(Amended by Ordinance No. 186746, effective August 6, 2014.) For the purposes of the PPI Code and administrative rules adopted by the Director pursuant to the PPI Code, certain terms, phrases, words, abbreviations and their derivations are construed as specified in this Section. Words used in the singular include the plural and the plural the singular. Terms, phrases, words, abbreviations and their derivatives used, but not specifically defined in this Section, either have the meanings defined in the State of Oregon Motor Vehicle Code, or if not therein defined, have the meanings commonly accepted in the community.
A. "Director" means the Director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
B. "Dispatching facilities" means the PPI tower's facilities used for communication with Tow Desk and maintaining radio contact with tow vehicles.
C. "Oversized tow vehicle" means a tow truck equipped to perform towing of automobiles or other vehicles, and which has a maximum gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of over 10,000 pounds. Vehicles with maximum GVWR of at least 19,000 pounds are designated as "Class B." Vehicles with maximum GVWR of at least 44,000 pounds are designated as "Class C."
D. “Owners agent” means a person bearing documentation from the registered owner officially authorizing them to possess or operate the vehicle.
E. “PPI permit” means the permit issued to a private towing company signifying that the permit holder has met the requirements of this Chapter and the administrative rules and is allowed to tow vehicles from private property within the City of Portland at the request of the private property facility owner/operator without prior consent of the vehicle owner.
F. "PPI Police tow" means any PPI tow that, upon notification to the local police agency, is found to have been reported stolen, or for any other reason becomes a police tow as defined in the Contract for Vehicle Towing and Storage of the City of Portland, or requires a police release.
G. "PPI tower" means any towing firm duly registered and permitted to perform Private Property Impound tows within the City of Portland.
H. "Private parking facility" means any property used for motor vehicle parking at which the property owner or manager restricts or reserves parking. Private parking facility does not include “proscribed property.”
I. "Private parking facility owner" means the owner, operator, lessee, manager or person in lawful possession of a private parking facility, or any designated agent of the private parking facility owner authorized to enter into a PPI towing agreement with the tower.
J. "Private Property Impound"(PPI) means the impoundment of a vehicle from a private parking facility at the request of the property owner, operator, lessee, manager or person in lawful possession of the private property facility, without the prior consent of the vehicle's registered owner.
K. “Proscribed property” means any part of private property:
1. Where a reasonable person would conclude that parking is not normally permitted at all or where land use regulation prohibits parking; or,
2. That is used primarily for parking at a dwelling unit. As used in this paragraph, “dwelling unit” means a single-family residential dwelling, or a duplex, or
3. Designated as railroad right-of-way.
L. "Release at Scene" (RAS) means the fee allowed to be charged when a vehicle owner/owner's agent returns before the PPI tower has departed in tow. Not applicable until the hookup is complete and tow truck is in motion.
M. "Storage facility” means a secure area, meeting all requirements of PPI administrative rules, used by PPI tower for storing towed vehicles.
N. "Storing" means holding a towed vehicle in an approved secure storage facility until it is redeemed by the registered owner/owner's agent or until a possessory lien is foreclosed.
O. "Tow Desk" means the private tow dispatching company contracted with the City of Portland for municipal tow dispatching and data management or any government agency serving this function.
P. "Towing" means to draw or pull along a vehicle by means of a tow truck or car carrier.
Q. “Towing Agreement” means an agreement between a PPI tower and a private property owner/operator authorizing the PPI tower to tow vehicles from their private property. Such agreement must contain all information specified in PPI administrative rules.
R. "Towing Coordinator" means the person designated by the Director to provide direct enforcement and administration of all provisions of this Section and PPI administrative rules.
S. "Towing firm" or "PPI Tower" means any entity whose business includes the towing of motor vehicles from private parking facilities and the subsequent storage of such towed vehicles.
T. "Tow vehicle" means a tow truck equipped as specified in PPI administrative rules to perform towing of automobiles, motorcycles, or other motor vehicles, and which has a minimum Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,000 lbs.
U. "Vehicle owner" means the person registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles as the owner of the vehicle, or a person in lawful possession of the vehicle.