[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Riverton
during codification; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Article II. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
It is hereby determined and declared that the abandonment or storage
out-of-doors of any motor vehicle not currently in use for transportation
and not currently licensed or registered on any public streets or on any public
or private lands within the borough, is contrary and inimical to the public
welfare in that such articles so abandoned or stored attract or may attract
persons of tender years who, being so attracted, may play in and about them
and be injured in so doing, and in that such vehicles so abandoned or stored
out-of-doors, exposed to the elements, deteriorate and in themselves are unsightly
and, deteriorating, become more unsightly and are detrimental to and depreciate
the value of properties in the neighborhood where they are located and in
the borough as a whole.
The following terms, phrases and words as used in and for the purpose
of this chapter shall be deemed to have the following meanings:
Any motor vehicle, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck, truck-tractor
and vehicle which:
[Amended 10-12-1995 by Ord. No. 12-95]
Is parked without the current year's registration certificate,
inspection sticker and license plates as required by law; or
Has been continuously parked in any public street or on any public land
for a period of five (5) or more days or on private land for a period of fifteen
(15) or more days and:
Is either so disabled as to constitute an obstruction to traffic and
the driver or person owning or in charge thereof neglects or refuses to move
the same to a place where it will not obstruct traffic; or
Is found to be mechanically inoperative and is allowed to remain inoperative
on public land for a period of five (5) or more days or on private land for
a period of fifteen (15) or more days. Said period of time may be extended,
for good cause, by the Police Department.
Any automobile which is no longer in actual use as a motor vehicle
or which is wholly unfit, without rebuilding or reconditioning, for use in
highway transportation, or which has been discarded for use as a motor vehicle
or otherwise abandoned.
Are intended to have the meaning stated and defined in N.J.S.A. 39:1-1
et seq.
Any individual, firm, partnership or corporation being the owner
or having any legal right in, of or to the motor vehicle or other vehicle
as herein defined.
The Police Department of the Borough of Riverton.
It shall be unlawful for any person to abandon or suffer or permit the
abandoning of any motor vehicle, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck or
truck-tractor, or other vehicle as defined herein, upon any public street
or public or private land in the Borough of Riverton or within the right-of-way
of any public street or thoroughfare, or any easement area dedicated to and
for the use of the public. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit
the placing, keeping or storage of any such vehicle in an enclosed garage,
barn or other building.
No person shall place, keep or store any junk automobile or junk automobile
body, as heretofore defined in this chapter, on any public or private property
within the Borough of Riverton unless such person fully complies with the
requirements of N.J.S.A. 39:11-3.
[Amended 10-12-1995 by Ord. No. 12-95]
If any motor vehicle, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck, truck-tractor or vehicle, as defined in this chapter, shall be abandoned on private land, right-of-way or easement for fifteen (15) or more days and is disabled, as defined by § 121-2, it shall be presumed that the owner or tenant in possession of said land has abandoned it there or permitted or suffered it to be abandoned there.
A.
Whenever any officer of the Borough of Riverton Police
Department finds any motor vehicle, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck,
truck-tractor or vehicle which has been abandoned, kept or stored contrary
to the provisions of this chapter on any public street or highway or on any
public or private property, such member of the Borough of Riverton Police
Department shall remove or secure the removal of this vehicle to such garage
or place as may be designated by the Borough Council of the Borough of the
Riverton as a garage or place for the impounding of such vehicles, and such
vehicles shall be retained in impoundment until the person owning the same
shall first pay the reasonable cost of the removal and storage which may result
from such removal before regaining possession of the vehicle.
B.
Whenever any vehicle is impounded as provided in this
section, the Chief of Police or some member of the Police Department acting
for him shall, within five (5) days of the date of impoundment, notify the
registered owner in writing by registered mail at the last-known address of
the owner, of the removal of such vehicle, the reason for its removal and
the location of the vehicle.
Whenever any vehicle impounded by the Police Department shall remain
unclaimed for a period of ninety (90) days, the vehicle shall be sold under
the direction of the Chief of Police at public auction to the highest bidder.
Such auction held shall take place after notice of such sale has been given
at least seven (7) days prior thereto by one (1) publication in the newspaper
circulated in the borough and upon the mailing of a copy of said notice to
the owner of the vehicle, by registered mail, at least seven (7) days prior
to the sale. The address of the owner as shown on the records of the State
Division of Motor Vehicles shall be deemed sufficient for the purposes of
this chapter.
[Amended 10-12-1995 by Ord. No. 12-95]
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction,
be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.) or by imprisonment
for a term not exceeding ninety (90) days or by a period of community service
not exceeding ninety (90) days, or any combination thereof, at the discretion
of the Municipal Judge, and each day that such violation shall continue shall
be deemed as a separate offense.
A continuance of a violation or a noncompliance with the provisions
of this chapter shall be deemed a nuisance, and the Borough Council shall
have the right to apply to the courts of this state for injunctive relief
or other relief in addition to the penalties provided for herein.
