[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of Williams Bay as § 10.19 of the 2011 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
No person owning or having custody of any partially dismantled, nonoperable, wrecked, junked or discarded motor vehicle shall allow such vehicle to remain on any public highway, parking lot or ramp longer than 72 hours or upon private property more than 10 days after notification thereof by the Police Department. Notification shall be accomplished by placing in a conspicuous place on the vehicle a dated notice which shall be red in color and by mailing to by certified mail or by serving upon the owner or occupant in charge of the premises a dated written notice bearing the same date as the red notice setting forth briefly the applicable provisions of this subsection. The red notice shall read as follows:
WARNING: This vehicle is declared to be a public nuisance if not removed and it may be removed and disposed of by the Williams Bay Police Department all as provided in Chapter 342 of the Code of General Ordinances of the Village of Williams Bay. You must remove the vehicle from this location so as to make it in compliance with Chapter 342 within _____ hours/days.
B. 
Any vehicle so tagged which is not removed within 72 hours after notice if upon any public highway, parking lot or ramp, or within 10 days if upon private property, is declared to be a public nuisance and may be removed and disposed of as provided for in this chapter.
C. 
No person, after notification to remove any partially dismantled, nonoperable, wrecked, junked or discarded motor vehicle from any public or private property has been given pursuant to this section, shall remove such motor vehicle and thereafter return such motor vehicle to a location within the Village upon private property or onto any public highway or other public property so as to again make the vehicle in violation of this section. Whenever the Chief of Police or his authorized representative determines that any such vehicle has been so removed and thereafter returned so as to again be in violation of this section, the time periods as originally provided for herein as applicable to the first location of the subject vehicle which first required the dated notice shall continue to apply notwithstanding such removal and return. Upon the occurrence of a removal and return of a motor vehicle to the Village after notification is given as provided for herein, such removal and return shall not toll the running of the time limits as stated in the original notification so as to permit the Chief of Police or his authorized representative to immediately proceed with a removal and impoundment for sale of such removed and returned motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. In addition, such removal and return is a separate offense under this chapter.
Section 342-1 shall not apply to a motor vehicle in an appropriate storage place or depository maintained in a lawful place and manner authorized by this Municipal Code.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
VEHICLE or MOTOR VEHICLE
A motor vehicle, motor truck, automobile, motorcycle, motor bus, station wagon, truck tractor or semi-trailer, but does not mean a motor home, trailer or snowmobile, whether or not the vehicle or motor vehicle is registered under Ch. 341, Wis. Stats.
No person shall abandon any vehicle unattended within the Village for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to be abandoned.
A. 
Any vehicle left unattended for more than 72 hours on any public street or grounds or on private property where parking is prohibited, limited or restricted without the permission of the owner or lessee or for more than 10 days on private property is deemed abandoned and constitutes a public nuisance after notification thereof by the Police Department, provided that the vehicle shall not be deemed abandoned under this subsection if left unattended on private property out of public view by permission of the owner or lessee.
(1) 
Notification shall be accomplished by placing in a conspicuous place on the vehicle a dated notice, which shall be red in color, and by mailing by certified mail or by serving upon the registered owner or occupant in charge of the premises a dated written notice bearing the same date as the red notice setting forth briefly the applicable provisions of this subsection. The red notice shall read as provided in § 342-1A.
(2) 
Any vehicle so tagged which is not removed within 72 hours if upon any public highway, parking lot or ramp, or within 10 days if upon private property, is declared to be a public nuisance and may be removed and disposed of as provided in this chapter.
B. 
No person, after notification to remove any abandoned motor vehicle from any public or private property has been given pursuant to this section, shall remove such motor vehicle and thereafter return such motor vehicle to a location within the Village upon private property or onto any public highway or other public property so as to again make the vehicle in violation of this section. Whenever the Chief of Police or his authorized representative determines that any such vehicle has been so removed and thereafter returned so as to again be in violation of this section, the time periods as originally provided for herein as applicable to the first location of the subject vehicle which first required the dated notice shall continue to apply notwithstanding such removal and return. Upon the occurrence of a removal and return of a motor vehicle to the Village after notification is given as provided for herein, such removal and return shall not toll the running of the time limits as stated in the original notification so as to permit the Chief of Police or his authorized representative to immediately proceed with a removal and impoundment for sale of such removed and returned motor vehicle in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. In addition, such removal and return is a separate offense under this chapter.
