As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
AUTOMOBILE
A motor vehicle of a private passenger or station wagon type
that is owned or leased and is neither used as a public or livery
conveyance for passengers nor rented to others with a driver; and
a motor vehicle with a pickup body or delivery sedan, a van or a panel
truck or a camper-type vehicle used for recreational purposes owned
by an individual or by husband and wife who are residents of the same
household, not customarily used in the occupation, profession or business
of the owner(s).
BASIC TOWING SERVICE
The removal and transportation of an automobile from a highway,
street or other public or private road or a parking area or from a
storage facility, and other services normally incident thereto, but
does not include recovery of an automobile from a position beyond
the right-of-way or berm or from being impaled upon any other object
within the right-of-way or berm.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
Any vehicle other than that as defined as an "automobile"
pursuant to the definitions as contained in this chapter.
INSIDE BUILDINGS
A vehicle storage facility that is completely indoors, having
one or more openings in the walls for storage and removal of vehicles,
and that is secured by a locking device on each opening.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
An occurrence in which a private passenger automobile comes
in contact with any other object for which the private passenger automobile
must be towed or removed for placement in a storage facility. This
includes all situations which are accidental as to the owner or operator
of the motor vehicle even if they were caused by the intentional acts
of a perpetrator where the perpetrator was not the owner or operator
of the motor vehicle.
OUTSIDE SECURED
An automobile storage facility that is not indoors and is
secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier that is at least
six feet high. The facility is to be lighted at night.
OUTSIDE UNSECURED
An automobile storage facility that is not indoors and is
not secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier, and all other
storage facilities not defined above as "inside building" or "outside
secured."
TOW VEHICLE
Only those vehicles equipped with a boom or booms, winches,
slings, tilt beds, wheel lifts or underreach equipment specifically
designed by its manufacturer for the removal or transport of motor
vehicles.
To qualify for inclusion on the list of official
towers, applicants must meet the following minimum standards:
A. Minimum vehicle requirements.
(1) Every official tower shall maintain and have available
to render services required by this chapter a minimum of one regular
tow vehicle, one flatbed vehicle and one heavy-duty wrecker.
(2) Vehicle classes:
(a)
Regular tow vehicles must be equipped with a
boom or winch assembly mounted on the chassis, a dolly assembly, a
tow sling or wheel lift assembly and at least 100 feet of either three-eighths-inch
or seven-sixteenths-inch cable attached to a motor driven-winch.
(b)
Flatbed vehicles must be equipped with a winch
or hydraulically operated bed which slides or tilts to accommodate
transporting of vehicles.
(3) Every official tower shall have available a heavy-duty
wrecker, and underreach shall be rated at 35,000 pounds and shall
be capable of towing new style buses and trucks with fiberglass front
ends.
(4) All equipment shall comply with all state and federal
regulations, and all vehicle operators shall possess a CDL license
for over 18,000 pounds.
(5) Each applicant shall submit, along with its application,
proof of ownership or lease of the vehicles which will be utilized
to provide services pursuant to this chapter.
B. Minimum equipment requirements.
(1) Every tow vehicle or flatbed vehicle shall be equipped
with the following:
(a)
At least one amber rotating beacon or strobe
light mounted on the highest practical location of the vehicles, visible
from 360° when in use and visible at a minimum distance of 500
feet during daylight hours.
(b)
One snatch block per winch.
(c)
Safety tow lights or magnetic tow lights for
towing vehicles at night, amber colored.
(d)
Extra chains and cable for pulling or securing
a towed vehicle.
(e)
At least one heavy-duty broom, a shovel, a crowbar
or pry bar, a set of jumper cables, a flashlight, one two-pound or
larger fire extinguisher of dry chemical type, one dozen flares or
similar warning devices for placement at the scene of an accident
or behind a disabled vehicle, at least 10 pounds of dry sand or a
drying compound for gasoline and oil spilled onto the roadway and
a sufficient quantity and types of tools to enable the tow operator
to perform proper and adequate emergency repair services for the tow.
