Power to detain or remove vehicles
8.—(1)  Where a vehicle is parked on any common property or in any open space in contravention of any by-law, or it appears to the secretary or an officer authorised by the Town Council that any vehicle which has broken down or permitted to remain at rest on any common property or in any open space, has been abandoned without lawful authority, the secretary or an officer authorised by the Town Council —
(a)may detain the vehicle by any means, including preventing the removal of the vehicle without the consent of the secretary or authorised officer by fixing an immobilisation device to the vehicle, and, if the vehicle is detained, shall give notice in writing of the detention to the owner or person who had lawful possession of the vehicle when it was detained and that he may, on payment of the expenses incurred by the Town Council in respect of such detention, claim possession of the vehicle within 7 days of such notice being served on him; and
[S 537/2000 wef 01/12/2000]
(b)if such owner or person cannot be located, upon reasonable inquiry being made by the Town Council, the Town Council may then cause to be displayed such notice at the nearest block’s notice board, and if such owner thereafter fails to claim possession of the vehicle within the period specified in sub-paragraph (a), may remove or cause the vehicle to be removed to a place of safety.
(2)  Where any vehicle is removed under paragraph (1)(b) to a place of safety, the secretary of the Town Council shall, with all reasonable despatch, give notice in writing of the removal to the owner or person who had lawful possession of the vehicle when it was removed and that he may, on payment of the expenses incurred by the Town Council in respect of such removal, claim possession of the vehicle within 30 days of such removal.
(3)  Where the Town Council has detained or removed or caused the detention or removal of any vehicle to a place of safety under paragraph (1), the owner or person who had lawful possession of the vehicle when it was detained or removed shall —
(a)in the case of detention, within the period specified in paragraph (1)(a); or
(b)in the case of removal, within the period specified in paragraph (2),
pay all expenses incurred by the Town Council in respect of such detention or removal, as the case may be.