C. 
This section shall not apply to a vehicle in an enclosed building, a vehicle in an appropriate storage place or depository maintained in a lawful place and manner authorized by the Village or a vehicle parked in a metered or paid lot or parking space where the required fee has been paid and meter activated.
Any vehicle found in violation of this chapter shall be impounded by the Police Department until lawfully claimed or disposed of as provided in this chapter. Notwithstanding § 342-7 hereof, if the Chief of Police or his authorized representative determines that towing costs and storage charges for the 10 days would exceed the value of the vehicle, the vehicle may be junked or sold prior to the expiration of the minimum impoundment period upon determination by the Chief of Police that the vehicle is not wanted for evidence or any other reason, provided that vehicles in excess of 19 model years of age shall be sold or disposed of only by auction, sale or sealed bid in accordance with § 342-9 of this chapter.
The minimum period of impoundment or storage of a vehicle found in violation of this chapter shall be 10 days.
A. 
The Chief of Police shall, upon the removal and impoundment of any vehicle found in violation of this chapter, notify within 10 days of such removal the owner and lienholders of record by certified mail of the impoundment and of their right to reclaim the vehicle.
B. 
The notice shall set forth the information contained in § 342.40(3), Wis. Stats., and shall state that the failure of the owner or lienholders to exercise their rights to reclaim the vehicle shall be deemed a waiver of all right, title and interest in the vehicle and a consent to sale of the vehicle.
Each retained vehicle not reclaimed by the owner or lienholder may be disposed of by sealed bid or auction sale as provided in § 342.40(3), Wis. Stats.
The sale of a motor vehicle under the provisions of this chapter shall forever bar all prior claims thereto and interest therein, except as hereinafter provided.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
The purchaser of any vehicle on sealed bid or auction sale under § 342-9 shall have 10 days to remove the vehicle from the storage area upon payment of a storage fee for each day, as provided in the Village Fee Schedule, the vehicle has remained in storage after the second business day subsequent to the sale date. Ten days after the sale, the purchaser shall forfeit all interest in the vehicle and the vehicle shall be deemed to be abandoned and may be again sold.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
Any listing of vehicles to be sold pursuant to this chapter shall be made available by the Village Clerk to any interested person or organization who makes a written request therefor for a fee as provided in the Village Fee Schedule.
Within five days after sale or disposition of a vehicle under this chapter, the Clerk shall advise the Wisconsin Department of Transportation of such sale or disposition on a form supplied by the Department.
At any time within two years after the sale of a motor vehicle as provided herein, any person claiming ownership of such motor vehicle or a financial interest therein may present a claim to the Village Board setting forth such facts as are necessary to establish such ownership or interest and that the failure of the claimant to reclaim the vehicle prior to sale was not the result of the neglect or fault of claimant. If the Village is satisfied as the justice of such claim, it may allow the same, but in no case shall the amount allowed exceed the sum paid into the Village treasury as the result of the sale of such motor vehicle nor the amount of interest of the claimant therein.
A. 
Any owner or person operating a registered vehicle which shall become disabled or inoperative for any reason and who shall be unable to cause removal of such vehicle from any alley, street, highway or public place not otherwise regulated as a restricted parking, stopping or standing zone shall within 12 hours of such occurrence notify the Police Department of the location of the vehicle and shall transfer and deliver clear title for such vehicle to the Village, together with a fee as provided in the Village Fee Schedule to offset the cost of towing and junking charges, and shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
B. 
When so requested by the owner or person in charge of a vehicle, the Police Department shall be authorized to order such vehicle removed and junked directly from the scene of disablement by the Police Department or contractor engaged by the Village for towing of disabled vehicles. The provisions of § 342-6 shall apply to any vehicle removed under this subsection.
Any person who shall be in violation of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, forfeit not less than $10 nor more than $100, together with the costs of prosecution, and in default of payment shall be imprisoned in the county jail until such forfeiture and costs are paid, but not to exceed 10 days.