§ 20-23. Entry upon private property for removal or abatement under specified circumstances; authorized.

(a) Any person in charge or control, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, of property on which an abandoned or inoperative vehicle shall be situate and who fails to remove such vehicle in accordance with a citation which has become final and unappealable as issued by the code enforcement officer or county sheriff, or their duly authorized agents, shall permit access to such property by any duly authorized agent of the county for the purpose of examining or removing such vehicle or vehicles. It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere, hinder, or refuse to allow such person so authorized to enter upon private property for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this article.

(b) In the event that the person in charge or control of the property is the record owner of the property pursuant to current records of the county property appraiser, and such record owner fails to respond to a notice of violation which is hand-delivered or sent certified mail, return receipt requested, within the time specified therein, such record owner shall be conclusively deemed to have waived any right to object to entry upon the property for purposes of examination and removal of abandoned or inoperative vehicles hereunder.

(c) Whenever the county may be authorized under the terms of this article to remove abandoned or inoperative vehicles from private property, the county is authorized to employ an independent contractor pursuant to procurement provisions of the code and related policies in order to accomplish such removal.

(Ord. No. 71-3, § 7; Ord. No. 2003-10, § 8, 6-13-03)