2000-23 ORDINANCE NO. 2000-23
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF AVENTURA,
FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CITY CODE BY CREATING
CHAPTER 48 "VEHICLES; USE OF RIGHT-OF-WAY;
PARKING; AND OTHER REGULATIONS," BY
CREATING ARTICLE I "ABANDONED VEHICLES AND
VESSELS;" ARTICLE II "USE OF RIGHT-OF-WAY;
PARKING; AND OTHER REGULATIONS;" PROVIDING
PROCEDURES FOR REMOVAL OF ABANDONED
VEHICLES FOUND ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AND/OR
PRIVATE PROPERTY; PROVIDING REGULATIONS
PROHIBITING COMMERCIAL USE OF RIGHT-OF-
WAY; PROVIDING REGULATIONS CONCERNING
PARKING AND STORAGE OF CERTAIN VEHICLES
AND BOATS; PROVIDING OTHER PARKING
REGULATIONS; PROVIDING REGULATIONS
CONCERNING REPAIR OF VEHICLES; PROVIDING
FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN
CODE; PROVIDING FOR PENALTY; PROVIDING FOR
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Commission finds that this Ordinance will serve to promote
the public health, safety and welfare, and enhance the quality of life in the City; and
WHEREAS, nothing in this Ordinance shall impair the enforcement of more
restrictive provisions imposed upon private property pursuant to the provisions of
Restrictive Covenants of Homeowners' Associations and Master Associations or the
provisions of Declarations of Condominium bylaws, rules or regulations issued
thereunder.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF AVENTURA, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. That the City Code of the City of Aventura is hereby amended by
creating Chapter 48 '¥ehicles; Use of right-of-way; parking; and other regulations"
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 2
consisting of Article 1 "Abandoned Vehicles and Vessels;" Article II "Use of right-of-way;
Parking; Other regulations," to read as follows:
CHAPTER 48. VEHICLES; USE OF RIGHT OF WAY;
PARKING; AND OTHER REGULATIONS.
ARTICLE I. ABANDONED VEHICLES AND VESSELS.
Section 48-1. Definitions.
As used in this Chapter, the following terms have the
meaning set forth herein, except as otherwise indicated by
the context.
City means the City of Aventura.
Commercial vehicle means a vehicle used on public roads in
commerce to transport passengers or cargo, excluding
private passenger vehicles which do not exhibit any exterior
indication of business use.
Enforcement officer means a police officer or any other
officer or representative of the City designated by law,
charter, ordinance or order of the City Manager to enforce
provisions of this article.
Private property means all land and improvements not
constituting public properties, and lying within the City limits.
Public property means lands and improvements owned by
the federal government, the State, the County, the City or
municipalities or governmental entities lying within the City
and includes buildings, grounds, parks, playgrounds, streets,
sidewalks, parkways, rights-of-way and other similar
property.
Recreational vehicle means a motor vehicle designed to
provide temporary living quarters for recreational, camping
or travel use, which has its own propulsion or is mounted on
or towed by another vehicle.
Vessel means every description of watercraft which is
designed, used of, or capable of being used as a means of
transportation on water.
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 3
Section 48-2. Abandoned Vehicles and Vessels
Prohibited.
It is unlawful for any person to park, store or leave any motor
or other vehicle or vessel (collectively referred to in Article I
as "vehicle") in a wrecked, junked, partially dismantled or
abandoned condition on public or private property within the
City. This shall not prohibit licensed vehicle repair shops
from storing and repairing vehicles on the licensed premises.
