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Village staff proposes $50-per-day impound fee for vehicles seized under Article 36
Summary
Staff presented a proposed code change to charge a $50-per-day impoundment fee for vehicles held after Article 36 seizures, citing space pressures at the police department and uneven costs when tow lots are full; trustees asked about lien processes and auction shortfalls.
Steve, a village staff member, told the board the update to the village's seizure and empowerment code responds to “an uptick in the amount of vehicles that we're seizing under a provision known as article 36.” He said seizures arise from incidents including DUIs, burglaries and aggravated fleeing and that the village often ends up storing seized vehicles at the police department when private tow lots are full.
“To charge an impoundment fee of $50 a day, which is in line with what the tow companies charge,” Steve told the board, “would just basically be an impoundment if you have $50 a day.” He said the fee mirrors existing lowest fines in the vehicle code and can be reviewed by the village's hearing officer if considered excessive.
A trustee asked how the fee would work if storage costs over months exceed the auction value of a vehicle. One board member noted, “$50 a day is $1,500 a month. And if we're holding on to the car for 6 months … what do we do if the value of the vehicle is not even worth the total fees?” Steve and a staff speaker explained the village typically sells seized vehicles at auction and any proceeds go into a police activities fund; if owners are later awarded the vehicle the impound fees can be adjusted or adjudicated through the normal hearing process.
No formal vote on an ordinance or amendment was recorded during the discussion; trustees verbally expressed support for the proposal and asked staff to clarify lien or adjudication steps in the process.
