9.135.020 Impounding unauthorized vehicles.
(1) Requirements.
(a) No person may impound, tow, or otherwise disturb any motor vehicle standing on nonresidential private property or in a public parking facility for less than 24 hours unless a sign is posted near each entrance and on the property in a clearly conspicuous and visible location to all who park on such property that clearly indicates:
(i) The times a vehicle may be impounded as an unauthorized vehicle; and
(ii) The name, telephone number, and address of the towing firm where the vehicle may be redeemed.
(b) The requirements of subsection (1) of this section do not apply to residential property. Any person having charge of such property may have an unauthorized vehicle impounded immediately upon giving written authorization.
(c) All signs required by subsection (1) of this section shall conform to rules relating to the size of the sign, its lettering, placement, and the number required, adopted by the Department.
(d) This section applies to all new signs erected after July 1, 1986. All other signs must meet these requirements by July 1, 1989.
(2) Impoundment. If a vehicle is in violation of the time restrictions of PMC 9.135.010, “Unauthorized vehicle,” it may be impounded by a registered tow truck operator at the direction of a law enforcement officer or other public official with jurisdiction if the vehicle is on public property, or at the direction of the property owner or his agent if it is on private property.
The person requesting a private impound shall provide a signed authorization for the impound at the time and place of the impound to the registered tow truck operator before the operator may proceed with the impound.
(3) Storage.
(a) All vehicles impounded shall be taken to the nearest storage location that has been inspected and is listed on the application filed with the Department.
(b) All vehicles shall be handled and returned in substantially the same condition as they existed before being towed.
(c) All personal belongings and contents in the vehicle shall be kept intact, and shall be returned to the vehicle’s owner or agent during normal business hours upon request and presentation of a driver’s license or other sufficient identification. Personal belongings shall not be sold at auction to fulfill a lien against the vehicle.
(d) All personal belongings not claimed before the auction shall be turned over to the Pasco Police Department. Such personal belongings shall be disposed of pursuant to Chapter 63.29 RCW.
(e) All employees who serve as tow truck drivers shall have a Washington State driver’s license endorsed for vehicle combinations under RCW 46.20.440.
(f) Any person who shows proof of ownership or written authorization from the impounded vehicle’s registered or legal owner may view the vehicle without charge during normal business hours.
(4) Notification – Impoundment from Private Property.
(a) At the time of impoundment the registered tow truck operator providing the towing service shall give immediate notification, by telephone or radio, to the Pasco Police Department which shall maintain a log of such reports, unless the impoundment was requested by the Pasco Police Department. The initial notice of impoundment shall be followed by a written notice within 24 hours.
(b) The operator shall immediately send an abandoned vehicle report to the Department for any vehicle in the operator’s possession after the 96-hour abandonment period.
(c) Within 15 days of the sale of an abandoned vehicle at public auction, the towing operator shall send a copy of the abandoned vehicle report showing the disposition of the abandoned vehicle to the crime information center of the Washington State Patrol.
(5) Notification – Impoundment from Public Property.
(a) In the case of an unauthorized vehicle impounded from public property, the law enforcement officer or other public official directing the impoundment, or in the case of a vehicle impounded from private property, the impounding towing operator, shall notify the legal and registered owners of the impoundment of the unauthorized vehicle. The notification shall be sent by first-class mail within 24 hours after the impoundment to the last known registered and legal owners of the vehicle, as provided by the Pasco Police Department. The notification shall include the name of the impounding tow firm, its address, and telephone number. The notice shall also include the location, time of impound, and by whose authority the vehicle was impounded.
(b) In the case of an abandoned vehicle, within 24 hours after receiving information on the vehicle owners from the Department through the abandoned vehicle report, the tow truck operator shall send by certified mail a notice of custody and sale to the legal and registered owners. [Ord. 2623 § 1, 1986; Code 1970 § 9.62.020.]