Council approves ordinance allowing towing from private property; sets maximum tow and storage rates

The Park City Council unanimously approved an ordinance permitting and regulating the towing of motor vehicles, watercraft and trailers from private property.

City legal staff explained state law requires an explicit municipal ordinance to allow towing from private property; the draft ordinance includes state-mandated provisions such as a maximum rate, a 48-hour right for owners to retrieve personal property from towed units, and a requirement that the towing company notify the Park City Police Department within two hours of a tow.

Council discussion focused on the definition of "private property" and whether the ordinance could be limited to storage facilities. The city attorney explained the state law requires the ordinance to cover private property citywide and cannot be limited to particular business types. Council members asked whether residential property owners could use the ordinance; the attorney confirmed the ordinance would permit towing from nonpublic property across the city.

Council set the ordinance's maximums after discussion: a maximum tow fee of $500 and a maximum storage fee of $100 per day. The council then moved to adopt ordinance 12 12-20 25, creating section 5-12-01 of the municipal code to permit and regulate towing from private property. The motion passed on a roll-call vote of 7-0.

The ordinance requires towing firms to give vehicles' owners 48 hours to claim personal property removed from the towed unit and requires the tower to notify police within two hours of a tow. The city will publish the ordinance and incorporate the maximum rates in the municipal code; additional operational details will be handled by the police department and code enforcement as needed.