A motor vehicle found parked within the Borough upon any public street or public property, at any time, may, by or under the direction of the Borough Manager or any officer of the Borough Police Department, be towed and impounded if there are five or more outstanding parking tickets or citations that have been neither paid nor successfully contested, subject to the requirements set forth in this Part. For purposes of this Part, "impound" means to store the vehicle with a Borough-approved vehicle towing and storage service provider.
The Borough shall keep a list of all vehicles subject to being towed and impounded in accordance with this Part. Owners of vehicles issued five or more outstanding parking tickets or citations that have been neither paid nor successfully contested shall be sent by the Borough, by standard and certified mail addressed to owner to whom the vehicle is registered, a written notice that the vehicle has been placed onto the list of vehicles subject to being towed and impounded, without further notice, after 20 days have passed from the date of the notice. The notice will include details concerning the amount of fines and related fees, penalties and cost to be paid in order to have the vehicle removed from the list. The notice will also provide the owner with the right to request an administrative hearing before a Borough hearing officer to show cause why the vehicle should not be included on the list. The hearing will not be determinative of or adjudicate the merits of any ticket, citation or violation issued but will be limited solely to whether the vehicle properly meets the criteria for listing, towing and impoundment pursuant to this Part. Such hearing must be requested by the vehicle owner, in writing, within 10 business days of the notice being mailed.
All parking tickets issued by the Borough of Homestead will include the following notice language in bold type:
Any person with five (5) or more outstanding paring violations is subject to be towed.
Within one business day of a vehicle being towed and impounded pursuant to this Part, the Borough shall send to the registered owner of the vehicle, by standard and certified United States Mail, written notice that the vehicle has been towed and impounded pursuant to this Part. The notice will include instructions concerning how the owner can re-obtain possession of the vehicle upon payment of all parking fines and related penalties, fees and costs (including towing and storage fees), and will set forth information concerning the owner's right to an administrative hearing before a Borough hearing officer to show cause why the vehicle should not have been towed and impounded. Said hearing will be scheduled to take place within three business days of a hearing being requested by a vehicle owner. Such hearing must be requested in writing within five business days of the notice being mailed to the vehicle's owner by the Borough. If no timely hearing is requested, the vehicle shall remain impounded until all outstanding parking fines and related penalties, fees and costs (including towing and impoundment/storage fees as set forth in the applicable Borough Fee Resolution) are paid. The towing and impoundment/storage fees shall be as set by Council, by resolution.
Vehicles unclaimed within 30 days after towing and impounding in accordance with this Part shall be deemed abandoned and subject to disposal, as such, by the Borough, in the manner authorized by law.