City of Norwich, NY
Chenango County
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Chapter 519: VEHICLES, ABANDONED
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Norwich 1-10-1967; amended in its entirety 4-21-2009 by Ord. No. 3-2009 (Ch. 5 of the 1967 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Property maintenance — See Ch. 409.
Solid waste and recycling — See Ch. 474.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 486.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 525.

§ 519-1 Definitions.

The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this chapter:
ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE
A. Any junked vehicle, as defined below;
B. Any vehicle which does not have a current/valid registration; or
C. Any motor vehicle situated on private property other than of its owner, which has not been moved or used for seven consecutive days or more and is determined to be deserted by the Police Department.
JUNKED VEHICLE
Any motor vehicle which is without a valid registration, inspection, or license plates or is in either a rusted, wrecked, discarded, dismantled, partly dismantled, inoperative or abandoned condition.
[Amended 2-15-2011 by Ord. No. 1-2011]
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, company, corporation or organization of any kind.
PROPERTY
Any real property within the City which is not a street or highway.
STREET or HIGHWAY
The entire width between boundary lines of every thoroughfare or way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of pedestrian or vehicular travel.
VEHICLE
A machine propelled by other than human power, designed to travel along the ground by use of wheels, treads or other mechanical means to transport persons or property or pull machinery, and shall include, without limitation, automobile, truck, tractor, trailer, motorcycle and wagon.

§ 519-2 Prohibited acts; exceptions.

A. No person shall abandon any vehicle within the City, and no person shall leave any vehicle at any place within the City for such time and under such circumstances as to cause such vehicle to appear to have been abandoned.
B. It shall be unlawful for any person, either as owner, lessee, occupant or otherwise, to store or deposit or cause or permit to be stored or deposited an abandoned, junked, discarded, dismantled, unlicensed or unregistered vehicle in and upon any real property lying, being and situated in the City of Norwich except as provided in this section.
C. The parking of unlicensed or unregistered motor vehicle(s) in a fully enclosed private garage is permitted.
D. Temporary storage of one unlicensed or unregistered motor vehicle per property, covered with a fitted cover designed specifically for the vehicle, may be permitted, subject to such conditions as will safeguard the public health, safety, convenience and general welfare as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer.

§ 519-3 Abandonment on streets or highways prohibited.

No person shall leave any dismantled, partially dismantled, wrecked, junked, nonoperating or discarded vehicle on any street or highway within the City.

§ 519-4 Time limit for disposal after notice; exceptions.

No person in charge or control of any property within the City, whether as owner, occupant, tenant or otherwise, shall allow any dismantled, partially dismantled, wrecked, junked, nonoperating or discarded vehicle to remain on such property longer than seven days after notice given to such person to remove and dispose of such vehicle by the Code Enforcement Officer or designee; except that this chapter shall not apply with regard to a vehicle in an enclosed building or a vehicle on the premises of a business enterprise operated in a lawful place and manner when the keeping of such vehicle is necessary to the operation of such business enterprise.

§ 519-5 Authorization to remove and dispose of vehicles.

The Code Enforcement Officer or a designee is hereby authorized to remove and dispose of or have removed and disposed of any such vehicle left at any place within the City which reasonably appears to be in violation of this chapter, after notice being given as provided in § 519-4.

§ 519-6 Penalties for offenses.

Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, unless some other punishment be hereinbefore provided, be subject to a penalty of not less than $50 for each offense or a minimum of 15 days' imprisonment in the Chenango County Jail.