<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<baltimore-city-law heading="Part 1 – Definitions; General Provisions">
  <section prefix="§" num="31-1" heading="Definitions.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Abandoned vehicle.">“Abandoned vehicle” has the meaning stated in State Transportation Article (“Maryland Vehicle Law”) § 25-201.</para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Commissioner.">“Commissioner” means the Police Commissioner of Baltimore City or the Commissioner’s designee.</para>
    <para num="(c)" heading="Private property.">
      <para num="(1)">“Private property” includes all property not included within subsection (d) of this section, where the owner can be readily ascertained by reference to the records of the Bureau of Assessments or elsewhere.</para>
      <para num="(2)">In case:<para num="(i)">the owner of property:<para num="(A)">cannot be so located; or</para>
          <para num="(B)">if located, is out of the City or cannot be reached by certified mail or does not respond to it; or</para>
          <para num="(C)">otherwise is beyond the jurisdiction of City authorities; or</para>
        </para>
        <para num="(ii)">the property is apparently abandoned,
then, for the purposes of this subtitle that property is deemed public property included within subsection (d) of this section.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <para num="(d)" heading="Street.">
      <para num="(1)" heading="In general.">“Street” has the meaning stated in &lt;cite data-path="|general|1|1|1-109"&gt;§ 1-109 {“Street”}&lt;/cite&gt; of the City Code’s &lt;cite data-path="|general"&gt;General Provisions Article&lt;/cite&gt;.</para>
      <para num="(2)" heading="Inclusions.">“Street”also  includes:<para num="(i)">publicly-owned vacant lots; or</para>
        <para num="(ii)">public property part of which is vacant.</para>
      </para>
    </para>
    <annotation type="Prior Codifications">City Code, 1976/83, art. 31, §86</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 69-343</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">99-421</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 06-347</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 15-435</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 18-195</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 22-125</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§" num="31-2" heading="Liability of lessors and other registered owners.">
    <para num="(a)" heading="Lessors’ liability.">
      <para num="(1)">In this subsection, “lessor” means a person, corporation, firm, agency, association, or organization that rents or leases motor vehicles.</para>
      <para num="(2)">A lessor, together with any customer or operator who rents or leases a motor vehicle from it, is jointly and severally liable for fines or penalties imposed for violations of parking ordinances that have been committed by that customer or operator.</para>
      <para num="(3)">Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent the lessor from recovering from the customer or operator the amount of any fine or penalty paid under this section.</para>
    </para>
    <para num="(b)" heading="Registered owner’s liability.">In any prosecution of a violation of any parking or standing law or regulation, proof that the vehicle described in the citation was parked in violation of the law or regulation, together with proof that the defendant named in the citation was at the time of violation the registered owner of the vehicle, constitutes a prima facie presumption that the registered owner of the vehicle was the person who parked the vehicle at the point where and for the time during which the violation occurred.</para>
    <annotation type="Prior Codifications">City Code, 1976/83, art. 31, §89</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 69-343</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 74-768</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 99-399</annotation>
    <annotation type="History">Ord. 06-247</annotation>
  </section>
  <section prefix="§§" num="31-3 to 31-5" reserved="true" />
</baltimore-city-law>
