[Ord. #2008-20, § 1]
A.
The Mayor and Township Committee of the Township of Plumsted shall
annually approve a list, submitted by the Chief Law Enforcement Officer,
of persons or firms who shall be utilized by the Police Department
of Plumsted Township to provide towing and wrecking services for abandoned,
wrecked or impounded vehicles, pursuant to P.L. 1991, c. 142.
B.
The Chief Law Enforcement Officer shall maintain a revolving list
of towers and wreckers to provide service where needed and instruct
all duty officers to call those listed in alphabetical order on a
rotational basis. All owners or operators of disabled vehicles must
first be advised that they have a reasonable time to call a wrecker
of their own choosing and retain the right to direct the towing vehicle
to remove the damaged vehicle to a garage or workshop of their own
choosing. After this reasonable period of time, the Township's duty
police officer shall have the authority for the vehicle to be removed
in accordance with the procedures set forth in this chapter.
[Ord. #2008-20, § 2]
The criteria which must be met by a towing contractor in order
to qualify to appear on the annual list recommended by the Chief Law
Enforcement Officer and approved by the Mayor and Township Committee
shall include, but not be limited to, reliability, availability, response
time, location of storage facilities and security for vehicles located
therein, maximum towing and storage fees, possession of adequate equipment
to safely handle common vehicle types, and maintenance of adequate
liability insurance.
Each contractor shall be required to obtain a license issued
by the governing body. The license shall be nontransferable and commence
January 1st and expire on December 31st of each year. Each contractor
shall pay an annual license fee of seventy-five dollars ($75).
[Ord. #2011-06, § 1; Ord. #2013-11 § 1]
A.
Towing. Towing services shall be available and provided on a seven-day-per-week,
twenty-four-hour-per-day basis for the entire geographic area of the
Township of Plumsted. The contractors on the rotating list must be
able to respond to any tow scene within twenty (20) minutes of the
Township's request. The contractors will also be responsible for clearing
accident scenes to which they have been called to tow.
B.
Storage — Disabled vehicle. Storage shall be provided for all
disabled vehicles towed until claimed by the vehicle owner. The contractor
shall provide adequate land area sufficient to store a minimum of
ten (10) vehicles. Each storage area must be enclosed by a security
fence. In addition, inside garage area space for at least one (1)
vehicle must be available. The location of the storage space must
be within twenty (20) minutes of the place of the tow.
C.
Storage — Law enforcement impoundment. The municipal police
law enforcement impound storage area will be of sufficient size to
accommodate the needs of the Police Department and shall be available
during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
for the release of the towed vehicles to the owners, pursuant to this
section, unless other off-hour release conditions are pre-authorized
by the Commanding Officer or his designee. The impoundment/storage
and release of such vehicles will follow established guidelines in
accordance with Police Agency S.O.P.'S. and approved by resolution
of the Township Committee. While in the police department's law enforcement
storage area, the municipality shall not assume any liability from
vehicle owner or person having legal right to the vehicle which is
beyond the municipality's control. The storage fee for the police
department's law enforcement impound area will be consistent at one
hundred dollars ($100) for the first day; (sixty dollars ($60) administrative
fee and forty dollars ($40) storage) and forty dollars ($40) per day
for each additional day, starting at 12:01 a.m. after the time the
vehicle was towed and accruing every day at midnight thereafter.
[Ord. #98-04, § 1]
All contractors on the rotating list shall provide and maintain
the following minimum equipment:
A.
Two (2) towing vehicles to include at least one (1) flatbed and one
(1) towing vehicle sufficient to tow vehicles over two (2) tons.
B.
Communication equipment between vehicles and its dispatchers via
two-way radio.
All equipment must meet state standards and shall be subject
to periodic inspection by the Township.
[Ord. #2008-20, § 1]
In addition to meeting all other criteria of this chapter and
in order to be eligible for placement upon the rotating list of authorized
towers, the contractor shall supply a certificate of liability insurance
by a company licensed to do business in the State of New Jersey, certifying
that the contractor maintains workers compensation, auto liability
and garage liability insurance of not less than one million dollars
($1,000,000) combined single limit, garage keepers liability of not
less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per vehicle, said
garage keepers legal liability insurance policy to further provide
for fire, theft and explosion. The contractor shall also maintain
collision coverage for vehicles in tow. All public liability insurance,
including garage liability and garage keepers legal liability coverage,
shall name the Township of Plumsted, its officers, agents and employees
as additional insureds on the policy, shall hold them harmless and
indemnify them from any and all claims filed against the Township
arising out of any act or failure to act on behalf of the contractor,
and shall contain an endorsement providing thirty (30) days notice
to the Township in the event of any material changes of the policy
or cancellation thereof. The contractors meeting eligibility shall
be approved and added to the rotating list by resolution of the Township
Committee, upon advice of the Chief Law Enforcement Officer.
[Ord. #2000-13, § 1; Ord. No. 2005-23, §§ 1-3; Ord. #2008-20, §§ 3-5;
Ord. #2010-08, § 1]
Towing and storage contractors for municipally required towing
and storage service shall not charge fees more than those authorized
by this schedule. The fee schedule shall be promptly displayed at
the storage facility to provide notice to the public.
A.
Basic towing services per towed vehicle; includes motor vehicle crashes,
impounds, and disabled vehicles. Unless specified, the fees include
waiting time and clean up.
(1)
Day service 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday —
$150.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
(2)
Night service 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday —
$150.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
(3)
Weekend service 6:00 p.m. Friday through 6:00 a.m. Monday —
$150.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
(4)
Any Federal or New Jersey State holiday from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00
a.m. the following morning — $150.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
(5)
Motorcycles and all terrain vehicles (ATVs) — $175.
