For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
"Property"
means any real property within the city which is not a street
or highway.
"Street or highway"
means the entire width between the boundary line of every
way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of
the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
"Vehicle"
means any machine propelled by power other than human power
designed to travel along the ground by use of wheels, treads, runners
or slides and transport persons or property or pull machinery, and
such term shall include, without limitation, "automobile," "truck,"
"trailer," "motorcycle," "tractor," "buggy" and "wagon."
(Prior revision § 13-22)
A. No
person shall abandon any vehicle within the city and no person shall
leave any vehicle at any place within the city for such time and under
such circumstances as to cause such vehicle reasonably to appear to
have been abandoned.
B. A vehicle
shall be "abandoned" when the officer having charge of the public
ways reasonably deems that any motor vehicle is apparently abandoned
by its owner and standing for more than seventy-two hours upon a public
or private way therein or in any property therein without the permission
of the owner or lessee of such property.
(Prior revision § 13-23; C.O. 83-52 §§ 48 (part), 83)
No person shall leave any partially dismantled, nonoperating,
wrecked or junked vehicle on any street or highway within the city.
(Prior revision § 13-24)
No person in charge or control of any property within the city,
whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise, shall allow
any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, junked or discarded
vehicle to remain on such property longer than forty-eight hours;
and no person shall leave any such vehicle on any property within
the city for a longer time than forty-eight hours; except, that this
chapter shall not apply with regard to a vehicle in an enclosed building,
a vehicle on the premises of a business enterprise operated in a lawful
manner, when necessary to the operation of such business enterprise,
or a vehicle in an appropriate storage place or depository maintained
in a lawful place and manner by the city.
(Prior revision § 13-25 (part))
Any abandoned motor vehicle found on public or private property,
and left there more than seventy-two hours may be removed by the city
pursuant to the appropriate provisions of the Vehicle and Traffic
Law of the commonwealth, or any additions, amendments or substitutions
thereto, provided that proper notice is first given to the owner of
the abandoned vehicle forty-eight hours prior to the removal of the
vehicle. If notice cannot be personally served upon the owner, a notice
shall be deemed sufficient if mailed to his or her last known address
by depositing the same in a post office box maintained by the United
States Government and addressed to the last known residence of the
owner. Notice shall be deemed complete ninety-six hours after it has
been so deposited in a post office box.
(Prior revision § 13-25 (part); C.O. 81-404 § 2; C.O. 09-404,
§ 2, 3/9/2009)