For the purposes of this section, "abandoned" means a
motor or other vehicle which does not have an identifiable
owner and which has been disposed of on public or private
property in a wrecked, inoperative or partially dismantled
condition or which has no apparent intrinsic value to the
rightful owner. The enforcement officer shall refer to the
following characteristics to make a determination that a
violation of this Section exists:
(1) The vehicle has nominal salvage value;
(2) The vehicle is not in sufficient repair to perform its
intended function;
(3) The vehicle is on public property and does not have a
current license tag, decal or registration;
(4) The vehicle exhibits physical damage incurred in a
collision or other incident that has not been repaired;
(5) The vehicle is derelict and has been left unprotected
from the elements, as exhibited by growth of
vegetation about the vehicle, direct exposure to the
elements, the positioning of the vehicle in other than
an upright or operable manner, or vandalism; or
(6) The length of time the vehicle has remained in its
present location. A vehicle may be considered
abandoned if parked or stored on the public right-of-
way or private road for a period exceeding forty-eight
(48) hours, other than in a designated parking area.
Section 48-3. Procedure For Removal.
The procedure for removal and disposition of abandoned
vehicles shall be as follows:
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 4
(1) Abandoned vehicles on public property. Whenever
the enforcement officer of the City shall ascertain that
an abandoned vehicle is present on public property
within the limits of the City, he/she shall cause a
notice to be placed upon such abandoned vehicle and
proceed in accordance with Chapter 705 of the
Florida Statutes.
(2) Abandoned vehicles on private property. Whenever
the enforcement officer of the City shall ascertain that
an abandoned vehicle is present on private property
within the limits of the City, he/she shall cause a
notice to be placed upon such abandoned vehicle in
substantially the following form:
"Notice to the Owner and All Persons Interested in the
Attached Vehicle. This vehicle, to wit: (set forth brief
description) located at (describe location) is
improperly stored and is in violation of Section 48-2 of
the City Code of the City of Aventura and must be
removed within ten (10) days from the date of this
notice; a request for a hearing before the code
enforcement special master by the owner or any
person interested in the attached must be made
before expiration of the ten day period, otherwise it
shall be presumed to be abandoned and will be
removed and destroyed by order of the City of
Aventura. Dated this: (date of posting notice).
Signed: (name, title, address and telephone number
of enforcement officer)"
(a) Such notice described above shall not be less
than eight (8) inches by ten (10) inches and shall
be sufficiently weatherproof to withstand normal
exposure to the elements. In addition to posting,
the enforcement officer shall make reasonable
efforts to ascertain the name and address of the
owner of the vehicle and the real property upon
which the vehicle is located and if such information
is reasonably available to the enforcement officer,
he/she shall mail a copy of such notice to the
owners on or before the posting day. The
enforcement officer shall contact the Department
of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or the
Department of Environmental Protection if the
4
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 5
vehicle is a motor vehicle or vessel, respectively,
to determine the name and address of the owner
and any person who has filed a lien on the vehicle
or vessel. The enforcement officer shall then mail
a copy of the notice by certified mail to the owner
and lienholder, if any.
(b) A hearing prior to the removal of the derelict, junk,
or abandoned property is to be held before the
code enforcement special master when such a
hearing is requested by the owner of the property
or lienholder within ten (10) days after posting of
notice to abate the violation. Any order by the
code enforcement special master requiring the
removal of derelict, junk, or abandoned property
from private land shall include a description of the
vehicle by identification and license number, if
available at the site.
(c) If a hearing is not requested, and if at the end of
ten (10) days after posting such notice as set out
above, the owner or any person interested in the
abandoned vehicle described in such notice has
not removed the same and complied with the
ordinance or section of this Code cited in the
notice, or shown reasonable cause for failure to do
so, the enforcement officer may cause the
abandoned vehicle to be removed and destroyed
and the salvage value, if any, of such abandoned
vehicle shall be retained by the City to be applied
against the cost of such removal and destruction.
(d)The procedure for sale of abandoned vehicles
shall be as set forth in Chapter 705 of the Florida
Statutes.
(e) The State Department of Motor Vehicles shall be
notified of vehicles removed from private property
pursuant to the terms of this section.
