[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Raritan 10-11-2000 by Ord. No.
00-27 (Ch. 8.20 of the 2000 Code). Amendments noted
where applicable.]
Inoperable and unregistered motor vehicles and truck trailers
located on public or private lands and premises within the Township
constitute attractive nuisances in so far as children are concerned,
and therefore invite injury; and they likewise tend to attract vermin
and thereby cause disease and otherwise a menace to the health, morals
and well-being of the people of the Township.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Incapable of being legally driven or moved under its own
power on the public highways of the State of New Jersey.
Not currently registered by the proper licensing authority
to be driven or moved on the public highways, or not bearing current
license plates or tags lawfully issued by the authority for motor
vehicles and truck trailers.
No person shall park, leave or store any inoperable or unregistered
motor vehicle or truck trailer not having current license plates on
the vehicle on any public lands or premises, except in case of emergency,
and then for not more than 48 hours.
No person shall park, leave, store or maintain an inoperable
or unregistered motor vehicle or truck not having current license
plates on the vehicle, for a period of more than 30 days upon any
private lands or premises.
No owner or occupier of any private lands or premises shall
permit or suffer any inoperable or unregistered motor vehicle or truck
trailer not having current license plates on the vehicle to be parked,
left, stored or maintained on his or her lands or premises for more
than 30 days.
This chapter shall not apply to motor vehicles or truck trailers
located or stored in garages or other buildings, or to commercial
garage operations where the motor vehicles may be for sale or repair.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
No open or closed truck trailers shall be parked or kept on
any public or private lands and used for the purpose of storing any
goods, supplies or other materials except as may be permitted in the
I-1 and I-2 Industrial Zones, or as may be used in normal loading
and unloading or deliveries in the ordinary course of business.
A.
The Chief
of Police or any member of the Police Department designated by him
or her is authorized to remove or have removed any vehicle:
(1)
Left at any public place within
the Township; or
(2)
Left upon private lands, but
only on the written request of the landowner or his or her authorized
agent, and as to such vehicles not owned or registered to the landowner,
his or her immediate family or any person residing within the landowner's
household; and which appears to be present in violation of this chapter.
Such a vehicle shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed
of in accordance with applicable statutes.
B.
The Chief of Police or any member of the Police Department acting for him or her shall notify the registered and legal owner, in writing, by personal service or by certified mail, at the last-known address of the owner, of the removal of the vehicle, the reason for the removal and the location of the vehicle. The vehicle shall be retained and impounded until the owner or his or her authorized agent pays the cost of such taking and removal (towing), together with a charge as provided in Chapter 245, Fees, § 245-4, daily for storage. The vehicles shall be held only for the period of time established by the New Jersey Statutes and thereafter shall be disposed of by the Police Department in accordance with such statutory authorization.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
This chapter shall be enforced by the Land Use Enforcement Officer of the Township. Any person violating the provisions of this chapter shall be subject, upon conviction thereof, to the penalties as provided in § 1-5, General penalty.
