[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Camden 12-24-1974 by Ord. No. MC-946; amended in its entirety 12-14-2021 by Ord. No. MC-5367. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
On behalf of the City of Camden, the Business Administrator or his designee(s) shall oversee and ensure compliance with this chapter and shall also oversee the disposition of tangible personal property as provided for in this chapter below.
B. 
The authority and administration of this chapter shall rest with officials of the Parking Authority or with officials of the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division or their agents acting under a contract approved by the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division. Authorized officials of the Parking Authority and/or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, shall be vested with the authority to enforce any and all ordinances providing for ticketing of illegally parked or abandoned vehicles, and the Parking Authority and the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents acting under an approved contract or contracts, shall also be vested with the authority to enforce any and all ordinances providing for towing, immobilizing and impounding of abandoned and unclaimed vehicles and the collection of all fees and fines therein.
Any motor vehicle which is unclaimed and/or abandoned within the City of Camden is hereby declared to be a nuisance, and the same may be summarily abated by the removal thereof and impoundment thereof, as follows:
A. 
Upon discovery of a vehicle suspected of being unclaimed or abandoned by an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, a sticker stating that this vehicle shall be deemed to be abandoned and unclaimed if not removed within 48 hours shall be affixed to such vehicle by an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, unless an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, determines that immediate towing is necessary.
B. 
Upon discovery of a motor vehicle found unclaimed and abandoned by an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, the taking of possession shall be reported immediately to the Director of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 on a form prescribed by said Director for verification of ownership by the Parking Authority, the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents.
C. 
Upon discovery of a motor vehicle suspected to be unclaimed and abandoned by an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, and prior to taking possession of said motor vehicle, an authorized official of the Parking Authority, the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division or their agents shall confirm whether the motor vehicle is to be considered stolen. If, after the allotted time as outlined in § 803-2A has expired, the owner of said vehicle has not voluntarily removed said vehicle, said vehicle may be removed under the direction or at the request of any authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, by means of towing or otherwise to a storage lot as designated by the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division. Upon the removal of a vehicle to a storage lot, the Parking Authority, the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents shall institute the notice requirements of N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1.
A. 
When an impounded motor vehicle shall have remained unclaimed by the owner or other person having legal right thereof for the period of time as provided for in N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1, the same may be sold at auction in a public place or otherwise disposed of, as provided for in N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 and this chapter. The Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents, shall give notice of such sale or other disposition of the vehicle, which shall be made in conformity with N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1, describing said vehicle with reasonable clarity by manufacturer's trade name or make, motor number and license number and stating therein the name of any owner or any holder of a security interest, if known. Furthermore, all sales or other dispositions of vehicles shall be made in conformity with N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 and this chapter.
B. 
Any tangible personal property found within said vehicle shall be returned to the owner or, if not claimed, turned over to the Business Administrator or his designee for disposition of sale pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-157.
A. 
Any proceeds obtained from the sale of a vehicle at public auction or other disposition of a vehicle in excess of the amount owed to the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents acting under an approved contract or contracts for the costs of removal and storage of the motor vehicle, as well as any fines, penalties and court costs assessed against the owner of the vehicle for a violation that gave rise to the impoundment or immobilization of the vehicle and any outstanding warrants against the motor vehicle, shall be returned to the owner of the vehicle if his address and name are known. Otherwise, the proceeds of the sale or other disposition in excess of the amount owed to the Parking Authority, or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, shall be retained by the City of Camden.
B. 
Any fines, penalties and charges derived herein shall be paid to the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, to the extent they are due and owing. Otherwise, fines, penalties and charges derived herein shall be paid to the City of Camden.
A. 
Vehicles located within the City of Camden which are identified as having outstanding warrants or three or more delinquent traffic or parking tickets shall be subject to Chapter 815 of the City of Camden Code.
B. 
Any tangible personal property found within said motor vehicle shall be returned to the owner or, if not claimed, turned over to the Business Administrator or his designee for disposition of sale pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-157.
At any time prior to the sale, the owner of the motor vehicle or other person entitled to the motor vehicle may reclaim possession of the motor vehicle upon payment of the costs of removal and storage of the motor vehicle. Additionally, the fines, penalties and court costs assessed against the owner or other person entitled to the motor vehicle which gave rise to the removal and impoundment thereof must also be paid.
A. 