(f) All costs and expenses incurred by the City in
carrying out the provisions of this Article shall
constitute, until paid, a lien against the owner of
the vehicle and against the real property where it
was stored when it is determined that the
abandoned vehicle belongs to the owner of the
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 6
real property or that the owner of the real property
has failed to remove said vehicle; with interest to
accrue at the rate of eight (8) percent annually.
Section 48-4. No Obstruction. Immunity; Costs,
(1) It is unlawful for any person to oppose, obstruct or resist
any enforcement officer or any person authorized by the
enforcement officer in the discharge of his or her duties
as provided in this Article.
(2) Any enforcement officer or any person authorized by the
enforcement officer shall be immune from prosecution,
civil or criminal, for reasonable, good faith trespass upon
real property while in the discharge of duties imposed by
this Article.
ARTICLE II. USE OF RIGHT OF WAY; PARKING;
OTHER REGULATIONS.
Section 48-10. No sales from right-of-way.
No person shall conduct the business of collecting,
displaying or selling merchandise or services from within the
public rights of way within the limits of the City. Specifically
prohibited under this section are street vendors and/or sale
of food of any kind, flowers, goods, wares, services or
merchandise from a vehicle whether motorized or not,
regardless of the number of wheels affixed thereto or on
foot,
Section 48-11. Parking restrictions.
(1) There shall be no private or commercial vehicular parking
in public or private right of way areas within the City of
Aventura, except in those road right of way areas lawfully
developed and designated for parking purposes or
approved by the City Manager.
(2) Parking of vehicles is prohibited upon:
(a)any streets located within or contiguous to
multifamily zoned properties, unless approved by
the City Manager;
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 7
(b) any area prohibited by State law or Miami-Dade
County Code, unless approved by the City
Manager;
(c) any unimproved public or private property, unless
approved by the City Manager;
(d) any unpaved or unstabilized area, unless
approved by the City Manager.
(3) Parking may be further regulated by the City
Commission, by ordinance.
(4) The parking of vehicles may be temporarily prohibited
upon any street or portion thereof where the City
Manager or the Chief of Police finds that a temporary
restriction on parking is necessary to protect the safety of
the public.
(5)The previsions of paragraphs (2)(a) and (3) of this
section shall not be implemented unless and until any
necessary approvals from the State Department of
Transportation under Section 316.008(3), Florida
Statutes (State roads only), and from Miami-Dade County
under Sections 30-388.5, 30-388.6 or 30-388.25, County
Code, as applicable, have been received and filed of
record in the City Clerk's Office.
Section 48-12.Restrictions on commercial or
recreational vehicles.
(1) No owner or person having the possession or use of a
commercial vehicle or recreational vehicle shall park that
vehicle for any period of time on a public right of way.
This restriction shall not apply, however, to the following:
(a) vehicles owned or operated by a physically impaired
individual when a medical doctor has certified that the
vehicle is necessary due to said physical impairment;
(b) vehicles then and there engaged in activity consisting
of performing authorized landscape installation or
maintenance or making deliveries or loading and
unloading of passengers or materials;
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 8
(c) vehicles owned, operated or contracted by a utility
company, who have obtained a City issued public
works permit to conduct work within the public right-
of-way or for work deemed an emergency. The
contractor conducting such work shall be required to
restore the landscaping, irrigation, curbing, sidewalks,
etc., within the public right-of-way to original or better
conditions upon the completion of the permitted or
emergency work.
(2) The owner of any unauthorized vehicle shall be required
to restore the landscaping, irrigation, curbing, sidewalks,
etc., within the public right-of-way to original or better
conditions upon removal of the vehicle from the public
right-of-way. The Police Department will prepare a
property damage report to the location with a restoration
estimate that will be forwarded to the vehicle owner by
the City Manager or designee for reimbursement.
Section 48-13. Recreational vehicles, vessels.
No owner or person having possession or use of a
recreational vehicle or vessel shall park in an off-street
space other than a space prepared for and designated for
use as a parking area for such vehicle or vessel, in any
residentially developed area of the City. No more than one
recreational vehicle and one vessel shall be allowed on a
single family or multi-family (of four or less units) parcel of
land at any time, and each may not exceed a size of 30 feet
long.
