[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Little
Egg Harbor; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
There is hereby established a rotating list of towing and storage contractors
authorized to provide vehicle towing and storage services as required by the
Township of Little Egg Harbor. The Chief of Police shall be responsible for
the administration of the rotating list. Nothing in these rules and regulations
shall be construed so as to prevent any owner or operator from selecting his
or her own towing service.
A.
Basic towing. Basic towing services shall be available and provided on a seven-day-per-week, twenty-four-hour-per-day basis for the entire geographic area of the Township of Little Egg Harbor. Contractors shall respond to all calls from the police dispatcher for towing services. Failure to comply with this requirement may subject the contractor to removal from the rotating list in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 309-9F and G. The contractors on the rotating list must be able to respond to any tow scene within 20 minutes of the Township's request.
B.
The contractor shall be responsible for the cleanup of
debris in accordance with N.J.S.A. 39:4-56.8, with the exception of fuel oil,
chemicals or hazardous waste materials.
C.
Storage. Each storage area must be enclosed by a secured
fence which is a minimum six feet in height. In addition, that area shall
be illuminated during the hours of darkness to the satisfaction of the licensing
authority. Each storage area must be open to the public for release of stored
vehicles, at a minimum, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
D.
Recovery services. Recovery services will be furnished
when necessary. Recovery services are those services which require the recovery
of an automobile from a position beyond the right-of-way or berm, or from
being impaled upon any other object within the right-of-way or berm by several
actions that may include, but not be limited to, winching and rigging.
No vehicle shall be released from impound without written authorization
from the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department.
A.
All contractors on the rotating list shall provide and
maintain the following minimum equipment:
(1)
A minimum of two tow/wreckers, one of which shall be
sufficient to tow vehicles over two tons and one of which shall be a flatbed.
(2)
Communication equipment between vehicles and their dispatchers
via two-way radio.
(3)
Tow vehicles shall have the name, address and telephone
number of the contractor painted or permanently attached to both sides of
the vehicle in compliance with state law.
B.
All equipment must meet applicable state standards and
shall be subject to periodic inspection by the Township.
In addition to meeting all other criteria of this chapter, and in order
to be eligible for placement upon the rotating list of authorized towers,
the contractor shall supply a certificate of liability insurance by a company
licensed to do business in the State of New Jersey, certifying that the contractor
maintains workers' compensation and garage liability insurance of not less
than $1,000,000 combined single limit, garage keepers liability of not less
than $100,000 per vehicle, said garage keepers legal liability insurance policy
to further provide for fire, theft and explosion. All public liability insurance,
including garage liability and garage keepers legal liability coverage, shall
name the Township of Little Egg Harbor, its officers, agents and employees
as additional insureds on the policy, shall hold them harmless, indemnify
them from any and all claims filed against the Township arising out of any
act or failure to act on behalf of the contractor and shall contain an endorsement
providing 30 days' notice to the Township in the event of any material changes
of the policy or cancellation thereof. Those contractors meeting the eligibility
requirements shall be approved and added to the rotating list by resolution
of the Township Committee, upon advice of the Chief of Police.
The rates and charges for municipally required towing and storage services
for passenger vehicles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and mopeds shall
be as follows:
B.
Maximum storage fee charges. Secured (outside or inside)
20 to 40 spaces: $35 per day.
C.
The storage period shall start at 12:01 a.m. on the day
following the first full day the vehicle is placed into storage and ends at
12:00 midnight each day. Vehicles released on the same day that the vehicle
is placed into storage will be assessed a pro rata fee of $1 per hour for
the partial day. If a vehicle is towed or transported from the storage area
by the towing contractor at the request of the owner or authorized representative,
a fee not exceeding $3 per mile may be charged.
D.
Recovery services. When it is necessary for certain recovery
services to be performed in order to preserve the condition of a motor vehicle
while moving the vehicle to a towable position, the rate for such services
shall be $110 per hour or any portion thereof.
