[Ord. No. 954, § 19; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 1]
The Township Manager is hereby authorized, empowered and directed
to make and adopt regulations respecting the use of vehicles operating
on the streets of the Township under this article and the number of
vehicles which may stand in any one place at the same time.
[Ord. No. 954, § 15; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 3]
Every vehicle operating on the streets of Teaneck under this
article shall have fastened in a conspicuous place therein a printed
card showing the rates of fare. Any fares charged in excess thereof
shall constitute a violation of this article by the owner or operator
or both.
[Ord. No. 954, § 18; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 4]
Any dispute as to the fare for any vehicle regulated by this
article shall be determined by the officer in charge of the police
station at the time the dispute arises, subject to appeal to the Township
Manager.
[Ord. No. 954, § 18]
Every driver of a taxicab shall, when requested, give a passenger
a receipt for the fare paid.
[Ord. No. 954, § 17]
All vehicles regulated by this article shall be automobile sedans
with a minimum of three doors. At least two of such doors shall be
for the exclusive use of the passengers. Such automobiles shall at
all times be clean and in good repair.
[Ord. No. 954, § 17; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 6]
Each taxicab operating in the Township shall have installed
therein a standard-make taximeter, or the equivalent thereof, by which
the fare or charge for hire of such taxicab is mechanically and accurately
calculated and registered, and on which such charge is plainly indicated
and plainly seen by the passengers. After sundown, the face of every
taximeter shall be illuminated by suitable light so that it will be
clearly discernible and can be read by a passenger in the rear seat.
[Ord. No. 954, § 20; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 7]
No driver or other person interested in or connected with any
taxicab operating on the streets of Teaneck under this article shall
solicit customers in a noisy or offensive manner, nor at any place
other than public hack stands.
[Ord. No. 954, § 20; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 8]
No driver of any vehicle operating on the streets of Teaneck
under this article which is not occupied shall refuse to carry any
orderly person.
[Ord. No. 954, § 20; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 9]
No driver of any vehicle operating on the streets of Teaneck
under this article shall permit such vehicle, when disengaged, to
stand in any public street or place, other than at a public hack stand,
provided that nothing in this section shall prevent such driver from
waiting for a passenger in front of any building or place from which
the passenger requested the taxi.
[Ord. No. 954,§ 21; amended by Ord.
No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 10]
(a) Public hack stands are hereby established at such places as may be
from time to time designated by the Township Manager. The Township
Manager may designate the character of vehicles which may stand at
any such public hack stand and may exclude all other vehicles from
such stand. The location and capacity of any such public hack stand
shall be indicated by a sign substantially as follows:
"Public Hack Stand. Capacity.........................."
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(b) Only vehicles which have received the municipal consent and are prepared
to accept passengers on request shall stand at any such public hack
stand.
[Ord. No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 11]
(a) No taxicab shall be operated along any street until the owner thereof
shall obtain the consent of the Township Council, as required by N.J.R.S.
48:16-2. No such consent shall become effective until the taxicab
owner shall have filed with the Township Clerk evidence of insurance,
as required by N.J.R.S. 48:16-3.
(b) Such municipal governing body consent shall be effective until December
31 of each year and can be renewed by the Township Council for additional
one-year periods upon prior application of the taxicab owner.
(c) Any taxicab operating on the streets of Teaneck for the purpose of
providing taxi service within the municipal boundaries shall be in
violation of this section and N.J.R.S. 48:16-2 and N.J.R.S. 48:16-3
if the owner has not obtained the municipal consent or does not have
the required insurance in effect.
[Ord. No. 3023, 1-7-1986, § 12]
(a) The Township Manager is hereby authorized and empowered to suspend
any municipal consent issued under this article for the violation
of any of the provisions of this article or for the violation of any
of the rules and regulations made, adopted and promulgated by the
Township Manager in accordance with the provisions of this article
for a period not to exceed 30 days.
(b) A second suspension of municipal consent for the same reason or,
in any case, a third suspension shall be cause for the Township Council
to consider revocation of the municipal consent.
[Adopted by Ord. No. 19-2013, 4-23-2013; amended in its entirety by Ord. No. 18-2019, 8-13-2019]
The purpose of this article is to provide standards, regulations
and rates for nonconsensual towing in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.49
et seq. and N.J.A.C. 13:45A-31.1 et seq., under the supervision of
the Township Manager and the Police Department of the Township.
The following words and terms, when used in this article, shall
have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
BASIC TOW
Private property towing and other nonconsensual towing as
defined in this section and other ancillary services that include
the following: arriving at the site from which a motor vehicle will
be towed; 15 minutes waiting time; hooking a motor vehicle to, or
loading a motor vehicle onto, a tow truck; transporting a motor vehicle
to a storage facility; unhooking or unloading a motor vehicle from
the tow truck; and situating the motor vehicle in the space in which
it will be stored. "Basic tow" also includes issuing documents for
the release of a motor vehicle to its owner or other person authorized
to take the motor vehicle; issuing an itemized bill; three trips to
the motor vehicle in storage, which, if applicable, include making
a vehicle available to an insurance appraiser or adjuster; issuing
documents for the release of a motor vehicle to its owner or other
person authorized to take the motor vehicle; and retrieving a motor
vehicle from storage during the hours in which the storage facility
is open.