(6)
Heavy duty towing — $500.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
B.
Storage includes vehicles taken to the contractor's yard or to the
municipal police law enforcement impound storage area as a result
of a motor vehicle crash, impound or disabled vehicle.
(1)
The storage period shall commence when the vehicle arrives at the
storage yard and renews every day starting at 12:01 a.m. and ends
at 12:00 midnight each day.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
(2)
Vehicles released on the same day that the vehicle is placed into
storage will not incur any storage fees.
(3)
Storage fees.
(a)
$45 each day.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
(b)
$60 each day for indoor storage at a contractor's storage facility.
(c)
If a vehicle is towed or transported from the storage area by
the towing contractor at the request of the owner or authorized representative,
a fee not exceeding $6 per mile will be charged to the towing company.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
(d)
Yard removal/administrative fee — $75.
[Ord. #2011-06, § 2]
C.
Additional charges.
(1)
Overturned — an additional fee of one hundred fifty dollars
($150) per hour, seventy-five dollars ($75) each additional hour,
per man may be charged when a vehicle must be uprighted because of
a motor vehicle crash.
(2)
Winching — an additional fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150)
per hour, seventy-five dollars ($75) each additional hour, per man,
may be charged when the vehicle is off highway and must be removed
as a result of a motor vehicle crash.
(3)
Mileage may be charged at a rate of three dollars and fifty cents
($3.50) (loaded) per mile from scene of call to storage area or when
a vehicle is removed from the scene of the call to a place other than
the towing contractor's storage area.
(4)
Clean-up and wait time — eighty dollars ($80) per hour.
D.
Receipt — The towing and storage contractor shall issue a receipt
itemizing all charges. The receipt shall contain the name, address
and telephone number of the towing or storage contractor.
E.
The towing and storage contractor shall charge the motor vehicle
owner/operator directly for all towing and storage charges. In no
event shall the Township be responsible to pay the towing and/or storage
charges in regard to privately owned vehicles.
F.
In cases
where the tower must hire laborers or rent or utilize specialized
equipment not specified in this chapter, all reasonable charges shall
be paid by the owner of the vehicle, after the owner of the vehicle
or his agent has given his prior written consent thereto, except where
said vehicle is deemed a hazard to health or safety, whereupon said
vehicle will be removed by the direction of the Chief of Police or
his designee, with the owner then being responsible for all personnel,
equipment and labor costs. The necessity for specialized equipment
shall be determined by the Chief of Police or his designee.
[Added 3-4-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02]
[Ord. #2000-13, § 1; Ord. #2005-23, § 4;
Ord. #2008-20, § 6]
The towing and storage contractor may not exceed the following
rate for service calls provided.
A.
Jump starts — fifty dollars ($50)
B.
Tire change — fifty dollars ($50)
C.
Out of fuel — fifty dollars ($50) plus cost of fuel.
D.
If key(s) to vehicle are not available, an additional fee of fifty
dollars ($50) may apply.
E.
Receipt — The towing and storage contractor shall issue a receipt
itemizing all charges. The receipt shall contain the name, address
and telephone number of the towing or storage operator.
F.
The towing and storage contractor shall charge the motor vehicle
owner/operator directly for all service calls. In no event shall the
Township be responsible to pay the towing and/or storage contractor
with regards to privately owned vehicles.
The contractor shall provide the Township with all information
and records of all towed vehicles, storage and towing charges upon
request.
A towing contractor may be removed from the annual list by resolution
of the governing body if performance is determined to be unreliable
or inadequate, or in violation of Department of Insurance regulations.
The original and annual public reporting of the current list
of designated towing contractors containing the company name, address,
telephone number and maximum towing fees and storage rates shall be
printed and made available to the public during normal business hours
of the municipality.
[Ord. #2008-20, § 1]
A.
The Chief Law Enforcement Officer shall maintain a record containing
the names, address and twenty-four-hour telephone numbers of all licensed
wreckers and a record of the types of wreckers available to meet the
specific need of emergency. The Chief Law Enforcement Officer shall
also maintain a record of the regular response of wreckers to police
calls and any complaints from vehicle owners as to improper service
or charges.
B.
The rotating list of towers and wreckers shall be updated as necessary
by the Chief Law Enforcement Officer and submitted to the Township
Clerk on an annual basis for the governing body's review and approval.
The Police Department of the Township of Plumsted is authorized
to enforce the provisions of this chapter in accordance with applicable
laws of this state.
[Ord. #2011-06, § 3; Ord. #2013-11 § 2;
Ord. #2015-10]
A.
Impoundment by the Plumsted Township Police Department. The owner
of any vehicle impounded by the Plumsted Township Police Department
at the municipal police law enforcement impoundment storage area shall
be responsible for the cost of the removal and storage of same which
shall be charged at the following rate:
(1)
Municipal police law enforcement impoundment storage area: $100 for
the first day, ($60 administrative fee and $40 storage) and $45 per
day for each additional day, starting at 12:01 a.m. after the time
the vehicle was towed and accruing every day at midnight thereafter.
[Amended 4-3-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-06]
B.
Storage of disabled vehicle. The owner of any disabled vehicle at
a contractors storage area shall be responsible for the cost of the
removal and storage of same which shall be charged at the following
rates:
C.
Tow charges on abandoned vehicles. In the event a towed vehicle becomes
an abandoned vehicle the Township will pay the tow company upon request
in writing a flat rate of $100 from the proceeds of the vehicle being
recycled, sold or used for municipal purposes.
[Ord. #2005-23, § 5]
The Township Committee shall from time to time set rates for
this chapter by resolution.
