§ 22-97. Abandoned personal property removal procedure.

(a)

Personal property abandoned on public land shall be removed pursuant to the provisions of F.S. § 705.103, as may be amended from time to time.

(b)

Inoperable vehicles abandoned on private land shall be subject to the following provisions:

(1)

The enforcement officer shall cause a notice to be placed upon such inoperable vehicle in substantially the following form:

NOTICE TO THE OWNER AND ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE ATTACHED PROPERTY. THIS PROPERTY, TO WIT:

(setting forth brief description)

LOCATED AT:

(setting forth brief description of location) is:

IMPROPERLY STORED AND IS IN VIOLATION OF

(setting forth ordinance or violation violated)

AND MUST BE REMOVED WITHIN TEN (10) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE; OTHERWISE IT SHALL BE PRESUMED TO BE ABANDONED PROPERTY AND WILL BE REMOVED AND SOLD OR DESTROYED BY ORDER OF THE CITY OF STARKE, FLORIDA, DATED THIS:

(setting forth the date of posting of notice);

SIGNED (setting forth name, title, address and telephone number of enforcement officer.)

(2)

Such notice shall be not less than eight inches by ten inches and be sufficiently weatherproof to withstand normal exposure to the elements.

(3)

The enforcement officer shall also make reasonable effort to ascertain the name and address of the owner of the inoperable vehicle and, if such address is reasonably available, the officer shall mail by certified mail a copy of the notice to the owner on or before the date of posting the above-described notice on the inoperable vehicle.

(4)

The enforcement officer shall mail by certified mail and first class mail, a copy of the above-described notice to the owner of the real property upon which the inoperable vehicle is located, as shown by the property appraiser's or tax collector's records used by the county or any other address provided to the local government by such owner, on or before the date of posting such notice.

(5)

At the end of the ten-day period of posting of such notice, if the owner or person having interest in the inoperable vehicle has not removed it from the private property, or shown reasonable cause for failure to do so, the city may cause the inoperable vehicle to be removed by a towing company who shall cause it to be removed and placed in storage in accordance with local, state and federal regulations. At the conclusion of the required storage, if the inoperable vehicle is not claimed, and if the salvage value is above $100.00, the towing company shall pay the City of Starke the sum of $25.00 or ten percent of such value, whichever is greater, for the administrative costs in handling with said article. If the inoperable vehicle is claimed, the owner shall be responsible for all towing and storage costs and the City shall receive from the owner $150.00 to cover administrative costs.

( Ord. No. 2017-0731, § 7, 11-1-2016 )