The term "a space prepared for and designated for use as a
parking area," as used herein, shall mean one that meets the
following criteria:
(a) the space is indicated by an approved site plan or by
a certificate of completion, as intended to be used for
such purpose;
(b) the space is screened from public view by fencing, or
by landscaping in accordance with a landscape plan
approved by the City's Director of Community
Development; or
(c) an enclosed garage structure.
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 9
Section 48-14. Vehicle repairs prohibited.
Vehicle repairs are prohibited in all residentially developed
areas of the City, except for repairs made to the privately
owned or leased vehicle of the owner/occupant of the
property on which the repairs are taking place. No more
than one privately owned or leased vehicle may be repaired
at any one time by the owner/occupant of the property. All
vehicle repairs allowed by this section shall be completed
within 24 hours. The work undertaken at the premises to
repair or otherwise put the vehicle into operative condition
shall be of a minor nature only and major repairs shall not be
authorized at the premises, by this Section. The term "major
repair" includes but is not limited to any work by which the
vehicle engine or transmission is removed or lifted from the
vehicle for repair or bodywork consisting of painting or
refinishing more than ten percent of the surface area of the
vehicle, at a location at the premises which is visible from a
street or other public or private property, and any other
similarly extensive work, but does not include change of
tires, replacement of batteries, change of oil, replacement of
brakes, engine tune-up or other similarly non-extensive
work.
Section 2. Severability. The provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be
severable and if any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance shall for any
reason be held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of
the remaining sections, sentences, clauses, and phrases of this Ordinance but they shall
remain in effect, it being the legislative intent that this Ordinance shall stand
notwithstanding the invalidity of any part.
Section 3. Inclusion in the Code. It is the intention of the City Commission, and it
is hereby ordained that the provisions of this Ordinance shall become and be made a part
of the Code of the City of Aventura; that the sections of this Ordinance may be
renumbered or relettered to accomplish such intentions; and that the word "Ordinance"
shall be changed to "Section" or other appropriate word.
Ordinance No. 2000-23
Page 10
Section 4. Penalty. Any person who violates any provision of this Ordinance
shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine not to exceed $500.00 or imprisonment in the
County jail not to exceed sixty (60) days or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day
that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate violation. This Ordinance shall be
subject to enforcement under the Local Government Code Enforcement Act, Chapter 162,
Florida Statutes, as amended, and City Code Section 2-331, et. seq., as amended.
Enforcement may also be by suit for declaratory, injunctive or other appropriate relief in a
court of competent jurisdiction.
Section 5. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be effective immediately upon
adoption on second reading.
The foregoing Ordinance was offered by Commissioner Rogers-Libert, who moved
its adoption on first reading. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Cohen and,
upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows:
Commissioner Arthur Berger yes
Commissioner Jay R. Beskin yes
Commissioner Ken Cohen yes
Commissioner Harry Holzberg yes
Commissioner Patricia Rogers-Libert yes
Vice Mayor Jeffrey M. Perlow yes
Mayor Arthur I. Snyder yes
The foregoing Ordinance was offered by Commissioner Holzberg, who moved its
adoption on second reading. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Rogers-Libert,
and, upon being put to a vote, the vote was as follows:
Commissioner Arthur Berger yes
Commissioner Jay R. Beskin yes
Commissioner Ken Cohen yes
Commissioner Harry Holzberg yes
Commissioner Patricia Rogers-Libert yes
Vice Mayor Jeffrey M. Perlow yes
Mayor Arthur I. Snyder yes
PASSED on first reading this 1st day of August, 2000.
]0
Ordinance No. 2000-z:~
Page 11
PASSED AND ADOPTED on second reading this 5th day of September, 2000.
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APPROVED AS TO FORM AND
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY:
CITY A~FTORNEY