§ 14-59. Reporting of unclaimed motor vehicles to state.

(a)

Whenever the city police department authorizes the removal of an abandoned vehicle or whenever any garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place notifies the city's police department of possession of a vehicle, the city's police department shall contact the state department of highway safety and motor vehicles within twenty-four (24) hours, through the medium of electronic communications, giving the full description of the vehicle. Upon receipt of the full description of the vehicle, the department shall search its files to determine the owner's name and whether any person has filed a lien upon the vehicle as provided in Florida Statutes, Section 319.27(2) and (3) and notify the city's police department within seventy-two (72) hours. The person in charge of the garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place shall obtain such information from the city's police department within five (5) days from the date of storage and shall, by certified mail, notify the owner and all lienholders of the location of the vehicle and of the fact that it is unclaimed. Such notice shall be given within five (5) days from the date of storage and shall be complete upon mailing; however, if the vehicle is registered outside this state, the person in charge of the garage, repair shop, or automotive service, storage, or parking place shall make a good faith best effort in so notifying the owner and any lienholders, and such notice shall be given within a reasonable period of time from the date of storage.

(b)

Nothing herein contained shall apply to any licensed public lodging establishment.

(c)

Failure to make good faith best efforts to comply with the notice requirement of this section shall preclude the imposition of any storage charges against such vehicle.

(Ord. No. 91-137, § 1, 6-10-91)