§ 36-133. Vehicle removal and disposal.

(a)

The department of inspection and code enforcement, through its inspectors, shall remove or cause to be removed any accessible vehicle with apparent violations, or any inoperable, junked, derelict or abandoned vehicle from any public or private property, which is not enclosed in a building or so located upon the premises as not to be readily visible from any public place or surrounding property, neutral ground, street, or sidewalk following the expiration stated in section 36-131(1), or any motor vehicle parked or stored upon any canal servitude, levee or levee right-of-way, public drainage servitude, neutral ground, median, and/or right-of-way between the paved portion of a dedicated street and the property line of the adjacent landowner within the parish in violation of section 36-5(a), if the vehicle is not removed or if there is no request made for a hearing within the compliance period. The time for compliance begins on the date of the receipt of notice which is tagging of the vehicle. Said vehicles shall be destroyed or sold to defray the cost of removal.

(b)

Any vehicle located on property that is visible, whether from the street, sidewalk, or neighbors yard, and/or is illegally parked by the vehicle owner is subject to tagging and removal per section 36-131.

(c)

The department of inspection and code enforcement is authorized to use whatever means and methods it has available at its disposal for vehicle removals, and it may proceed to have this accomplished either by its own employees or by an independent contractor.

(d)

If a parish hearing is timely requested and scheduled, an order will be rendered whether the owner or his representative is present or not. The department of inspection and code enforcement shall remove or cause to be removed all vehicles following the expiration provided in section 36-131(1) whether or not a hearing has been requested. All vehicles subject to a hearing by the Jefferson Parish Administrative Hearing Officer shall remain in storage pending an order of the hearing officer.

(e)

If the vehicle is not removed within the period stated in (a) above, and no parish hearing requested, the vehicle may be removed by a tow truck operator acting on behalf of the parish who will comply with the Louisiana Towing and Storage Act La. R.S. 16:1711 et seq., for purposes of notice and due process requirements.

(f)

No other action by the parish shall be required and the procedures provided in this section shall constitute a request of the parish to the tow truck operator to remove the vehicle.

(g)

The tow truck operator shall store and may dispose of the vehicle pursuant to the Louisiana Towing and Storage Act. The parish shall have no civil or criminal liability for the acts or omissions committed by the tow truck operator, salvage yard and/or independent contractor.

(Ord. No. 16602, § IV, 9-11-85; Ord. No. 18577, § 1, 8-19-92; Ord. No. 20258, § 3, 1-14-98; Ord. No. 22801, § 5, 7-19-06; Ord. No. 23298, § 5, 5-7-08)