[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of the Township of Chester 8-18-1998. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The following words and terms when used in this
chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise:
- AUTOMOBILE
- A private automobile, station wagon or pick-up truck.
- 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 incidental thereto, but does not include recovery of an automobile that has left the roadway and does not include any additional labor required to clean up the scene.
- DAYTIME HOURS
- From 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., prevailing time.
- INSIDE BUILDING
- A vehicle storage facility that is completely indoors, having one or more openings in the walls for storage and removal of vehicles and is secured by a locking device on each opening.
- MOTORCYCLE
- A motorcycle, motor bike and bicycle with motor attached and any other motor operated vehicle similar to a bicycle or tricycle, to include all-terrain vehicles.
- NIGHTTIME HOURS
- From 4:31 p.m. until 7:59 a.m., prevailing time.
- 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 and is installed with a passive alarm system or a similar on-site security measure. 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.
- RECOVERY OF VEHICLES
- The 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. It shall also include the recovery of a vehicle which is overturned or on its side.
- TRUCK
- Any motor vehicle other than an automobile as defined above and which requires heavy-duty towing.
- TOW VEHICLE
- A vehicle equipped with a boom or booms, winches, slings, tilt beds, wheel lifts or under-reach equipment specifically designed by its manufacturer for the removal and transport of private passenger automobiles.
- WINCHING
- Moving a vehicle by use of the cable or winch from a position that is not accessible for direct hookup by conventional means of loading onto a tow vehicle. It shall not include pulling a motor vehicle onto a tilt bed or car carrier or lifting a vehicle with a conventional tow sling.
A.
Removal of motor vehicles. Whenever a police officer orders the removal of automobiles from private or public property, the officers shall utilize the rotation lists established in Subsection B of this section.
B.
Towing contractors. Every three years, the Township Council shall establish by resolution a list of automobile towing contractors and a list of truck towing contractors to be utilized by the Police Department. An operator may, if qualified, be on both lists. The lists will work on a rotating basis or weekly call-out schedule at the discretion of the Chief of Police. Such lists shall be utilized by members of the Police Department on a nonexclusionary and nondiscriminatory basis. Only those towing contractors who meet the minimum standards of operator performance set forth in this chapter shall be included on such lists. There shall be no limit on the numbers on either list. Operators may be added to the list at any time.
[Amended 6-8-2005; 3-17-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-2]
(1)
Equipment. All towing operators shall meet the following
requirements:
(a)
For classification as an automobile towing service,
the operator must possess at least one flatbed-style tow vehicle and/or
one hoist-type tow vehicle with a sling and a wheel lift.
(b)
For classification as a truck towing service,
the contractor must have one heavy-duty tow vehicle capable of towing
a fully loaded tractor-trailer weighing a minimum of 80,000 pounds.
(c)
All tow vehicles must carry the following equipment:
(d)
All towing vehicles must have amber emergency
warning lights mounted on the vehicle so as to warn approaching traffic
of their presence. The size and location of these lights must conform
to New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicle standards. The operator must
have an amber light permit.
(e)
All towing vehicles must carry a copy of their
rate schedule. Said schedule must also be displayed in a conspicuous
manner at the operator's place of business.
(f)
High-visiblity safety vest. At all times when performing towing services
in the Township of Chester, all towing contractor personnel shall
wear a high-visibility traffic safety vest, meeting the specifications
set forth in ANSI/ISEA 107-2004, at level Class 2 or higher.
(2)
Facilities. Each operator must have access to a storage lot and place of business available to the public within five miles from the Chester Township Police Department. However, if there are no qualified towing contractors within the five-mile radius, the five-mile radius may be extended until an eligible towing contractor can be located. The towing business and storage lot must comply with all zoning ordinances and regulations in the municipality in which it is are located.
(3)
Availability and response time. Each operator must
be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and must respond within
20 minutes during daytime hours and 30 minutes during nighttime hours
of the original telephone call request by the police department.
(4)
The Township reserves the right to contact other towing
operators, who may not be on the rotating list, if at the time of
request all of the towing contractors on the rotating fist are unavailable
or if specialized towing or recovery equipment is needed and not possessed
by any of the towing contractors on the rotating list. Towing operators
not on the rotating list may also be called on in times of emergencies
or natural disasters. If other towing operators not on the rotating
list are called, their fees shall be reasonable and customary, based
on prevailing rates in the industry.
A.
Automobiles and motorcycles. The fee schedule for
towing services and storage shall be established by the Township Council
by resolution.
