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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8387-93 Amending Article 4 of Chapter 13 Prohibitinf the use of Motor Vechices purposes of patronizing , Promoting and/or the commission of prostitution .tokviN \\. - " Tb 61 auu ,Cq pau&s pup pano.44y 1 II NOW} VD •31 aNa'II £6 61 '6Z aunr —vumpui `puali limos Jo k1!3 a1 j3 Jo AOICnySS alp 01 atu ICq paluasa.Ld I!�unop uouttuoo Jo luap!saed -.••K :lnuy NOI ZWVE •x aN3)H /"alO K10 :lsally £6 61 '8Z aunt nun!puI 'puag 113n0S jo KI!3 21{3 Jo 1Pun133 uouUuWOJ 21j3 �Cq passed £6-L8£8 '0N 3 NVN[a2IO ORDINANCE NO. g3eMU AN ORDINANCE OF THE SOUTH BEND COMMON COUNCIL AMENDING ARTICLE 4 OF CHAPTER 13 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE ESTABLISHING AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE PURPOSES OF PATRONIZING, PROMOTING AND/OR THE COMMISSION OF PROSTITUTION. Statement of Purpose and Intent Residents in various neighborhoods in the City of South Bend are plagued with the problems posed by prostitution and the concomitant deleterious resultant effects caused by the crime of prostitution. It is readily apparent that many persons who patronize or solicit prostitutes do so while in motor vehicles . Thus, in an effort to discourage prostitution and offenses related thereto, it is necessary to implement a system whereby the City of South Bend is able to ensure the enforcement of sanctions against persons who use motor vehicles in the commission of such offenses by seizing and impounding those vehicles until a penalty of $500 .00 is paid to the City of South Bend and the applicable towing and storage fees are paid to the towing agent . NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, as follows : Section I . Article 4 of Chapter 13 of the South Bend Municipal Code shall be, and hereby is amended to add a new Section, Section 13-55 .5, which Section shall read in its entirety as follows : Sec . 13-55 .5. Vehicles used for the purposes of soliciting, Patronizing, and/or the commission of prostitution. (a) Definitions. (1) For purposes of this section, "motor vehicle" means every vehicle which is self-propelled, including but not limited to automobiles, trucks, vans, motorcycles, and motor scooters . (2) For purposes of this section, owners of record" means the record titleholders of the vehicle . (3) For purposes of this section, a person engages in conduct "knowingly" if, when the person engages in the conduct, the person is aware of a high probability that he or she is doing so. • (b) Conduct prohibited. A motor vehicle that is knowingly used in the commission of prostitution as defined in I .0 35-45-4-2, patronizing a prostitute as defined in I .C. 35-45-4-3, or for promoting prostitution as defined in I .C. 35-45-4-4 shall be subject to seizure and impoundment under this section. (c) Seizure and impoundment. Whenever a police officer has probable cause to believe that a vehicle is subject to seizure and impoundment pursuant to this section, the police officer shall provide for the towing of the vehicle to a facility controlled by the City or its agents . This subsection shall not apply if the vehicle used in the violation of subsection (b) was stolen at the time of the alleged violation and the theft was reported to the appropriate police authorities within seventy-two (72) hours after the theft was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. (d) Notice. Within twenty-four (24) hours after a vehicle is seized and impounded, the police department shall notify the owners of record and any person who is found to be in control of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation of the fact of the seizure and of their right to request a vehicle impoundment hearing to be conducted under this section. Notice shall be provided by certified mail . Notice shall be sent to the owners of record and to any person who is found to be in control of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation. (e) Request for hearing. A request for a hearing must be made within thirty (30) days of the seizure and impoundment of this vehicle. The request for a hearing must be made in writing to either the South Bend Police Department or the South Bend City Attorney' s office. A request for a hearing may be made by theowners of record and/or any person found to be in control of the vehicle at the time of the alleged violation. (f) Failure to request hearing. If a request for a hearing is not made within thirty (30) days of the seizure and impoundment of this vehicle, the vehicle shall be deemed abandoned and shall be disposed of in the manner provided by law for the disposition of abandoned vehicles .' The vehicle shall be released to the owners of record, however, when a penalty of $500 . 00 is paid to the City plus any applicable towing and storage fees have been paid to the towing agent . 1 State law reference: I .C. 9-13-2-1; Abandoned Vehicles; and I .C. 9-22-1-1 et seq. ; Abandoned Motor Vehicles . • (q) Hearing officer. Within five (5) days of receiving a written request for a hearing, a hearing shall be held before a hearing officer. The Mayor or his designee shall serve as the hearing officer. All interested persons shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard at the hearing. The formal rules of evidence will not apply at the hearing. (h) Penalty. If, after a hearing, the hearing officer determines by a preponderance of evidence that a violation for which a penalty is applicable under this section has occurred, the hearing officer shall enter an order finding the operator of the vehicle civilly liable to the City for a penalty of $500 and also liable to the towing agent for any applicable towing and storage fees . If the operator of the vehicle fails to appear at the hearing, the hearing officer shall enter a default order in favor of the City requiring payment to the City of a penalty in the amount of $500 as well as payment to the towing agent for any applicable towing and storage fees . If the hearing officer finds that no such violation occurred, the hearing officer shall order the immediate return of the vehicle to the owners of record. (i) Disposition of impounded vehicle. A penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall constitute a debt due and owing the City. A vehicle impounded pursuant to this section shall remain impounded until (1) the penalty of $500 . 