The reclamation costs for the towing, impoundment and storage of the vehicle, if performed directly by the City or its employees, are as follows:
(1) 
For a vehicle placed at a City storage lot, storage fees for that vehicle shall be:
(a) 
First day (first twenty-four-hour period): no charge;
(b) 
A limit of $3 per day for the second through 30th days;
(c) 
A limit of $2 per day thereafter.
B. 
For vehicles which are towed by private contractor(s) who have been awarded the contract as the result of public bidding by the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, and placed on a City storage lot, the towing fees shall be those arising pursuant to the City contract to provide for the removal and storage of abandoned, disabled and impounded vehicles, and the storage fees shall be those listed in § 803-7A(l).
C. 
For vehicles which are towed by private contractor(s) who have been awarded contract(s) as the result of public bidding by the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, and are stored at the private contractor's storage facility, the reclamation costs shall be those provided for in this chapter and in the contract between the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, and the private contractor(s).
When any towed vehicle has been determined by an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, to be eligible for junk title as defined by N.J.S.A. 39:10A-3, junk title may be sought from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission by the Parking Authority, the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents, and the vehicle shall be sold or otherwise disposed of and such sale or other disposition of the vehicle shall be made in conformity with N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 and this chapter.
A. 
Whenever any abandoned or unclaimed motor vehicle has been so deteriorated, damaged or stripped of usable parts as to be rendered to scrap and thus no longer a motor vehicle, an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, is authorized to certify the same as motor vehicle scrap. Such motor vehicle scrap may be sold or otherwise disposed of and removed to a scrap processing company or junk dealer. Said disposition shall be accomplished without the need for title papers, certificate of ownership, junk title certificate or any further certification or verification from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
B. 
No such motor vehicle scrap shall be removed from private property by an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division. Any vehicle identified as scrap pursuant to § 803-9A shall not be sold or otherwise disposed for a period of 20 business days, and the sale or other disposition of the vehicle is to be made in accordance with state law and this chapter.
C. 
Upon disposition of motor vehicle scrap thereof by an authorized official of the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, the vehicle identification number thereof and any motor vehicle registration plate attached thereto shall be turned in to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, destroyed or obliterated. The certificate as motor vehicle scrap shall include a picture thereof and shall be made on such form and in such detail as prescribed by the Director of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. The Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, shall keep, as a public record, the name and address of the purchaser or recipient of said motor vehicle scrap and the terms of transfer thereof for a period as prescribed by law.
D. 
For all all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or other similar types of off-road vehicles which are towed to and stored by the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents acting under approved contracts, this section shall apply. The Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents, shall promptly notify the owner and any known holder of a security interest that the ATV or other similar type of off-road vehicle is being stored on a contractor's lot. If the owner and any known holder of a security interest of the ATV or other similar type of off-road vehicle fails to respond to the notice within 30 days, the ATV or other similar type of off-road vehicle may be sold at public auction or otherwise disposed of as scrap and removed to a scrap processing company or junk dealer Notice of the sale or other disposition of the ATV or other similar type of off-road vehicle shall be given by certified mail to the owner, if his name and address be known, and any known holder of a security interest, and by publication in one or more newspapers published in this state and circulating in the City, at least five days before the date of the sale or other disposition. Said disposition shall be accomplished without the need for title papers, certificate of ownership, junk title certificate or any further certification or verification from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
Upon the sale of a motor vehicle to a third-party purchaser for which standard or junk title cannot be obtained from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, or their agents acting under approved contracts, shall provide the purchaser with a bill of sale or other similar document indicating the purchase made by the third-party purchaser.
The City of Camden, the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, upon sale or other disposition of a motor vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, give no warranties or guaranties of any nature whatsoever. Furthermore, upon the sale or other disposition of a motor vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, all claims of interest therein shall be forever barred as provided by the laws of the State of New Jersey, and the City of Camden, the Parking Authority or the Camden County Police Department, Metro Division, sells, or for other disposition, otherwise gives up all right, title and interest which they may have in said motor vehicle and is released from any liability concerning said sale or other disposition or said taking. Upon the sale or other disposition of a motor vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, such liability shall be the responsibility of the purchaser or the recipient.
The impounding or immobilizing of a motor vehicle shall not preclude or prevent the institution of prosecution for any criminal or any other violation of a City ordinance or state statute in any court of this state, including the Municipal Court, against the owner or operator of such impounded or immobilized vehicle.