Placerville Municipal Code Ch. 6 Removal of Vehicles

Any duly authorized police officer, or any regularly employed and salaried employee who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations (herein referred to as parking code enforcement aide), is hereby authorized to remove, or cause the removal of, a vehicle from any street or off street parking lot, when the vehicle is left parked, standing or abandoned in an unusual position which obstructs the normal movement of traffic thereon, or when the vehicle has been parked or left standing for seventy two (72) or more consecutive hours, or when a vehicle is illegally parked in a zone that has been posted for the purpose of the necessary cleaning, repairing or construction of streets or off street parking lots, or for the installation of utilities, or when the street or off street parking lot or any portion thereof is authorized by local authorities for a purpose other than normal flow of traffic; or for the movement of equipment, articles or structures of unusual size; and the parking of a vehicle would prohibit or interfere with the use or movement and signs, giving notice that the vehicle may be removed, are erected or placed at least twenty four (24) hours prior to the removal by local authorities pursuant to this chapter, or as may be further authorized by the Vehicle Code of the state. (Ord. 1515, 1-10-1995)

Any duly authorized police officer may also remove a vehicle from private property when the vehicle is found on private property and a report has previously been made that the vehicle has been stolen or a complaint has been filed and a warrant thereon issued charging that the vehicle has been embezzled. (Ord. 836, 4-4-1960)

Whenever a police officer, or any regularly employed and salaried employee, who is engaged in directing or enforcing parking laws and regulations (herein referred to as parking code enforcement aide), causes the removal of a vehicle from a street or off street parking lot, as herein authorized, and the police officer or parking code enforcement aide knows, or is able to ascertain from the department of motor vehicles, the name and address of the owner thereof, the police officer or parking code enforcement aide shall immediately give, or cause to be given, notice in writing to the owner of the fact of the removal, the grounds thereof, and of the place to which the vehicle has been removed. A copy of the notice shall be given to the operator of the garage wherein the vehicle is stored. When the police officer or parking code enforcement aide removing a vehicle from a street or off street parking lot does not know and is not able to ascertain the name of the owner, or for any other reason is unable to give the notice to the owner, as herein provided, and in the event the vehicle is not returned to the owner within a period of seventy two (72) hours, then and in that event the police officer or parking code enforcement aide shall immediately send, or cause to be sent, written report of the removal, by mail, to the department of motor vehicles in Sacramento, and shall file a copy of the notice with the operator of the garage in which the vehicle may be stored. The report shall include a complete description of the vehicle, the date, time, the place from which removed, the grounds for the removal, and the name of the garage where the vehicle is stored. (Ord. 1515, 1-10-1995)

Whenever any vehicle has been removed to a garage under the provisions of this chapter and the operator of the garage has received the notice from the arresting officer, as provided herein, the operator shall have a lien, dependent upon possession, for his compensation for towage and for caring for and keeping safe the vehicle for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days. (Ord. 836, 4-4-1960)