5.3. SR 11-05-2007 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

and the vehicle is impounded for safekeeping; (13) a law enforcement official has probable cause to believe that the owner, operator, or person in physical control of the vehicle has failed to respond to five or more citations for parking or traffic offenses; (14) the vehicle is unlawfully parked in a zone that is restricted by posted signs to use by taxicabs; (15) the vehicle is unlawfully parked and prevents egress by a lawfully parked vehicle; (16) the vehicle is parked, on a school day during prohibited hours, in a school zone on a public street where official signs prohibit parking; or (17) the vehicle is a junk, abandoned, or unauthorized vehicle, as defined in section 168B.011, and subject to immediate removal under chapter 168B. Subd. 5. Towing prohibited. Unless the vehicle is described in subdivision 4, a towing authority may not tow a motor vehicle because: (1) the vehicle has expired registration tabs that have been expired for less than 90 days; (2) the vehicle is at a parking meter on which the time has expired and the vehicle has fewer than five unpaid parking tickets. Subd. 6. Private property. This section does not restrict the authority of the owner of private property to authorize under chapter 168B the towing of a motor vehicle unlawfully parked on the private property. Subd. 7. Damages. The owner or driver of a motor vehicle towed in violation of this section is entitled to recover from the towing authority the greater of $100 or two times the actual damages sustained as a result of the violation. Damages recoverable under this subdivision include but are not limited to costs of recovering the vehicle, including time spent and transportation costs. History: 1989 c 256 s 1; 1990 c 503 s 1; 1992 c 580 s 1; 1994 c 536 s 19; 1995 c 137 s 10-12; 2005 c 56 s 1 168B.04 AUTHORITY TO IMPOUND VEHICLES. Subdivision 1. Abandoned or junk vehicles. Units of government and peace officers may take into custody and impound any abandoned or junk vehicle. Subd. 2. Unauthorized vehicles. (a) Units of government and peace officers may take into custody and impound any unauthorized vehicle under section 169.041. (b) A vehicle may also be impounded after it has been left unattended in one of the following public or private locations for the indicated period of time: (1) in a public location not governed by section 169.041: (i) on a highway and properly tagged by a peace officer, four hours; (ii) located so as to constitute an accident or traffic hazard to the traveling public, as determined by a peace officer, immediately; or (iii) that is a parking facility or other public property owned or controlled by a unit of S:\Council\Police\2007\paxking 11-07(2).doc