[HISTORY Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Bergenfield
12-16-1975 by Ord. No. 1046 as Sec. 3-4 of the Revised General Ordinances.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the
following meanings:
Includes, with respect to public streets, public property and private
property used as a business parking area, any motor vehicle parked without
the current year's registration or found to be in a mechanically inoperable
condition. It shall also mean and include, with respect to any other private
property, the keeping or storing by a property owner, or lessee, of more than
one vehicle out of doors without the current year's registration for a period
of more than 30 days. Nothing herein provided shall be deemed to prohibit
the placing, keeping or storage of such vehicle in an enclosed building, nor
the storage or display of motor vehicles out of doors by dealers authorized
to engage in the business of buying, selling or dealing in motor vehicles
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:10-19.
Includes automobile, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck, truck
tractor or other vehicle as defined in N.J.S.A. 39:1-1.
It shall be unlawful for any person to abandon a motor vehicle on any
public street, public or private property within the Borough.
A.
Whenever it appears to the Police Department that this section is being violated and the land on which the violation exists is privately owned, as defined in § 295-1, it shall notify the owner or tenant in possession of the land to abate the violation within 10 days of the service of the notice.
B.
If he resides in the Borough, the notice shall be served
upon the owner or tenant personally or by leaving it at his usual place of
abode with some member of his household over the age of 14 years.
C.
If the person resides outside the Borough, the notice
shall be served by registered or certified mail addressed to the last known
address as shown by the records in the tax office. If the owner is a corporation,
service upon an officer or upon the manager or other person in charge of the
business or premises shall be sufficient.
Whenever a motor vehicle is abandoned, the Police Department shall take
possession of the vehicle and cause it to be removed to a garage or other
place designated by the Chief of Police. If the vehicle is abandoned on private
property, without the consent of the owner or tenant occupying the property,
by a person who cannot be found or identified, it shall be removed in the
same manner with the permission of the owner or tenant, occupying the property.
After taking possession of an abandoned vehicle, the Police Department
shall immediately notify the director of the Division of Motor Vehicles of
the possession and shall otherwise follow the procedure for the public sale
of the abandoned vehicle in the manner provided by N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 et seq.
At any time prior to sale, after the Police Department has taken possession
of an abandoned vehicle, the owner may reclaim possession upon payment of
the reasonable costs of removal and storage of the vehicle and any fine and
court costs assessed against him for the violation which gave rise to the
taking of possession, as provided by N.J.S.A. 39:10A-2.
