Morro Bay Municipal Code Ch. 15.56 Impoundment of Vessels for Nonpayment of Fees

All fees for mooring at city facilities shall be due in advance. In the case of fees for daily slip use, daily pier use, floating city dock use, and the A1-5 mooring area use (all hereinafter known as transient fees) the harbor director may allow forty-eight hours after the commencement of use for payment to be made for use of facilities. Vessels subject to transient fees which fail to make payment within forty-eight hours of commencement of use of the facility or which continue to use facilities without payment in advance may be denied further use of city mooring facilities and are subject to impoundment as described in Section 15.56.020 of this chapter.

(Ord. 397 (part), 1991)

A. Any vessel which fails to pay transient fees as required by Section 15.56.010 hereof within forty-eight hours after mooring may be impounded by the harbor director. Any vessel which has incurred mooring fees, any other fees or charges that remain unpaid for a period in excess of ninety days that shall moor or remain moored to any city facility may be impounded by the harbor director. To impound any vessel, the harbor director may relocate or secure to prevent the vessel from leaving that location until such time as all fees or charges are paid in full, including the impound fees, past due charges, penalties, interest, legal fees and charges accruing for mooring, storage or maintenance of the vessel during impoundment at the direction of the harbor director. The harbor director may authorize the vessel to be removed from the water, stored, and/or moved to more appropriate mooring facilities for security of the vessel or convenience during such impoundment period. After a period of sixty days the vessel may be destroyed or sold at public auction in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of Chapter 2, Division 3 of the Harbors and Navigation Code.

B. All fees and charges incurred on behalf of the vessel shall continue to be associated with the vessel and/or the vessel's owner and/or operator at the time charges were incurred until paid in full regardless of changes of ownership or operator of the vessel.

C. Any individual who, or vessel which, has incurred fees or charges to the city of Morro Bay which shall remain unpaid for a period in excess of ninety days may be denied use of any city vessel mooring facilities.

(Ord. 397 (part), 1991)