(1) Statement of Purpose. In an effort to maintain a quality of life and safety for those residing in and visiting the City of Pasco, residents shall make every effort to park within the property boundaries of their residence, and/or owned property.

(2) Definitions for the purpose of this chapter:

“Abandoned vehicle” means any hulk, junk vehicle, or automobile hulk left within the right-of-way of any public street, highway, alley or way open to the public for a period of 24 hours. Indicators of an abandoned vehicle may be, but are not limited to:

“Automobile hulk” or “hulk” or “junk vehicle” means a remnant or remains thereof which is apparently inoperable and is extensively damaged or missing vital parts or mechanisms.

“Unauthorized vehicle” means any vehicle left within the right-of-way of any public street, highway, alley or way open to the public under one of the following scenarios:

“Vehicle” means any motor vehicle, car, truck, vehicle, van, tractor, bus, trailer (including boat trailer with or without a boat situated thereon), recreational vehicle, tractor or semi-trailer, motorcycle or boat or vessel (trailered or nontrailered), whether licensed or unlicensed, or motorized or nonmotorized, unless otherwise defined.

(3) The provisions in this code grant the Pasco Police Department and its officers the authority to tow unauthorized vehicles, as defined in this section, on public property and/or public roadways for criteria contained herein.

(4) No person shall park a vehicle on any street or other municipal property for a period longer than 14 days, unless an official posted sign provides a shorter period of time, or otherwise provided by law, or allow an abandoned vehicle to remain on a street or other municipal property for a period longer than 24 hours, without said vehicle relocating in conformance with subsection (8) of this section. This timeline begins when an officer observes the vehicle in person.

(5) Authorized vehicles on municipal property are excluded from the provisions of this section, as are vehicles displaying valid proof of payment when parked in spaces controlled by a parking payment device.

(6) Penalties. Any vehicle found to be in violation of this section is declared to be a public nuisance, and shall be subject to a class 1 civil penalty as set by PMC 10.20.080. Any vehicle cited under this section two or more times in any 180-day period, or that remains in violation of this section 72 hours or more after citation and a tow notice is affixed in a conspicuous place, may be impounded if no operator is present who will immediately comply with this section.

(7) Notice to Owner. A law enforcement officer discovering a previously cited and unauthorized vehicle, as described in the definition of “abandoned vehicle” subsections (a) and (c) of this section left within a street right-of-way or other municipal property, shall attach to the vehicle a readily visible notification, clearly labeled as an “Impound or Tow Notice.” The notification shall contain the following information:

(8) Relocation of a vehicle for purposes of avoiding impound or citation is prohibited unless the vehicle is relocated a minimum of 20 feet for a minimum duration of 48 hours from the location where the vehicle was noticed or the citation issued.

(9) It should be the general procedure that prior to removing a vehicle for the sole reason of being an unauthorized vehicle, an officer will attempt to contact the registered owner using reasonable means.

(10) Unauthorized storage of personal effects, in conjunction with use of a vehicle or not, on any public street or municipal property is prohibited.

(11) Nothing in this section prohibits an officer from immediately towing a vehicle under authority granted to them by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) or the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). [Ord. 4501 § 1, 2020; Ord. 4295, 2016; Ord. 4282, 2016; Code 1970 § 10.52.035.]