A disabled motor vehicle shall be one which
is rendered inoperative or immobile by reason of mechanical or other
difficulty or by reason of damage to said motor vehicle.
An emergency situation is one which is caused
by accident, casualty or other unexpected circumstances which renders
a motor vehicle inoperative or immobile, provided that no such emergency
situation shall be deemed to exist for a period of more than 12 consecutive
hours after said accident, casualty or other unexpected circumstances.
In any proceeding for a violation of the provisions
of this article, the registration plate, if any, displayed on such
motor vehicle shall be prima facie evidence that the owner of said
motor vehicle was either operating said motor vehicle or was in operation
and control of said motor vehicle at the time of said violation.
The Board of Commissioners shall from time to
time, by resolution duly adopted, designate approved storage garages
as pounds for the storage of impounded vehicles. No garage will be
approved by the Board unless the owner, lessee or operator thereof
shall furnish the Township with a bond in the sum of $5,000, in form
and with corporate surety to be approved by the Township Solicitor,
conditioned upon the faithful performance and discharge by the poundkeeper
of his duties as bailee of impounded vehicles and to indemnify the
owners of vehicles against loss, injury or damage while in his custody.
The person in charge of any approved storage
garage, in which has been left a vehicle impounded under the provisions
of this article for a period of 15 consecutive days, without being
removed by its owner or any other person duly authorized to remove
it, shall report to the Department of Revenue of the Commonwealth
within 24 hours of the elapse of such fifteen-day period, giving the
name, engine number, manufacturer's serial number, registration plate
number and the name and address of the person abandoning the vehicle,
if known.
The Police Department shall keep a record of
the following:
A. The names and addresses of all owners of vehicles
impounded;
B. The names and addresses of all persons claiming such
vehicles;
C. The license numbers and such information as may identify
the vehicle;
D. The nature and circumstances of the impounding of
the vehicle;
E. The violation of the law or ordinance on account of
which the vehicle was impounded; and
F. The final disposition of the case.
Nothing in this article is intended to prohibit
the Police Department from instituting legal proceedings charging
the owner or driver of any vehicle with the violation of any other
law or ordinance.
[Amended 7-10-1978 by Ord. No. 78-7]
Any person violating any of the provisions of
this article shall be liable to a penalty of not more than $100 and
not less than $15 for each and every offense, to be collectible before
any Justice of the Peace of the Township as like penalties are now
by law collectible. The costs of any proceeding hereunder shall be
in addition to the penalty imposed.