(2) Every tow vehicle or flatbed vehicle shall comply
with any and all state, federal and local laws, regulations and ordinances
pertaining to safety, lighting and towing equipment requirements and
shall be subject to inspection by the Chief of Police or his designee
at any time. No changes may be made in said vehicles or equipment
unless prior written approval is obtained from the Borough.
(3) Every tow vehicle or flatbed vehicle shall display
the official tower's license and shall have the name of the official
tower displayed on the vehicle in such manner and of such lettering
as conforms to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 39:4-46.
C. Minimum personnel requirements. Official towers shall
have available, at all times, a minimum of two persons to provide
the services required by this chapter. All persons employed by official
towers to provide the services required by this chapter shall meet
the following requirements and be subject to the following regulations.
They shall:
(1) Be competent mechanics able to provide minimum road
service for disabled vehicles.
(2) Have a valid driver's license having no restrictions
or conditional endorsements other than a condition requiring the wearing
of eyeglasses.
(3) Be mentally alert and present a neat appearance at
all times.
(4) Obey all traffic laws and regulations.
(5) Be subject to inspection by the Chief of Police of
the Borough and shall be approved by the Chief prior to rendering
any services pursuant to this chapter.
(6) Not have been convicted of a crime nor had their driving
privileges suspended or revoked within the past year.
D. Minimum storage requirements.
(1) Every official tower shall maintain an inside building
or outside secured storage area meeting the following requirements:
(a)
The storage area shall be capable of storing
a minimum of 10 passenger vehicles and one tractor and trailer. The
area shall have at least 800 square feet of inside storage facilities
to hold and protect police hold vehicles.
(b)
The location of the storage area shall be either
within the limits of the Borough or at such location outside of the
Borough as to facilitate reasonable towing distances.
(c)
The storage area shall be fully enclosed by
a sturdy fence having a minimum height of six feet, with at least
one lockable gate for ingress and egress, and shall be lighted from
dusk to dawn.
(d)
The storage area shall be in an area legally
zoned for such use.
(e)
The storage facility shall be available 24 hours
a day, 365 days per year and shall be open to the public on weekdays
during normal business hours and for four hours on Saturdays. The
applicant shall specify the hours on which the facility will be open
on Saturdays. The applicant is not required to be open on Sundays.
(f)
The official tower shall have an employee on
duty during all hours in which the storage facility is open.
(g)
The official tower shall not charge a release
fee or other charge for releasing vehicles to their owners after normal
business hours or on weekends.
(h)
The official tower shall have available an area
within the Borough of Park Ridge to store vehicles involved in suspected
crimes or criminal activities as directed by the Chief of Police or
a location outside of the Borough of Park Ridge within a reasonable
towing distance; such location shall be subject to the approval of
the Chief of Police.
(2) The applicant shall, with its application, submit
proof of ownership or lease of the storage area.
(3) The official tower shall be responsible for ensuring
the proper and safe storage of all vehicles towed pursuant to this
chapter. The official tower shall be liable for any damage incurred
by such vehicles while in transit to or while stored in the storage
areas.
The applicant shall agree, in writing, to assume
the defense of and indemnify and hold harmless the Borough, its elected
officials, boards, commissions, officers, employees and agents from
all suits, actions, damages or claims to which the Borough may be
subjected of any kind and nature whatsoever resulting from, caused
by, arising out of or as a consequence of the provisions of towing,
wrecking, storage and/or emergency services provided at the request
of the Borough pursuant to this chapter. Official towers shall enter
into a hold harmless agreement in a form to be prepared by the Borough
Attorney prior to being included on the official towers' list.
[Amended 11-23-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-38]
A. Fees for towing and storage of private passenger vehicles,
damaged in an accident or recovered after being stolen, may not exceed
the fees established by the New Jersey Department of Insurance pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 17:33B-47. Those towing and storage fees, which are set forth in
N.J.A.C. 11:3-38.1, are incorporated herein by reference:
(1) The following is the fee schedule for towing services:
|
Days
|
---|
|
Towing Distance
|
Fee
|
|
First mile or less
|
$100
|
|
Each additional mile
|
$3
|
|
Nights, Weekends and New Jersey State
Holidays
|
---|
|
Towing Distance
|
Fee
|
|
First mile or less
|
$125
|
|
Each additional mile
|
$3
|
(2) The following is the fee schedule for storage services:
|
Storage Facility Capacity
|
Fee
|
---|
|
Inside building
|
$45
|
|
Outside secured
|
$35
|
(3) Pursuant to law, the fee schedules shall be reviewed
by the New Jersey Commissioner of Insurance on an annual basis and
may be revised if necessary. In the event that the above schedules
are revised by the Commissioner of Insurance, the revised fees shall
be the maximum fees that may be charged by official towers and this
chapter shall be amended accordingly.
