§ 29-16. Impoundment of vehicles.

(a)

The police department is hereby authorized to impound a vehicle and remove same to a garage or other place of safety under any of the circumstances hereinafter enumerated:

(1)

When a vehicle is left unattended upon any bridge, viaduct or causeway, or in any tube or tunnel where such vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic.

(2)

When a vehicle upon a street is so disabled as to constitute an obstruction to traffic and the person in charge of the vehicle is by reason of physical injury or otherwise incapacitated to such an extent as to be unable to provide for its custody or removal.

(3)

When a vehicle is left unattended upon a street and is so parked illegally as to constitute a definite hazard or obstruction to the normal movement of traffic or emergency vehicles.

(4)

When a vehicle has been parked for more than one hour in excess of the time allowed for parking in any place.

(5)

When a vehicle which has been involved in two or more violations of this chapter for which citation tags have been issued and not presented as required, is parked in violation of any provision of this chapter.

(6)

When, pursuant to section 29-136(a), a duly signed verified complaint has been filed alleging a violation of section 29-136(a), by reason of the stopping, standing or parking of a vehicle in the places designated as subsections (3) and (4) of this section.

(7)

When a vehicle is parked and left unattended for 24 hours after the city has erected temporary signs prohibiting parking where the vehicle is located. The police department shall attempt to contact the last registered owner prior to the impoundment of such vehicle.

(8)

At any time an emergency exists requiring city to have immediate access to an area occupied by a parked vehicle.

(9)

When any vehicle is driven or operated upon any street, alley or thoroughfare within the city, and when said vehicle is without a vehicle license as required by the state law, or when said vehicle fails to display the vehicle license tag as required by law.

(10)

When the driver or person in charge of any vehicle is placed under arrest and taken into custody and detained by police under circumstances which leaves or will leave a vehicle unattended on any street, highway, or private property other than that property owned or leased by the driver, the vehicle may be impounded.

(11)

When a vehicle is parked on the south side of 7th Avenue, between Lewis Street and Lowry Street, in the area marked for police employee parking only and it is not displaying a parking permit authorizing it to be parked in that location.

(b)

Whenever an officer removes a vehicle as authorized in this section, and the officer knows or is able to ascertain from the registration records in the vehicle the name and address of the owner thereof, such officer shall immediately give or cause to be given notice in writing to such owner of the fact of such removal and the reasons therefor, and of the place to which such vehicle has been moved. In the event any such vehicle is stored in a public garage, a copy of such notice shall be given to the proprietor of such garage. It is especially provided that the owner of such vehicle shall be liable for the cost of removal and storage of said vehicle.

(c)

Whenever an officer removes a vehicle under this section and 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 three days, then and in that event, the officer shall immediately send or cause to be sent written report of such removal by mail to the state department whose duty it is to register motor vehicles, and shall file a copy of such notice with the proprietor of any public garage in which the vehicle may be stored. Such notice shall include a complete description of the vehicle, the date, time and place from which removed, the reasons for such removal, and name of the garage or place where the vehicle is stored.

(Code 1966, § 20-166; Code 1982, § 29-16; Ord. No. 1180, § 3, 8-1-1966; Ord. No. 1667, § 1, 12-6-1976; Ord. No. 2769, 2-17-2003; Ord. No. 3073, § 1, 8-10-2009; Ord. No. 3200, § 2, 9-17-2012; Ord. No. 3297, § 1, 4-20-2015 )

State law reference

Removal of illegally stopped vehicles, 47 O.S. § 11-1002.