2044                              MUNICIPAL CHARTERS

device erected by the authority of the Director of [public safety] Traffic
Engineering for the regulation of traffic or parking on public highways.

18-18. Unlawful to violate rules, etc., of Director.

It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any rule, regulation,
order or directive promulgated by the Director of [public safety] Traffic
Engineering, as hereinbefore provided.

18-20.1. Parking unlicensed vehicle, abandoned vehicle, impounding,
sale.

It shall be unlawful for any person to park an unlicensed vehicle, or a
vehicle with an expired license, or to abandon a vehicle for a period longer
than seven (7) days on any public road, highway, street, avenue or alley
in the county. The [director] Chief of [public safety] Police is hereby
authorized to take possession of and remove any such vehicle so parked or
abandoned in violation of this section, by means of county equipment or
by contract entered into pursuant to the provisions of the purchasing act
of Baltimore County, if applicable, and he may cause such vehicle to be
stored either upon county property or upon private property by suitable
contract, if applicable. The cost of removing or towing any such vehicle
and of storing the same must be paid by the owner before such vehicle
may be repossessed by him and such charge shall be in addition to any
fine or other penalty imposed for the violation of this section. If the owner
fails to repossess such vehicle within thirty days after it is impounded,
such vehicle may be sold by the [Director] Chief of [public safety]
Police or his agent pursuant to the provisions of the purchasing act of
Baltimore County, if applicable, and the proceeds of such sale, after pay-
ment of the costs thereof, applied first, to reimbursing the county for the
cost of removing or towing the vehicle and of storing the same; second, to
the payment of all liens on the same, and the balance of said proceeds shall
be paid to the owner if claimed by him within six months from the date of
sale. If the owner fails to claim said balance within said period of time, it
shall be forfeited and paid into the county treasury.

18-29. Removal of motor vehicles from streets; impounding.

(a)   In order to provide for a more effective enforcement of the traffic
laws and regulations and to expedite the flow of traffic, the [Director]
Chief of [public safety] Police is hereby authorized to take possession of
and remove any motor vehicle parked upon any boulevard or through street
in Baltimore County during the hours when parking on any such boulevard
or through streets is prohibited, subject to the following provisions of
this Section.

(b)    The [Director] Chief of [public safety] Police shall not take
possession of and remove any motor vehicle unless the Director of Traffic
Engineering shall have adopted a regulation declaring such boulevard or
through street to be subject to the provisions of this Section and unless
the Director of Traffic Engineering