village of Westhampton Beach relating to the premises used by the person holding the permit as his depot, garage, storage yard for the storage of vehicles or body shop and utilized in connection with the towing of cars under said permit or if the person holding the permit has made a material false statement or misrepresentation in his application or if the Board of Trustees should find such person is incapable of properly conducting his towing business. No permit shall be suspended or revoked, except after hearing on notice to the applicant before the Board of Trustees.
[Amended 6-10-2002 by L.L. No. 5-2002; 11-4-2010 by L.L. No. 6-2010; 7-5-2016 by L.L. No. 2-2016; 11-2-2023 by L.L. No. 12-2023]
Towing fees, including fees for permit registration (licenses) and vehicle storage, shall be established, and be changed as needed, by resolution of the Village Board of Trustees. A copy of the towing fee schedule is on file with the Village Clerk's office and available online at westhamptonbeach.org.
No permit issued hereunder shall be transferred to another person or vehicle. The permit holder shall notify the Village Clerk if any tow truck for which a permit is issued is sold, transferred or destroyed within five days thereof, and upon any said notification, the Chief of Police shall be entitled to conduct an inspection of any said replacement tow truck vehicle to ensure compliance with the terms of this chapter.
The Chief of Police or his authorized representative shall designate which holder of a permit hereunder shall tow which vehicle on a rotating basis, when reasonably possible. Nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit a police officer from requesting tow truck assistance on a nonrotational basis when necessary in the view of the police officer. In no event shall any tow truck owner or operator or any holder of a permit hereunder have any claim against the Village of Westhampton Beach by reason of the failure to request towing assistance under this chapter on a rotational basis.
If directed to do so by a police officer at the scene from which a vehicle is to be towed, any holder of a permit hereunder must clean up any debris at the scene relating to the illegally parked vehicle to the satisfaction of the police officer at the scene, without charge of cost or expense.
Any holder of a permit under this chapter shall be obliged to follow all regulations as promulgated from time to time by the Chief of Police and/or the Board of Trustees with respect to the operation of the Village impound area, including by way of illustration and not limitation, time schedules imposed by the Chief of Police or his authorized representative for the removal of vehicles from the Village impound area.
[Added 2-13-1994 by L.L. No. 2-1995]
A. 
Any holder of a permit under this chapter will be authorized to have and use the locking auto boot immobilizer to enforce the parking regulations of the Village of Westhampton Beach. The locking auto boot immobilizer shall be the property of the permit holder. Said permit holder is subject to compliance with conditions set forth in § 171-3 of this chapter. When the locking auto boot immobilizer is utilized, the permit holder must leave on said vehicle an immobilization notice that clearly advises the vehicle owner of the reason for the immobilization and gives instructions for the equipment's removal.
B. 
The immobilization fee shall be the same as the towing fee set forth in § 171-8 of this chapter.