§ 50-15. Removal of shopping carts off owner's property; retrieval of carts after notice to owner.

(a)

Definition. The term "shopping cart" when used in this section means a push cart of the type commonly provided by grocery stores, drugstores, or other merchants for the use of the public in transporting commodities inside and outside of stores.

(b)

Marking. Owners must clearly mark all shopping carts with the name of the owner. Failure to do so may result in confiscation and disposal of the shopping carts by the city.

(c)

Removal prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove a shopping cart from the premises of the owner of such shopping cart without the written consent of the owner or of his agent, servant, or employee given at the time of such removal. For the purpose of this section, the premises shall include the entire parking area set aside by the owner, or on behalf of the owner, for the parking of cars.

(d)

Abandonment prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any person to leave or abandon any shopping cart on any sidewalk, right of way, street or other property within the city other than the property of the owner of the shopping cart.

(e)

Confiscation. If a shopping cart is found on any property other than the premises of the owner of the shopping cart, the city may retrieve the cart and remove it to a storage location. The city shall notify the owner, if known, of the cart's retrieval and storage. If not recovered from the storage area by the owner within three days of notification, on the fourth day the city will begin charging a storage fee of $10.00 per day per cart. Seven days thereafter, the city shall dispose of the cart at owner's expense and without reimbursement to the owner. The maximum fee assessed for the storage of a cart is $70.00.

(f)

Penalty. Upon conviction of removal of a shopping cart from premises, violator shall be punished in accordance with section 1-12. Upon conviction of the shopping cart owner failing to reimburse the city for cart disposal and/or storage, violator shall be punished in accordance with section 1-12.

(Ord. No. 05-01, § 1, 5-9-05)