(1) Whenever any vehicle is impounded by towing and storage pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter, the Police Department shall, within twenty-four hours after impoundment, mail notification of the impoundment to the last registered owner and the legal owner of the vehicle as shown on the records of the Department of Licenses of the state from which the vehicle is licensed or as otherwise reasonably ascertainable. The notification shall contain a certificate of mailing and shall inform the registered owner of this impoundment, redemption procedures, and opportunity for a hearing to contest the impoundment. The notice need not be mailed if the vehicle is redeemed prior to the mailing of the notice or if the registered owner and the legal owner are not reasonably ascertainable.

Upon impoundment of a vehicle pursuant to this section, the law enforcement officer shall also provide the registered tow truck operator with the name and address of the last registered owner and legal owner of the vehicle as may be shown by the records of the Department of Licensing of the state from which the vehicle is licensed or as otherwise reasonably ascertainable.

(2) The notification provided for in this section shall inform the registered owner that any hearing request in the form of a petition for relief shall be directed to the Whitman County district court. Any request for a hearing pursuant to this section shall be made in writing and received by the Whitman County district court at Pullman within ten days of the date the notification provided for in this section was mailed. If the hearing request is not received by the Whitman County district court within the ten-day period, the right to a hearing is waived and the registered owner shall be conclusively liable for any towing, storage, or other impoundment charges permitted under this Chapter. Upon receipt of a request for hearing in the form of a petition for relief, the Whitman County district court with jurisdiction shall proceed to hear and determine the matter as in any other civil action.

(3) If the registered owner timely requests a hearing provided for by this section and prevails at the hearing, the City of Pullman’s Police Department shall be liable for any towing, storage, or other impoundment charges permitted under this Chapter.

(4) Removal and storage of a vehicle shall be at the owner’s expense, except as provided in subsection (3) of this section. (Ord. 98-18 §12, 1998; Ord. 87-28 §14, 1987; Ord. 82-21 §15, 1982).