[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Steelton 5-20-1976 by Ord. No. 76-4, approved 5-20-1976. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED
Any motor vehicle which is found unattended without the current year's registration or identification markers as required by law, has been continuously parked in any public street, public land or private property for a period of 10 days and is so disabled as to be incapable of being operated under its own power or is without one or more tires.
JUNKED MOTOR VEHICLE
Any motor vehicle which is no longer in actual use as a motor vehicle or which is wholly unfit to be operated or has been discarded for use or otherwise abandoned.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any vehicle which is self-propelled, as defined by the Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.
It shall be unlawful for any person to cause a motor vehicle to be abandoned upon any public or private lands in the Borough of Steelton or upon any public street, except that nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit any person from parking, storing or repairing a motor vehicle upon private or public property where authorized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the laws of the Borough of Steelton, and nothing shall be deemed to prohibit the placing, keeping or storing of any motor vehicle in an enclosed garage or other building.
No person shall place, keep or store any junked automobile on any public or private property within the Borough of Steelton or upon the public highways in the Borough of Steelton.
All abandoned motor vehicles shall be removed by the owner or operator thereof or by the owner or occupant of the private property on which the said motor vehicle is abandoned. Upon the failure of the owner or operator of any abandoned or junked motor vehicle to remove the same within 24 hours after receiving notice from the Steelton Borough Police Department to remove the same, such notice being given either by personal service or by certified mail to the owner or operator of such abandoned motor vehicle or to the owner or occupant of the private property on which the said abandoned or junked motor vehicle is found, the Steelton Borough Police Department may remove the same or cause the same to be removed.
In removing any such abandoned motor vehicles, the Steelton Borough Police Department shall cause the same to be towed and stored by such garages or towing services as are designated by the Chief of Police of the Borough of Steelton to be approved storage garages or pounds for the storage of such vehicles.
Any designated storage garage, prior to engaging in any towing away and/or storing of any vehicle hereunder, shall file a surety bond with the Borough, said bond to indemnify the Borough and the owner of any impounded vehicle against loss thereof or injury or damage thereto while any vehicle is in custody of such garage.
Specific towing and storage charges to be made under this chapter shall be fixed, from time to time, by the Borough Council in accordance with the prevailing rates in the Borough, and such charges shall be posted in the Municipal Building.
The Chief of Police or someone at his direction, within 12 hours after any vehicle has been removed and impounded, shall notify the owner of record or the operator of any such vehicle, either by personal service or by certified mail, or the owner or occupant of the property from which any such vehicle has been removed, in like manner, of the fact that such vehicle has been impounded, the place from which it was removed, the reason for its removal and impounding and the place where the vehicle has been impounded.
The owner or operator of any impounded vehicle shall be entitled to recover possession of such vehicle upon the payment to the Borough of the towing and storage charges as above set forth.
The payment of such towing and storage charges, unless made under protest, shall be final and conclusive and shall constitute a waiver of any right to recover the money so paid. In the event that the towing and impounding charges are paid under protest, the offender shall be entitled to a hearing before a District Justice[1] or a court of record having jurisdiction, as in the case of a prosecution as in other cases of summary offenses under the Motor Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania, and the said District Justice or court of record shall proceed in accordance with Paragraph 1103 of the Motor Vehicle Code of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[1]
Editor's Note: Now Magisterial District Judge.
In the event that the Police Department shall be unable to ascertain the ownership of an abandoned motor vehicle found upon private property, the Chief of Police or someone at his direction, within 12 hours after the vehicle has been found by the police, may notify the owner or occupant of the private property, by certified mail, that such vehicle exists, and thereafter the said owner or occupant of the private property shall cause the abandoned motor vehicle to be removed to an authorized junk or scrap yard within 48 hours.
If the owner or occupant of such private property shall fail to remove the abandoned motor vehicle, as set forth in § 109-11 hereof, the said owner or occupant shall be subject to the penalties provided in § 109-14 of this chapter. Each day that the motor vehicle is permitted to remain shall constitute a separate and distinct violation.
Where an abandoned motor vehicle is removed under the provisions of this chapter and it remains unclaimed for a period of 15 consecutive days without being removed by its owner or any other person duly authorized to remove same, the Chief of Police shall be authorized to report or cause to be reported such abandonment to the Department of Revenue of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as provided in the Vehicle Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 7303.1(a)..
Any person who shall violate the terms of this chapter may be prosecuted and shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding therefor, pay a fine not exceeding $300. In default of the payment of such fine, such person may be imprisoned in the county jail for a period not exceeding 30 days.