Village of Pittsford, NY Article IV Removal and Storage of Vehicles

§ 195-18 Authority to impound vehicles; immobilization of vehicles.

A. When any vehicle is parked or abandoned on any highway or public parking lot within this Village during a snowstorm, flood, fire or other public emergency which affects that portion of the public highway or parking lot upon which said vehicle is parked or abandoned, said vehicle may be removed by or under the direction of the law enforcement officer finding such vehicle.

B. When any vehicle is found unattended on any highway or public parking lot within the Village where said vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic, said vehicle may be removed by or under the direction of the law enforcement officer finding such vehicle.

C. When any vehicle is found to be parked in any public street or public place in violation of any provision of this chapter, said vehicle may be removed by or under the direction of the law enforcement officer finding such vehicle.

D. When a vehicle is found to be parked, abandoned or found unattended where it constitutes an obstruction to any fire lane established pursuant to the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, said vehicle may be removed by or under the direction of the law enforcement officer finding such vehicle.

[Added 11-14-1995 by L.L. No. 4-1995]

E. When any vehicle is found to be parked in any public street or public place in violation of any provisions of this chapter, or in violation of any section of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law relating to stopped, parked or standing vehicles, said vehicle may be immobilized by the law enforcement officer finding such vehicle, by use of a wheel-locking device. Such immobilization shall be at the risk and expense of the owner or person entitled to possession of the vehicle. The wheel-locking device will be removed by the law enforcement officer upon the payment of a fee to the Village, said fee to be established by the Board of Trustees and included in the Village fee schedule.

[Added 8-28-2007 by L.L. No. 3-2007]

F. Any vehicle found to be parked on any public street or public place while said vehicle has outstanding parking violation fines which remain unpaid may be immobilized pursuant to § 195-18E of this chapter. The wheel-locking device on a vehicle immobilized for unpaid fines will be removed upon payment of a fee and payment of any outstanding fines.

[Added 8-28-2007 by L.L. No. 3-2007[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This local law also redesignated former Subsections E and F as F and G, respectively.

G. Where the words "highways," "streets" or "roads" are used in this article, the terms shall include private roads open to the public motor vehicle traffic and fire lanes.

[Added 11-14-1995 by L.L. No. 4-1995]

H. Where the words "Law Enforcement Officer" are used in this article, such words shall be read to include the Village Clerk, Superintendent of Public Works, Parking Monitor, Village Code Enforcement Officer, Village Building Inspector and the Village Fire Marshal.

[Added 9-9-1997 by L.L. No. 13-1997]

§ 195-19 Storage and charges.

Such removal shall be deemed the abatement of a nuisance and at the expense and risk of the owner or person entitled to the possession of said vehicle. Said law enforcement officer, at his discretion, may store said vehicle in such places as may be designated by the Board of Trustees at the risk and expense of the owner or person entitled to the possession thereof, and said owner or person entitled to the possession of the vehicle so removed or stored may recover the same by paying to the owner or operator of the premises on which said vehicle is stored the amount of all expenses necessarily incurred in effecting such removal, together with any charges for storage.

§ 195-20 Notice of removal.

It shall be the duty of the said law enforcement officer to ascertain to the extent possible the owner of the vehicle or the person having the same in charge and to notify him of the removal and disposition of such vehicle and of the amount which will be required to redeem the same. Said law enforcement officer shall also without delay report the removal and disposition of any vehicle removed as provided in this article to the Village Clerk.

§ 195-21 Disposition of certain vehicles.

Whenever such vehicle carries no registration plate and/or shall remain unclaimed for 60 days after being stored as above provided or whenever such vehicle carries a registration plate or the owner is identified and located and such vehicle shall remain unclaimed for 20 days after mailing notice by registered mail to such owner at his last known address or the address given on the application for registration or on the registration certificate of such vehicle such vehicle shall be deemed abandoned property and may be sold at auction, demolished and otherwise disposed of as may be provided by law.