[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Trenton 11-7-1989
as §§ 8-2-1 to 8-2-7 of the 1989 Code. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
A.
Abandonment of vehicles prohibited. No person shall leave unattended any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or mobile home on any public street or highway or private or public property in the Town of Trenton for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned, except as provided in Subsection D. Whenever any such vehicle has been left unattended on any street or highway in the Town of Trenton or upon private or public property without the permission of the property owner or other person charged with the lawful jurisdiction thereof for more than 72 hours, the vehicle shall be deemed abandoned and constitutes a public nuisance.
B.
STREET
UNATTENDED
VEHICLE
Definitions. For purposes of this chapter, the following
definitions shall be applicable:
Any public highway or alley and shall mean the entire width between
the boundary lines of any public way where any part thereof is open to the
public for purposes of vehicular traffic.
Unmoved from its location with no obvious sign of continuous human
use.
A motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or mobile home, whether or
not such vehicle is registered under Wisconsin law.
C.
Presumptions. For purposes of this section, the following
irrebuttable presumptions shall apply:
(1)
A vehicle shall be presumed unattended if it is found
in the same position 72 hours after issuance of a traffic ticket or citation
and if such traffic ticket or citation remains placed upon the windshield
during said 72 hours.
(2)
Any vehicle left unattended for more than 72 hours on
any public street or public ground or left unattended for more than 72 hours
on private property without the consent of the property owner is deemed abandoned
and constitutes a nuisance, provided that the vehicle shall not be deemed
abandoned under this subsection if left unattended on private property outside
of public view and enclosed within a building, or if designated as not abandoned
by a law enforcement officer.
D.
Exceptions. This section shall not apply to a vehicle
in an enclosed building or a vehicle stored on premises fully in compliance
with this Code.
Any vehicle in violation of this chapter shall be removed and impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of under the provisions of § 364-3.
A.
Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to the removal, storage, notice, reclaiming or disposal of abandoned vehicles as defined in § 364-1.
B.
Removal.
(1)
The Town Chief of Police or any other law enforcement
officer who discovers any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or mobile home
on any public street or highway or private or public property in the Town
of Trenton which has been abandoned shall cause the vehicle to be removed
to a suitable place of impoundment.
(2)
Upon removal of the vehicle, the law enforcement officer
shall notify the Town Chairperson, or his designee, of the abandonment and
of the location of the impounded vehicle.
C.
Storage and reclaiming. Any abandoned vehicle which is
determined by the Town Chief of Police or other law enforcement officer to
be abandoned shall be retained in storage for a period of 10 days after certified
mail notice, as hereinafter provided, has been sent to the Wisconsin titled
owner and/or secured party of record with the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Division,
except that if the law enforcement officer determines an abandoned vehicle
to have a value of less than $100, or that the cost of towing and storage
charges for impoundment will exceed the value of the vehicle, it may be junked
or sold by direct sale to a licensed salvage dealer after having been retained
in storage for a period of seven days and after certified mail notice, as
hereinafter provided, has been sent to the Wisconsin titled owner or secured
party of record with the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Division, provided that it
is first determined that the vehicle is not reported stolen or wanted for
evidence or other reason. All substantially complete vehicles in excess of
19 model years of age shall be deemed as a having value in excess of $100.
Any such vehicle which may be lawfully reclaimed may be released upon the
payment of all accrued charges, including towing, storage and notice charges,
and upon presentation of the vehicle title or other satisfactory evidence
to the Town Chief of Police or other appropriate law enforcement officer to
prove an ownership or secured party interest in said vehicle.[1]
D.
Notice to owner or secured party. Certified mail notice,
as referred to herein, shall notify the Wisconsin titled owner of the abandoned
vehicle, if any, and/or the secured party of record with the Wisconsin Motor
Vehicle Division, if any, of the following:
(1)
That the vehicle has been deemed abandoned and impounded
by the Town of Trenton;
(2)
The determined value of the abandoned vehicle;
(3)
If the cost of towing and storage costs will exceed the
determined value of the vehicle;
(4)
That if the vehicle is not wanted for evidence or other
reason, the vehicle may be reclaimed upon the payment of all accrued charges,
including towing, storage and notice charges, within 10 days of the date of
notice, unless the vehicle has been determined to have a value less than $100
or the cost of towing and storage charges for impoundment will exceed the
value of the vehicle, in which case the vehicle may be reclaimed within seven
days upon the payment of the aforesaid charges; and[2]
(5)
That the owner or aforesaid secured party may, upon request,
be granted a hearing relating to the determinations made with respect to said
vehicle within the period that such vehicle may be reclaimed.
Any abandoned vehicle impounded by the Town which has not been reclaimed
or junked or sold by direct sale to a licensed salvage dealer pursuant to
the provisions of this chapter may be sold by public auction sale or public
sale calling for the receipt of sealed bids. A Class 1 notice, including the
description of the vehicle, the name(s) and address(es) of the Wisconsin titled
owner and secured party of record, if known, and the time of sale shall be
published before the sale. The Town may choose to consolidate its auction
with that of another unit of government.
Within five days after the direct sale or disposal of a vehicle as provided
for herein, the Town Chief of Police or other appropriate law enforcement
officer shall advise the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation,
Division of Motor Vehicles, of such sale or disposal on a form supplied by
said Division. A copy of the form shall be given to the purchaser of the vehicle
enabling the purchaser to obtain a regular certificate of title for the vehicle.
The purchaser shall have 10 days to remove the vehicle from the storage area
but shall pay a reasonable storage fee established by the Town for each day
the vehicle remains in storage after the second business day subsequent to
the sale date. Ten days after the sale the purchaser shall forfeit all interest
in the vehicle and the vehicle shall be deemed to be abandoned and may be
sold again. Any listing of vehicles to be sold by the Town shall be made available
to any interested person or organization who or which makes a written request
for such list to the Town. The Town may charge a reasonable fee for the list.
A.
The owner of any abandoned vehicle, except a stolen vehicle,
is responsible for the abandonment and all costs of impounding and disposing
of the vehicle. Costs not covered from the sale of the vehicle may be recovered
in a civil action by the Town against the owner.
B.
Payment of removal and impoundment costs is not required
when the vehicle has been impounded for purposes of law enforcement investigation.
In the event of any conflict between this chapter and any other provisions
of this Code, this chapter shall control.