E.
The contractor shall prominently display this fee schedule
at the towing/storage facility.
The maximum rates and charges for trucks and other vehicles with a gross
vehicle weight of up to 15,000 pounds shall be as follows:
A.
First mile or less, $110; each additional mile, $4, based
upon a one-way charge.
B.
Maximum storage fee charges. Secured (outside or inside),
20 to 40 spaces: $50 per day.
C.
The storage period shall start at 12:01 a.m. on the day
following the first full day the vehicle is placed into storage and ends at
12:00 midnight each day. Vehicles released on the same day that the vehicle
is placed into storage will be assessed a pro rata fee of $1 per hour for
the partial day. If a vehicle is towed or transported from the storage area
by the towing contractor at the request of the owner or authorized representative,
a fee not exceeding $3 per mile may be charged.
D.
Recovery services. When it is necessary for certain recovery
services to be performed in order to preserve the condition of a motor vehicle
while moving the vehicle to a towable position, the rate for such services
shall be $110 per hour or any portion thereof.
E.
The contractor shall prominently display this fee schedule
at the towing/storage facility.
F.
The towing rates set forth in Subsection A above are not intended to apply to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight over 15,000 pounds, such as tractor trailers, cement trucks and trash trucks, which require the use of a special towing vehicle. Contractors may charge market rates for towing such vehicles which exceed this 15,000 pounds weight.
A.
The contractor shall provide to the Township the following
information concerning vehicles and employees:
(1)
The year, make, model, vehicle identification number,
type of vehicle and registration number and proof of insurance.
(2)
The full name and address of all employees and license
numbers. Each listed employee must be competent to provide minimum road services
for disabled vehicles, present a neat appearance at all times, obey all traffic
safety laws and regulations, be subject to periodic and unannounced inspections
by the Chief of Police or designee, and shall be approved by the Chief of
Police prior to rendering any services pursuant to this chapter.
(3)
The addresses where the contractor shall be regularly
based, telephone numbers available on a twenty-four-hour-per-day basis and
the names of all operators, their addresses and the serial numbers of their
New Jersey motor vehicle licenses.
(4)
Certification of approved emergency warning lights.
B.
The contractor shall submit to the Little Egg Harbor
Township Police Department the following information on vehicles unclaimed
over 30 days:
C.
The contractor shall provide the Township with records
of all towed vehicles, storage and towing charges upon request.
A.
The hours of 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. shall apply to
the day rate on Monday through Friday, except New Jersey State holidays. The
night, weekend and holiday rate shall otherwise apply.
B.
The Township of Little Egg Harbor shall assess an administrative
fee of $20 per vehicle to recover costs of administering the towing and storage
services for all vehicles coming under the purview of police impound. Such
assessment shall be placed on each vehicle processed plus an additional fee
to include storage rates consistent with this chapter.
D.
The contractor shall charge the motor vehicle owner/operator
or insurance company directly for all services provided.
E.
The contractor may charge an hourly rate for standby time incurred for winching, uprighting, excessive cleanup, waiting at the towing scene, and other circumstances which fall outside the scope of services classified as normal in §§ 309-6 and 309-7 at the prevailing/established rate, which rate shall not exceed $60 per hour. The contractor must verify all standby charges for waiting at the scene by direct contact with the Police Communications Center. The police shall, if appropriate, provide subsequent verification documentation. No standby charge for waiting at the scene shall be charged without such verification.
F.
The Chief of Police shall also maintain a record of the regular response of wreckers to police calls and any complaints from vehicle owners as to improper service or charges. The Police Department is authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter in accordance with applicable laws of the state. The Chief of Police may request contractor removal from the rotating list pursuant to Subsection G below.
G.
Upon written notice, a towing contractor may be removed
from the rotating list by resolution of the Township Committee if, after opportunity
to be heard, performance is determined to be unreliable or inadequate, or
in violation of this chapter or applicable state laws.
