§ 10.32.140. Towing of illegally parked vehicles.

A.

The chief of the police department, or such sergeants or other officers of higher rank in the police department as the police chief may from time to time designate or authorized agents, are authorized to remove to some convenient place, through the agency or a person or persons in the employ of the police department, or by an independent contractor selected in accordance with law on the basis of competitive bids, any vehicle parked or standing on any part of any public way under the control of the city in such a manner as to impede in any way the removal or plowing of snow or ice or in violation of sections 5.08.040, 10.08.030, 10.28.010, 10.32.010, 10.32.090—10.32.120, 10.36.030, 10.36.090, 10.36.190 and 10.36.310. Vehicles owned by the commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof or by the United States or any instrumentality thereof or registered by a member of a foreign diplomatic corps or by a foreign consular officer who is not a citizen of the United States and bearing a distinctive number plate or otherwise conspicuously marked as so owned or registered, shall not, however, be subject to such removal.

B.

The owner of the vehicle so removed shall be liable for the reasonable cost of such removal, and for the storage charges, if any, resulting therefrom; provided, however, that the liability so imposed for removal and storage shall not exceed the allowable rates for the towing and storage of motor vehicles as established by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.

(Prior code § 19-73)

(Doc. 379A/2010, appr. 8-23-11/eff. 9-23-11)