[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Monroe 11-2-1992
by L.L. No. 4-1992. Amendments noted where applicable.]
It is hereby declared and found that abandoned, junked, discarded, dismantled
or currently unlicensed motor vehicles in and upon private property within
the unincorporated areas of the Town of Monroe affect the public interest
and constitute a nuisance, in that health, fire and safety hazards are created,
and that such vehicles are subject to supervision and control for the purpose
of safeguarding the public health, safety and general welfare of the people
of the Town of Monroe.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any motor vehicle, as that term is defined in the Vehicle and Traffic
Law of the State of New York, that is:
Without a currently valid license plate or plates and is in either a
rusted, wrecked, discarded, dismantled, partly dismantled, inoperative or
abandoned condition; or
Being held or used for the purpose of resale of used parts therefrom
or for the purpose of reclaiming for use some or all of the materials therein
for the purpose of disposing of the same.
With respect to any motor vehicle not required to be licensed or not
usually used on public highways, the fact that such motor vehicle has remained
unused for more than six months and is not in condition to be removed under
its own power shall be presumptive evidence that such motor vehicle is an
"abandoned, junked or inoperative motor vehicle."
The fact that a motor vehicle may be licensed or registered with the
State of New York but does not display a current license plate shall be presumptive
evidence that such motor vehicle is unlicensed.
The use of the term in the singular herein is intended, where applicable,
to include the plural.
The Building Inspector of the Town of Monroe or his duly authorized
deputies or assistants and/or the duly appointed Code Enforcement Officer
of the Town of Monroe.
[Amended 5-15-2006 by L.L. No. 1-2006]
Any person, firm, partnership or corporation, whether business or
membership or religious, charitable or otherwise, or any purchaser, tenant,
lessee, occupant, undertenant, receiver or assignee of private premises or
private property or any other unit or entity owning real property in the unincorporated
areas of the Town of Monroe.
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, either as
owner, lessee, occupant or otherwise, to store or deposit or cause or permit
to be stored or deposited an abandoned, junked or inoperative motor vehicle
or part or piece thereof in and upon any private property within the unincorporated
area of the Town of Monroe, except within a garage or other enclosed structure.
Any abandoned, junked or inoperative motor vehicle found by the enforcement official to be located within the unincorporated areas of the Town in violation of § 50A-3 may be removed from the premises on which located in the following manner:
A.
The enforcement official shall serve or cause to be served
written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, upon the owner
of the private property on which the vehicle is located ordering such person
to remove the same or cause the same to be removed therefrom within 10 days
after service of the notice. The enforcement official may determine the ownership
and address of the owner of any parcel of land in the Town from the current
assessment roll.
B.
If the person upon whom the notice is served fails, neglects
or refuses to comply with the provision of the notice within 10 days after
service of the notice, the enforcement official shall advise the Town Board,
and the Town Board shall hold a hearing on the removal of the vehicle or vehicles
and shall serve notice of said hearing upon the owner of the private property
at least five days prior to the hearing.
C.
In the event that said abandoned, junked or inoperative
motor vehicle or vehicles are not removed from the premises within 10 days
subsequent to the hearing or said other time period as the Board may specify,
the Town shall have the right to enter upon the premises and to remove and
dispose of the abandoned, junked or inoperative motor vehicle or vehicles.
The expense of such removal and disposal shall be a lawful charge upon the
lands affected and shall constitute a lien thereon which shall be levied and
collected in the same manner as all other Town assessments.
A.
In addition to any expenses which may be collected pursuant to § 50A-4C above, any person committing an offense against this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a violation pursuant to the Penal Law of the State of New York, punishable by a fine not exceeding $250 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The continuation of an offense against the provisions of this chapter shall constitute, for each day the offense is continued, a separate and distinct offense hereunder.
B.
In addition or as an alternative to the above penalties,
the Town Board may also maintain an action or proceeding in the name of the
Town in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with or restrain
by injunction the violation of this chapter.
