PRIVATE PROPERTY IMPOUND CONDITIONS
Administrative Rule Adopted by Bureau of Licenses
ARB-LIC-9.04
Towers performing private property impound tows in the City of Portland shall comply with the following conditions:
Tow Receipt
When releasing a PPI towed vehicle, the tower shall issue to the vehicle owner/owner’s agent a clearly legible invoice on a standard formcomplete with the following information:
1. Tow Number
2. Vehicle license plate
3. State
4. Vehicle Identification Number
5. Make
6. Model
7. Style
8. Year
9. Color
10. Address from which the vehicle was towed or released at the scene
11. Location to which the vehicle was towed
12. Name of the business which authorized the tow
13. Time that completion was called in
14. Dollies? yes or no
15. Was vehicle towed front up? or rear up?
16. Tow Driver (initials or driver number, if on the City contract)
17. Released to name, telephone number, address, city, state and zip code.
18. Contact information for the Towing Coordinator, telephone, address, fax and e-mail.
Photographs
Prior to performing a patrol-authorized PPI tow, the PPI tower shall photograph the vehicle to be towed. Such photograph shall illustrate the conditions of the vehicle’s location that warrant such an impound and be made available upon request by the Towing Coordinator, pursuant to a complaint investigation or audit.
Offer transportation assistanceto vehicle owner/owner’s agent
Pursuant to ORS 822.230(3)(d), PPI towers shall offer to eitherprovide transportation for the vehicle owner/operator from the immediate vicinity of the location from which the vehicle was towed to the tower’s storage lot for release of the vehicle, or make a call on behalf of the vehicle owner to arrange transportation. (suggested script)
“May we help you to call a taxi or someone else to provide transportation for you to our storage lot? There is no charge for the telephone call, but the cost of the ride will be your responsibility.”
Animals in towed vehicles
If a vehicle is found to contain any live animal, the PPI tower shall make every effort to protect the welfare of the animal. If the vehicle has not been redeemed within 2 hours after it reaches the PPI tower’s storage lot, the PPI tower shall contact the local Animal Control authority to arrange for the animal to be taken into protective custody.
Notification prior to tow
Notification of the intent to tow a vehicle from private property shall be made by the PPI tower to the local police agency through the Tow Desk before any tow equipment is attached or the vehicle is moved. This notification shall be made by telephone and shall include, at a minimum, thefollowing information:
1. Vehicle license plate
2. Address from which the vehicle is to be towed
3. Identity of the tow driver or person initiating the tow (initials or driver number, if on the City contract)
Notification following the tow
The PPI tower shall notify the local police agency through the Tow Desk of the completion of the tow and location of the vehicle within 1 hour after the vehicle is placed into storage, or released at the scene. Such notification shallbe made by faxing a clearly legible invoice to the Tow Desk. Information about these procedures and a copy of the approved standard invoiceshall be provided to PPI towers with application materials for the PPI permit. Such notification shall include, at a minimum:
1. Vehicle license plate – to verify against prior notice information
2. State
3. Vehicle Identification Number – if visible
4. Make
5. Model
6. Style
7. Year
8. Color
9. Tow Class
10. Address from which the vehicle was towed or released at the scene
11. Address to which the vehicle was towed
12. Name of the business whichauthorized the tow
13. Time that prior notice was given
14. Dollies? yes or no
15. Was vehicle towed front up? or rear up?
16. Tow Driver (initials or driver number, if on the City contract) – verify against prior notice
If a prior notice does not result in a towed vehicle, PPI tower shall notify Tow Desk if a Release at the Scene fee was collected, or if the vehicle was released without a fee.
Notification of release
Within eight (8) hours of releasing a vehicle to the registered owner/owner’s agent or foreclosing a possessory lien, the PPI tower shall notify the local police agency by faxing the invoice with all release information completed to the Tow Desk.
Data services fee
By the tenth day of each month, the Tow Deskshall send the PPI tower an invoice for data service fees collected for each PPI towed vehicle released to the vehicle ownerin the previous month. The PPI tower shall pay the collected fees directly to the Tow Desk by the twentieth day of the month. The amount of this fee shall not exceed the current dispatch fee established by the City of Portland Agreement for Central Dispatching of Towing Services, as it may be amended by the Towing Board of Review.
Administrative service fee
By the tenth day of each month, the Towing Coordinator shall send the PPI tower an invoice for administrative service fees collected for each PPI towed vehicle released to the vehicle owner in the previous month. The PPI tower shall pay the collected fees to the City of Portland by the twentieth day of the month. The amount of this fee shall be established by the Director and published with application materials at the start of each permit period.
Official City holidays
PPI towers shall not be required to staff their offices on official City holidays. The official holidays recognized by the City of Portland are as follows:
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. birthday
President’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day - July 4th
Labor Day
Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
A schedule of exact dates of these holidays will be published with application materials at the start of each permit period.
Release At Scene (RAS)
A PPI tower shall be entitled to a Release at Scene fee for an interrupted tow only if the required prior notification to Tow Desk has been carried out and the PPI tower has completed the hookup and attachment of all safety equipment, and is in full possession of the vehicle as defined in PCC 7.24.016.E. The fee for an interrupted tow shall be limited to:
-
The base fee allowed for the appropriate type of vehicle – Class A, Class B or Class C
-
Data services fee
-
City of Portland service fee
If the vehicle owner or operator returns while the PPI tower is still attaching equipment to the vehicle or is outside of the tow truck, the PPI tower shall release the vehicle to the vehicle owner or operator at no charge.
If the vehicle owner or operator stops the PPI tower when the hookup is complete and the tow truck is in motion with the vehicle, the PPI tower shall immediately halt the tow and inform the vehicle owner of the amount of the RAS fee and that the vehicle owner has up to 15 minutes, without additional charge to provide payment of the RAS fee. If the vehicle owner/owner’s agent fails to provide payment within 15 minutes, the PPI tower may proceed to tow the vehicle to the storage facility.
HISTORY
Revised document filed in PPD April 20, 2006.
Submitted for inclusion in PPD April 23, 2004.
Originally adopted by Bureau of Licenses as Administrative Rule 016.03-1.