B.
Trucks. Towing operators shall charge reasonable fees
for towing trucks, taking into account the size of the vehicle being
towed, the time of day and day of the week and difficulty of the towing
operation. Each operator on the list shall promulgate a fee schedule
and file copies of that schedule with the Police Chief and Township
Clerk. Each of these schedules shall be available for public inspection
at the office of the Township Clerk during normal business hours.
C.
Department of insurance regulations. Towing charges
and storage charges for private passenger automobiles that are damaged
in accidents or that are recovered after being stolen are subject
to the rates established by the Commissioner of Insurance at N.J.A.C.
11:3-38. In those cases the rates established by the Commissioner
of Insurance and not those set forth in this chapter shall be applicable.
A.
Release of impounded vehicles. No impounded vehicle is to be released without proper authorization from the Police Department. Vehicle release arrangements must be available from the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday (excluding New Jersey state holidays). The township shall supply junk titles or good titles for abandoned vehicles in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 39:10.1 et seq.
B.
Insurance; indemnity.
(1)
Each operator on the approved lists shall furnish
the Township Clerk with a certificate of insurance from an insurance
company satisfactory to the township. Each certificate of insurance
shall identify the coverage provided and shall provide that such insurance
shall not be changed or canceled without giving 10 days prior written
notice to the Township by certified mail, return receipt requested.
Specific reference to the rotating lists of towing operators shall
be made on all policies of insurance.
(2)
Each operator must have bodily injury liability, property
liability, employer's liability and motor vehicle liability coverage
with combined policy limits to comply with what the New Jersey Division
of of Motor Vehicles requires. Each approved operator must also have
statutorily required workers' compensation coverage.
[Amended 5-17-2002]
(3)
Each operator shall indemnify and save the township
harmless from all damages and claims for damages which may be made
by any person for bodily injury or property damages as a result of
the operator's performing pursuant to this chapter.
C.
Enforcement. The Police Department is designated to enforce the provisions of this chapter in accordance with the due process of law. In carrying out the provisions of this chapter, the Police Chief is hereby authorized to adopt additional reasonable regulations which are not inconsistent with this chapter.
D.
Abandoned or unclaimed vehicles.
(1)
Any vehicle which is not claimed by the owner within five days of impoundment shall be reported by the operator storing the vehicle to the Police Department pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 through 39:10A-7.
(2)
After expiration of the five-day period, the Police Department shall make application for title to the Division of Motor Vehicles as per standing general orders. Vehicles which remain unclaimed after all requirements of the general orders are met shall be auctioned off to recover towing costs, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 through 39:10A-7.
(3)
Any operator found to be disposing of vehicles in
violation of this procedure will be charged with misapplication of
entrusted property (N.J.S.A. 2C:21-15) and will be prohibited from
providing service for Chester Township.
E.
Rights of owners.
F.
Public inspection. This chapter, all regulations adopted
by the Police Chief and the fee schedules of individual towers shall
be available to the public during normal business hours.
G.
Operator dealings with public.
(1)
The operator shall always act in a professional manner and at all times be courteous and respectful toward members of the public, as well as representatives of the Township of Chester. While members of the public, especially those whose cars may have been towed or impounded, may at times resort to strong language, threats and unbecoming behavior toward the operator, the operator is expected to exercise restraint and not to respond in kind and thereby reflect unfavorably on the Township of Chester and/or the Police Department.
(2)
Repeated reports of discourteous behavior by the operator,
which can be substantiated and documented, may be considered by the
township as sufficient cause for termination of the contract.
A.
Any contractor who violates any section of this chapter,
in addition to any other penalties provided by law, shall be subject
to suspension of towing privileges for one month for a first offense,
three months for a second offense and six months for a third offense.
If the contractor commits a fourth offense, its right to provide towing
services to the township shall be permanently revoked.
B.
Any contractor who violates the operator rate schedule
shall receive a fine of $100 and suspension of towing privileges for
one month. A second violation will result in a fine of $250 and suspension
of towing privileges for six months. A third violation will result
in a fine of $500 and permanent revocation of towing privileges.
C.
In all cases of documented overcharges, the excess
moneys paid will be returned by the contractor to the vehicle owner.
D.
A towing operator may be removed from the annual list
by resolution of the Township Council if its performance is determined
to be unreliable or inadequate. If there is a breach of any of the
provisions of this chapter or applicable regulations, an operator
may be removed from the list by the Chief of Police pending action
by the Township Council.