00 is paid to the City and all applicable towing and storage fees are paid to the towing agent, in which case the owners of record shall be given possession of the vehicle, (2) a bond in the amount of $500 . 00 is posted with the City Attorney' s office and all applicable towing and storage fees are paid to the towing agent at which time the vehicle will be released to the owners of record, or (3) the vehicle is deemed abandoned pursuant to subsection (k) in which case the vehicle shall be disposed of in the manner provided by law for the disposition of abandoned vehicles . (j_) Posting of bond. If a bond in the amount of $500 . 00 is posted with the City Attorney' s office, the impounded vehicle shall be released to the owners of record. If a $500 . 00 penalty is imposed for a violation of this Section, the $500 .00 bond will be forfeited to the City. However, in the event a violation of this Section is not proven by a preponderance of the evidence, the $500 . 00 bond will be returned to the person or entity posting the bond. (k) Failure to pay penalty. If the penalty and applicable towing and storage fees are not paid within thirty (30) days after a penalty is imposed pursuant to this section, the vehicle shall be deemed abandoned and shall be disposed of in the manner provided by law for the disposition of abandoned vehicles . (1) Judicial Review pending. Provided, however, the vehicle shall not be deemed abandoned if a petition for judicial review of the hearing officer' s determination pursuant to I .C. 4-21 .5 et seq. is pending in a Court of proper jurisdiction. Where a petition for judicial review of the hearing officer' s determination is sought pursuant to I .C. 4-21 .5-1 et seq. and is subsequently resolved in favor of the City, the vehicle shall be deemed abandoned and shall be disposed of in the manner provided by law for the disposition of abandoned vehicles if the penalty and applicable towing and storage fees are not paid within thirty (30) days after the resolution of this petition for judicial review. (m) Monies deposited in special fund. Fifty (50) percent of all monies collected and retained by the City for a violation of this section shall be deposited in the South Bend Police Department Ordinance Violation Fund and shall be used solely for the purposes designated therein. Section II . This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption by the Common Council, approval by the Mayor and legal publication. Memb r of Common Council Filed in Clerk's Office 1st READING G_/' 93 PUBLIC HEARING 02$'- 9g 9 3 rd READING � - NOT APPROVED IRENE GABON REFERRED CITY CLERK,SO.BEND,IN, • Mountain apart UIo tip Mouton Collodi of Up fan of Erring; Mend: Your Committee of the Whole to whom was referred BILL NO. 53-93 SECOND READING ON A BILL OF THE SOUTH BEND COMMON COUNCIL AMENDING ARTICLE 4 OF CHAPTER 13 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE ESTABLISHING AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE PURPOSES OF PATRONIZING, PROMOTING AND/OR THE COMMISSION OF PROSTITUTION. Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion This bill has been recommended to the Council favorable, as amended: a. (2) Change to owners of record, rather than owner of record. d. Change to owners of record, rather than owner of record (two places in this section) e. Change to owners of record, rather than owner of record. f. Change to owners of record, rather than owner of record. h. Change to owners of record, rather than owner of record. i. Change to owners of record, rather than owner of record. (two places in this section) j . Change to owners of record, rather than owner of record. Thomas Zakrzewski Chairman es04 8 *' ,� ////,,d : \�- ,, d 1.; City of South Bend , ��\� I���� a Joseph E. Kernan, Mayor %. 1865 Department of Law Richard A. Nussbaum, II, City Attorney June 7, 1993 Mr. Stephen Luecke, President South Bend Common Council 4th Floor, County-City Building South Bend, IN 46601 RE: An Ordinance of the Common Council of the City of South Bend Amending Article 4 of Chapter 13 of the South Bend Municipal Code Establishing an Ordinance Prohibiting the Use of Motor Vehicles for the Purposes of Patronizing, Promoting, and/or the Commission of Prostitution. Dear Mr. Luecke: I am attaching for filing an Ordinance subjecting motor vehicles knowingly used in the commission of prostitution as defined in I .C. 35-45-4-2, patronizing a prostitute as defined in I .C. 35-45-4-3, or for promoting prostitution as defined in I .C. 35-45-4-4 to seizure and impoundment . Whenever a police officer has probable cause to believe that a motor vehicle is knowingly being used in violation of this section, the vehicle shall be seized and impounded. Upon conviction for a violation of this Ordinance, the impounded vehicle shall not be released to the owner of record until a $500 . 00 penalty has been paid to the City and all applicable towing and storage fees have been paid to the towing agent . The hearing process spelled out in the Ordinance insures that no penalty will be imposed pursuant to this Ordinance without a vehicle owner having first received notice of his right to request a vehicle impoundment hearing. Your consideration and approval is respectfully requested. Sincerely, )e- I tames ' -a dwel `Administrative A sistant to Neighborhoods 1400 County-City Building • South Bend, Indiana 46601 • 219/235-9241 Thomas L. Bodnar John E. Broden Aladean M. DeRose Jeffrey M. Jankowski Jenny Pitts Manier Mary Hall Mueller Robert C. Rosenfeld