§ 36-131. Tagging; notice; request for hearing; emergency removal and storage.

(a)

Tagging. Whenever any vehicle is found to have an apparent violation or is found to be abandoned, junked, derelict, including vehicles offered for sale or lease, by the department of inspection and code enforcement by reason of illegal parking or storing of such vehicle on public or private property, streets, ways, roads, or highways within the parish, or upon any canal servitude, levees or levee rights of way, public drainage servitudes, neutral grounds, medians, and/or rights of way between the paved portion of a dedicated street and the property line of the adjacent landowner within the parish, the parish through said inspectors shall immediately post a notice on the windshield of the vehicle directing the vehicle be removed from said location within twenty-four (24) hours if parked on streets, roads, highways, canal servitude, levees or levee rights of way, public drainage servitudes, neutral grounds, or medians, and within seventy-two (72) hours, exclusive of weekends and/or legal holidays, if parked on private property and/or rights of way between the paved portion of a dedicated street and the property line of the adjacent landowner within the parish.

(1)

The tagging or notice posted on the windshield of the vehicle shall be a highly visible sticker or tag which contains the date and time of notice, the violation, removal details, contact name of tow company, and contact information for the parish posting notice;

(2)

The tagging or notice posted shall be clearly visible to drivers of passing vehicles and/or pedestrians and shall not be placed in a location that would damage, harm or otherwise alter the appearance of the vehicle.

(b)

Request for hearing.

(1)

The tag conspicuously affixed to the vehicle, shall advise the owner of the violation, and the requirement that the owner remove the vehicle or request a hearing immediately. The tag shall further include the date of posting and who the owner must contact, with the appropriate phone number to request a hearing or make inquiries. Lastly, the tag shall inform the owner that the vehicle will be removed and destroyed or sold to defray the cost of removal if not removed or if no hearing request is made in a timely manner. This form of notice shall be sufficient notice to the owner to remove the vehicle or request a hearing.

(c)

Emergency removal and storage. In those circumstances where the location of vehicle or its condition presents an immediate safety concern as determined in writing by an inspector and approved by the director or regulatory officer of the department of inspection and code enforcement, the department of inspection and code enforcement may forego tagging and/or notice to the owner and immediately tow the vehicle. The vehicle must be stored and applicable provisions adhered to per this chapter prior to disposal of the vehicle.

(Code 1961, § 12-21.3; Ord. No. 16602, § IV, 9-11-85; Ord. No. 18577, § 1, 8-19-92; Ord. No. 20258, § 2, 1-14-98; Ord. No. 22801, § 5, 7-19-06; Ord. No. 23298, § 4, 5-7-08; Ord. No. 23728, 1-13-10)