Principles:

1. The intention of this "Trespass Tow" policy (the "Policy") is to ensure that parking areas over which SBCA has jurisdiction (owned or otherwise) remain generally available for the efficient use of the maximum number of reasonable SBCA residents' uses.
2. This policy provides procedures by which representatives of SBCA will remove vehicles that reasonably appear to be ineligible to remain on SBCA property, according to parking restrictions laid out in SBCA covenants and bylaws. Howard County Code Title 17, Subtitle 6 provides for the towing of vehicles from SBCA property.
3. Under normal circumstances, the primary "reasonable uses" of the parking areas are expected to be for parking regularly-used vehicles belonging to SBCA owners and their guests; however, secondary "reasonable uses" will be allowed. Secondary uses include, but are not limited to, service providers/contractors, delivery/removal, government officials, and emergency services.
4. This policy will not be used to enforce the current "honor system" in use in SBCA property. An owner/guest parking their vehicle in any existing/proper parking spot and not otherwise abandoning the vehicle is outside the scope of this policy.
5. Those executing this policy will make a reasonable effort to locate and inform the owners of abandoned vehicles prior to their removal. In typical, non-urgent circumstances, abandoned owners should be given at least 3 weeks to register or remove a vehicle. However, for exigent circumstances, SBCA may take immediate, same-day action to remove vehicles.
6. SBCA's use of vehicle license plate expiration dates is not intended as an enforcement action on behalf of the State of Maryland; rather, a registration expired by 3-4 months is considered a strong indicator that the owner of a vehicle is not regularly using it, and/or the vehicle is abandoned.

Procedures for Towing an Abandoned Vehicle:

1. SBCA board member observes apparently abandoned or unauthorized vehicle, noting the date and vehicle's description/location.
2. SBCA board member generates a dated violation notice to inform vehicle owner that their vehicle appears to be in violation of this policy. Notice will state that owner must remedy the situation, obtain an exception from SBCA board, or remove their vehicle, normally by a date at least 3 weeks from the notice's placement on vehicle.
3. If vehicle remains in violation without a response by the date requested in the first notice, a second notice will be placed. This second notice will clearly state that it is a "Final Notice", and normally give an additional week for the vehicles owner(s) to respond to the notice and take corrective action.
4. If vehicle remains in violation without a response by the date in the ‘Final Notice', a designated SBCA board member will contact a towing company and request the vehicle be towed.
5. On behalf of the SBCA board, a representative of the SBCA board will sign the towing company's request to have the vehicle towed.
6. In exigent circumstances, and with the approval of the SBCA board or President, a vehicle can be towed immediately, without waiting for the specified response periods given under this Policy. Exigent circumstances include, but are not limited to, threats to safety or other emergency condition, unusual weather conditions severely limiting parking availability, and vehicles substantially impeding/blocking normal traffic patterns. In such situations, reasonable effort should be made to locate the owner of the vehicle and remedy the situation – for example, knocking on nearby residence's doors to ask the vehicle's owner to move their vehicle, prior to towing.

Procedures for Long-Term Use of Parking Spaces (for other than primary uses):

1. If an owner/guest intends to occupy, or have someone occupy on their behalf, 2 or more parking spaces for 2 or more continuous days, or one or more spaces for 7 or more continuous days, they must inform their immediate neighbors and obtain authorization from a representative of the SBCA board. This section applies, but is not limited, to contractors, deliveries, portable storage units.
2. Owner/guest petitions in 1) will be evaluated for their disruption to owners/guests' primary uses. Disruptions of reasonable scope/duration should be approved. Affected owners/guests should note that this standard does not mean that their parking will never be disrupted for secondary uses, only that the board will attempt to ensure that the secondary user takes reasonable measures to minimize the disruption without incurring unreasonable additional costs.