(4) The
following is the fee for winching services off road: up to $150 depending
upon need.
(5) If
"speedy dry" or similar is required: up to $35.
B. Fees for towing and storage of private passenger vehicles, other than those damaged in an accident or recovered after being stolen, shall be the same as those set forth in Subsection
A if the official tower is called to the scene by the Police Department of the Borough of Park Ridge in accordance with this chapter. Any other towing services to private passenger vehicles not involved in accidents or recovered after being stolen when requested privately by individuals shall be at the rates as agreed to between the individual and the tower.
C. Fees for all other types of vehicles other than private passenger vehicles, pursuant to Subsections
A and
B of this section, shall be determined in accordance with this subsection:
(1) The following is the fee schedule for towing services:
|
Type of Towing Service
|
Class 1
(all vehicles 6,000 to 16,000 pounds'
gross vehicle weight)
|
Class 2
(all vehicles 16,000 to 80,000 pounds'
gross vehicle weight)
|
---|
|
Days:
|
|
|
|
|
Standard tow
|
$200
|
$300
|
|
|
Wheel lift
|
$200
|
$300
|
|
|
Flatbed
|
$200
|
$300
|
|
Nights:
|
|
|
|
|
Standard tow
|
$250
|
$350
|
|
|
Wheel lift
|
$250
|
$350
|
|
|
Flatbed
|
$250
|
$350
|
(2) The following is the fee schedule for storage services:
|
Storage Facility Capacity
|
Class 1
|
Class 2
|
---|
|
Inside building
|
$45
|
$65
|
|
Outside building
|
$45
|
$65
|
(3) The fees set forth for nonpassenger vehicles in this
section are the maximum charges that shall apply for basic towing
services. The official towers, however, shall be allowed, for winching
and wrecking services over and above the basic towing services, an
additional $50 per hour for light-duty wrecker, $100 per hour for
medium wrecker and $150 per hour for heavy-duty wrecker. There shall
be no additional charges for any other services, including but not
limited to waiting time, cleanup costs and additional labor, when
only basic towing services, as defined, are provided.
D. The fees set forth in Subsections
A and
B of this section for towing rates are the maximum charges that shall apply to a private passenger automobile for basic towing services. There shall be no additional charges other than those provided herein, including but not limited to flatbedding, waiting time, winching, cleanup cost and additional labor, when only basic towing services as defined, are provided. The official towers, however, shall be allowed to charge for services other than basic towing services, as defined in this chapter, the sum of $25 per hour for any additional winching services required over and above the basic towing services when removing a vehicle from a position beyond the right-of-way or berm or from being impaled upon any other object within the right-of-way or berm. In addition, the official towers may charge a flat fee of $30 for any road service for private passenger vehicles which do not need to be towed.
(1) Other than for commercial vehicles, the towing rates
shall be calculated based on the total distance traveled from the
tow vehicle's base of service to the job site and return, by way of
the shortest available route. Fractions shall be rounded up to the
nearest whole mile.
(2) Tow vehicles transporting multiple passenger cars
at one time shall receive the applicable fees for each vehicle transported.
(3) When towing services are required at the scene of
an accident, the day rate shall apply when the time of accident is
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except New
Jersey state holidays. The night, weekend and holiday rate shall otherwise
apply.
(4) When towing services are otherwise required, the day
rate shall apply when the vehicle is transported (pickup to delivery)
entirely between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except New Jersey state holidays. The night, weekend and holiday
rate shall otherwise apply.
E. The fees set forth on the schedule for storage fees
are the maximum storage charges per twenty-four-hour period that shall
apply to a private passenger automobile that is stored by a person.