[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Lawrence 2-4-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-05. (This ordinance also superseded former Ch. 116, Vehicles, Abandoned or Junked, adopted 2-4-2003 by Ord. No. 2003-01.) Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 119.
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the following meanings:
ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE
A motor vehicle, or parts thereof, which has been voluntarily relinquished by its owner, with the intention of terminating his ownership, possession and control, without vesting ownership in any other person.
JUNKED MOTOR VEHICLE
Any motor vehicle, or parts thereof, not in running condition, left or stored in the open, and not in such an enclosure as is reasonably calculated to prevent children from playing on or about such motor vehicle.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any vehicle which is self-propelled and also any trailer or semitrailer designed for use with such vehicles, whether or not the same is required to be registered under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, firm, association or corporation to park or store on any street or in the open on public or private property within the Township of Lawrence any abandoned motor vehicle or junked motor vehicle for a period longer than 15 days. The following acts or circumstances shall be prima facie evidence that a motor vehicle is an abandoned motor vehicle:
A. 
Failure to move any motor vehicle disabled by reason of an accident for a period of 15 days from the date of said accident;
B. 
The leaving of a motor vehicle that is inoperable on public property, unattended for a period of more than 15 days;
C. 
A motor vehicle that has remained illegally on public property for a period of more than 15 days;
D. 
A motor vehicle that has remained on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property for a period of more than 15 days;
E. 
Leaving a disabled or inoperable motor vehicle upon private property for more than 15 days, unless the same is stored completely within a building on private property so that the same is not visible to the public;
F. 
Failure of any motor vehicle to bear a current state registration tor more than 15 days no matter where that vehicle is situate, unless the vehicle is stored completely within a building on private property so that the same cannot be seen by the public; or
G. 
The failure of any motor vehicle to bear a current official state inspection emblem for more than 15 days no matter where that vehicle is situate, unless the vehicle is stored completely within a building on private property so that the same cannot be seen by the public.
Any police officer of the Township is hereby authorized to remove any abandoned motor vehicle or junked motor vehicle from the street or from public or private property after said fifteen-day period and to cause such motor vehicle to be stored temporarily pending determination of ownership and notice to the owner thereof of its removal. Such police officer shall immediately notify the owner or reputed owner of said motor vehicle of its removal and of the intention of the Township to dispose of the motor vehicle unless it is claimed and the costs of removal and storage paid within five days after the date of mailing of the notice.
In the event that any abandoned motor vehicle or junked motor vehicle is not claimed and the costs of its removal and storage not paid within five days of the mailing of the notice prescribed in § 116-3 above, or in the event that the identity or whereabouts of the owner cannot be determined after a reasonable investigation, application shall be made by the Township for a title or certificate of junk in its name and the motor vehicle disposed of as provided in the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code or any amendment thereto.
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this chapter shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 30 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.