Municipal Code, Complete - City of Santa Barbara

5.30.030 Requirements and Duties.
(a) Provisions supplemental to business license regulations. The provisions of this chapter are intended to
augment and be in addition to the provisions of Title 5 providing for a business license tax. Whenever the provisions
of this chapter impose a greater restriction upon persons, premises or practices than is imposed by the general
business license regulations, the provisions of this chapter shall control.
(b) Business location. Any person conducting a towing operation business shall maintain a physical location
from which said business is directed. Such physical location shall provide an office with an adequate yard for vehicle
storage and the location of the yard shall be subject to the approval of the Board.
(c) Change of location. A change of location shall be endorsed on a towing permit upon a written application by
the permittee, subject to the approval of the Tax and Permit Inspector. The permittee shall notify the Tax and Permit
Inspector of any change of location within five (5) days after a move. (Ord. 3970, 1978.)
5.30.040 Signs and Notices, Rates and Charges.
(a) Signs and Notices. Each permittee shall maintain a sign listing the rates and charges of all services offered.
Such sign shall be conspicuously placed in the office or other place where customer financial transactions take place.
The letters on such signs shall be a minimum of one inch high with one quarter inch stroke. The letters shall be a
contrasting color from the background.
(b) Filing of rates and charges. Applicants for towing operation permits shall file a schedule of maximum rates
and charges for each service offered with their application. No charge more than the rates and charges specified in
such schedule shall be made except as herein provided.
Changes in maximum rates and charges shall be made by written notice containing the new schedule of rates and
charges to the Board at least ten days prior to becoming effective. A duplicate copy of such notice shall be posted for
a period of ten days in the office next to the posted schedule of the existing rates and charges. Upon the expiration of
the ten-day period, the maximum rate and charge schedule shall be changed in accordance with such notice, except
that the rates and charges for emergency and involuntary towing shall only become effective as set forth in subsection
(c) of this section.
(c) Emergency and involuntary requested maximum towing rates. Maximum rates and charges for any
emergency or involuntary towing assignment shall be subject to the prior approval of the Board. The approval of said
rates and charges shall become effective thirty (30) days after the action of the Board is final unless an appeal is
perfected pursuant to §5.30.090. (Ord. 4010 §1, 1979; Ord. 3970, 1978.)
5.30.050 Release of Vehicles, Payment, Notice, Protest.
Each permittee shall provide for release of vehicles during the hours established by the Board. The Board shall
establish hours for the release of vehicles pursuant to §5.30.120. A permittee may additionally release vehicles on
other days and hours. Each permittee shall accept as payment valid Visa and Master Charge credit cards and payment
by check accompanied by a valid bank check guarantee card which will guarantee such payment.
If a vehicle is removed by a permittee, the owner or person entitled to possession thereof shall be given notice of
the options available to recover the vehicle and protest the charges. If the recovery of the vehicle and protest of the
charges are not covered by §10.44.025 of this Code, the procedure for recovery and protest is as follows:
(1) Pay the charges for towing and storage and protest such charges by filing an appeal to the Board, within
five (5) days after the release of the vehicle.
(2) Post security for the towing and storage charges which is satisfactory to the permittee and protest such
charges by filing an appeal to the Board within five (5) days after the release of the vehicle. The Board shall adopt
rules for the protest appeal and its decision shall be binding upon the permittee. Nothing in this section shall prohibit
the Board from adopting further rules and regulations concerning the release of vehicles. (Ord. 4010 §3, 1979; Ord.
3970, 1978.)
5.30.060 Itemized Statement.
When requested, each permittee shall furnish an itemized statement to the person who authorized the towing
service, or his agent. Such permittee also shall furnish an itemized statement of services per-formed, labor and
special equipment used in completing tow of vehicle and of the charges made therefore upon the request of:
(1) the registered owner; or
(2) the legal owner; or
(3) the insurance carrier of either the registered owner or the legal owner; or
(4) the duly authorized agent of the registered owner, the legal owner, or the insurance carrier. Such
permittee shall furnish a copy of the statement to any person authorized to receive the statement without demanding
payment as a condition precedent. (Ord. 3970, 1978.)
130 rev. 12/31/99