[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of
Blue Mounds as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted as Sec. 11.07 of the 2001 Village Code]
No person shall leave unattended any motor vehicle, trailer,
semitrailer or mobile home on any public street or highway or public
or private property, for such time and under such circumstances as
to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned.
When any such vehicle has been left unattended on any Village street
or highway or on any public or private property within the Village
without the permission of the owner for more than 72 hours, the vehicle
is deemed abandoned and constitutes a public nuisance.
Any vehicle in violation of this article shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of under § 345-3, except that if the Chief of Police, or his duly authorized representative, determines that the cost of towing and storage charges for the impoundment would exceed the value of the vehicle, the vehicle may be junked by the Village prior to expiration of the impoundment period upon determination by the Police Chief, or his duly authorized representative that the vehicle is not wanted for evidence or other reason.
A.
Disposal of abandoned vehicles.
(1)
If the Police Chief or his duly authorized representative determines
that the value of the abandoned vehicles exceeds $100, he shall notify
the owner and lienholders of record by certified mail that the vehicle
has been deemed abandoned and impounded by the Village and may be
reclaimed within 15 days upon payment of accrued towing, storage and
notice charges, and if not so reclaimed, shall be sold.
(2)
In the event an abandoned vehicle determined to exceed $100 in value
is not reclaimed within the period and under the conditions as provided
above, it may be sold at private sale or by auction or by sealed bids.
If sold other than at private sale, the description of the vehicle
and the terms of sale shall be published as a Class 1 notice and posted
five days before the sale.
(3)
After deducting the expense of impoundment and sale, the balance
of the proceeds, if any, shall be paid into the Village treasury.
B.
Any abandoned vehicle which is determined by the Police Chief or
his duly authorized representative to have a value of less than $100
may be disposed of by direct sale to a licensed salvage dealer upon
determination that the vehicle is not reported stolen.
The owner of any abandoned vehicle, except a stolen vehicle,
is responsible for the abandonment and all costs of impounding and
disposing of the vehicle. Costs not recovered for the sale of the
vehicle may be recovered in a civil action by the Village against
the owner.
Within five days after the sale or disposal of a vehicle as provided in § 345-3A or B, the Police Chief or his duly authorized representative shall advise the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles, of such sale or disposition on a form supplied by the Division. A copy of such form shall also be given to the purchaser of the vehicle. (A copy shall also be retained on file in the Village.)
Any person who shall abandon a vehicle in violation of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, forfeit an amount as provided under § 1-3 of the Village Code.
[Adopted as Sec. 11.08 of the 2001 Village Code]
No disassembled, dismantled, junked, wrecked or inoperable or
unlicensed motor vehicle shall be stored or allowed to remain in the
open upon private property within the Village of Blue Mounds for a
period of more than five days unless it is in connection with an automotive
sales, authorized junkyard, or repair business enterprise located
within a properly zoned area.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any self-propelled land vehicle which can be used for towing
or transporting people or materials, including but not limited to
automobiles, trucks, buses, motorized campers, motorcycles, motor
scooters, mopeds, tractors, snowmobiles, etc.
Whenever the Chief of Police shall find any such vehicle placed
or stored in the open upon private property in the Village of Blue
Mounds, he shall notify the owner of such property and/or owner of
the vehicle, upon which such vehicle is placed or stored, of the intention
of the Village to remove such vehicle. If any such vehicle is not
removed within 15 days after such notice, the Chief of Police shall
cause such vehicle to be removed, the cost of such removal to be charged
to the property from which it is removed, and such charges to be entered
upon the tax roll as a special assessment. Upon removal, the vehicle
shall be stored in a junk or salvage yard or other suitable place
for 30 days and the owner thereof shall be so notified, if the name
and whereabouts of the owner can be readily ascertained. At the end
of such time such vehicle is claimed by the owner, all reasonable
charges for handling and storage shall be paid by the owner.
Any person, firm and/or corporation who shall violate any provision or provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, forfeit an amount as provided in § 1-3 of the Village Code.