CONSENSUAL TOWING
Towing a motor vehicle when the owner or operator of the
motor vehicle has consented to have the towing company tow the motor
vehicle.
DECOUPLING
Releasing a motor vehicle to its owner or operator when the
motor vehicle has been, or is about to be, hooked to or lifted by
a tow truck, but prior to the motor vehicle actually having been moved
or removed from the property.
FLATBED TOW TRUCK
A tow truck designed to transport a motor vehicle by means
of raising the motor vehicle from road level up onto a hydraulic bed
for transporting purposes.
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 that is secured by a locking device on each opening.
LICENSEE
A towing operator, licensed hereunder.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Includes all vehicles propelled other than by muscular power,
excepting such vehicles as run only upon rails or tracks and motorized
bicycles, motorized scooters, motorized wheelchairs and motorized
skateboards.
NONCONSENSUAL TOWING
The towing of a motor vehicle without the consent of the
owner or operator of the vehicle. "Nonconsensual towing" includes
towing a motor vehicle when law enforcement orders the vehicle to
be towed whether or not the owner or operator consents.
OUTSIDE SECURED
An automobile storage facility that is not indoor and is
secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier that is 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 indoor and is
not secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier, and storage
facilities not defined above as inside a building or outside secured.
PERSON
An individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation,
limited liability company or any other business entity.
POLICE
The Township Police Department, state police, county police
or such other police department that may have jurisdiction upon the
roadways in the Township.
PRIVATE PROPERTY TOWING
Nonconsensual towing from private property or from a storage
facility by a motor vehicle of a consumer's motor vehicle that is
parked illegally, parked during a time at which such parking is not
permitted or otherwise parked without authorization or the immobilization
of or preparation for moving or removing of such motor vehicle, for
which a service charge is made, either directly or indirectly. This
term shall not include the towing of a motor vehicle that has been
abandoned on private property in violation of N.J.S.A. 39:4-56.5,
provided that the abandoned vehicle is reported to the appropriate
law enforcement agency prior to removal and the vehicle is removed
in accordance with N.J.S.A. 39:4-56.6.
RECOVERY CHARGES
Extraordinary charges necessitated by the use of special
equipment other than the first tow truck to recover a motor vehicle
that cannot be recovered by winching or pieces of a motor vehicle
that cannot be moved by hand.
SECURE STORAGE FACILITY
A storage facility that is either completely indoors or is
surrounded by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier that is at least
six feet high and is lighted from dusk to dawn.
SITE CLEANUP
The use of absorbents to soak up any liquids from a motor
vehicle at the site from which a motor vehicle will be towed.
STORAGE FACILITY
A space at which motor vehicles that have been towed are
stored.
TARPING
Covering a motor vehicle to prevent weather damage.
TOW TRUCK
A motor vehicle equipped with a boom or booms, winches, slings,
tilt beds or similar equipment designed for the towing or recovery
of motor vehicles.
TOWING
The moving or removing from public or private property or
from a storage facility by a motor vehicle of a consumer's noncommercial
motor vehicle that is damaged as a result of an accident or otherwise
disabled, recovered after being stolen or is parked illegally or otherwise
without authorization, parked during a time at which such parking
is not permitted or otherwise parked without authorization or the
immobilization of or preparation for moving or removing of such motor
vehicle, for which a service charge is made, either directly or indirectly.
Dues or other charges of clubs or associations which provide towing
services to club or association members shall not be considered a
service charge for purposes of this definition.
VEHICLE
Any device in, upon or by which a person or property is or
may be transported upon a highway.
WAITING TIME
Any time a towing company spends at the site from which a
motor vehicle will be towed, during which the towing company is prevented
from performing any work by another individual, beyond the time included
as part of a basic tow.
WINCHING
The process of moving a motor vehicle by the use of chains,
nylon slings or additional lengths of winch cable from a position
that is not accessible for direct hookup for towing a motor vehicle.
"Winching" includes recovering a motor vehicle that is not on the
road and righting a motor vehicle that is on its side or upside down,
but does not include pulling a motor vehicle onto a flatbed tow truck.
WINDOW WRAP
Any material used to cover motor vehicle windows that have
been damaged.
This article shall not prevent an owner or the operator of a
motor vehicle from requesting or utilizing, on a consensual basis,
a tow truck operator who is not a licensee hereunder.
Upon the adoption of this article, the Township Clerk shall
give 30 days' public notice by newspaper publication of the necessity
of making application for a license to engage in the business of basic
towing service as a licensee of the Township. In addition, the Chief
of Police shall give notice to all towing operators known to have
engaged in basic towing service in the Township for the year last
past.
The provisions of this article and fee schedules of individual
towers shall be available to the public during the normal business
hours of the municipality.