Title
Ordinance No. 22-73 amending Section 106 (Sale of Unclaimed Vehicles) of Article 25 (Removal and Impoundment of Vehicles) of Chapter 10 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic) of the Code of the City of Colorado Springs, as Amended, Pertaining to Sale of Unclaimed Vehicles.
Presenter:
Commander John Koch, Colorado Springs Police Department
Jennifer Underwood, CSPD Evidence/Impound Manager
Frederick Stein, Public Safety City Attorney
Body
Summary:
The proposed amendment would add the option of holding auctions online, modify the publication of the auction legal notice from a single newspaper listing to a digital real-time auction list, and would update the process for vehicles that do not sell at public auction.
Background:
City Code ? 10.25.101 - 10.25.106 outlines the Police Department's authority to impound, store, and subsequently sell unclaimed vehicles. Its purpose is to ensure vehicles are impounded for lawful reasons, that there is a process by which citizens can dispute the towing and storage fees, that proper legal notice is provided to vehicle owners and lienholders, and that unclaimed vehicles subject to re-title are offered for sale to the public.
City Code ? 10.25.106 (A) currently requires the impound auction to be held at the impound, or the nearest suitable place. In the past, holding the auction at the impound facility was sufficient as the customer base was relatively small. However, public interest and staffing have caused this to no longer be a cost-effective solution. Additionally, opening the auction to an online customer base allowed for a far greater audience and awareness of the auction.
City Code ? 10.25.106 (B) currently requires the list of all vehicles being sold to be published in the "official newspaper of the City". Historically, a newspaper was an inexpensive means for legal notices and local news in the absence of digital content. Today, the average cost for a weekly newspaper subscription from the Gazette (th...
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