<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="§ 22-11 Owner’s, operator’s right to choose.">
  <section prefix="§" num="22-11" heading="Owner’s, operator’s right to choose.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="In general.">Whenever a disabled vehicle needs to be towed from a City street:<para num="(1)">if the vehicle is impeding the free flow of traffic or movement of pedestrians or if some other emergency pertains, as determined by the police officer on the scene, the police officer shall request the Police Commissioner to summons a medallion towing vehicle; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">in all other situations:<para num="(i)">the police officer on the scene shall permit the owner or operator, if available, to contact a bona fide automobile or motor club of which he or she is a member or an automobile insurance company with which she or he is insured; and</para>
        <para num="(ii)">if the owner or operator declines or is unavailable to do so, the police officer shall request the Police Commissioner to summons a medallion towing vehicle.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Required response time.">If the towing company contacted by an automobile or motor club or automobile insurance company under subsection (a)(2)(i) of this section cannot or does not respond within 20 minutes or a reasonable period of time, as determined by the police officer under the circumstances, the police officer shall request the Police Commissioner to summons a medallion towing vehicle.</para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Assurance of compliance.">To the extent possible under the circumstances, the police officer at the scene shall verify that the towing vehicle arriving at the scene and preparing to tow the disabled vehicle:<para num="(1)">is not there in violation of § 22-21 {“Solicitations prohibited”}or &lt;cite data-path="|31|§22-24"&gt;§ 22-24 {“Police radios prohibited”} of this subtitle&lt;/cite&gt;; and</para>
      <para num="(2)">either:<para num="(i)">is a medallion towing vehicle summoned by the Police Commissioner; or</para>
        <para num="(ii)">is a towing vehicle summoned by the owner’s or operator’s automobile or motor club or automobile insurance company.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Priorities.">Once a medallion towing vehicle has been summonsed under this section, it is to be given priority over any other towing vehicle that may arrive at the scene.</para>
    <para num="(e)" heading="Destination.">
      <para num="(1)">This subsection does not apply to a vehicle that is being held for evidence.</para>
      <para num="(2)">The owner or operator of a disabled vehicle, if available, retains full discretion to determine the destination to which the vehicle is to be towed, even if the tow is by a medallion towing vehicle summoned under this section.</para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="Prior Codifications">City Code, 1976/83, art. 19, §202A</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 93-231</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 08-077</annotation>
  </section>
</baltimore-city-law>
