The purpose of this chapter is to provide for
the nondiscriminatory and nonexclusionary regulation of local towing
and storage operators engaged in the business of removing and storing
motor vehicles, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.49.
The following words and terms, when used in
this chapter, shall have the following meanings:
ADMINISTRATIVE FEE
A one-time charge per vehicle for the purpose of compensating
the Borough of Madison for the preparation of the regulating and administrating
the towing files and documentation and impounding of vehicles in the
Borough of Madison.
AUTOMOBILE
A private passenger automobile, station wagon, van, sport
utility vehicle or pickup truck.
BASIC TOWING SERVICE
The removal and transportation of an automobile from a highway,
street or other public or private road or a parking area or from a
storage facility, and other services normally incident thereto, but
does not include recovery of an automobile from a position beyond
the right-of-way or berm or from being impaled upon any other object
within the right-of-way or berm.
DAYTIME HOURS
From 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., prevailing time, Monday through
Friday.
IMPOUNDED FOR INVESTIGATION
Any vehicle that is impounded for a official police investigation
and processing will be towed at owner's expense directly to the Madison
Police impound yard unless otherwise directed by the officer in charge.
The vehicle will remain until the investigation is completed by the
Madison Police Department and storage fees have been paid.
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.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
An occurrence in which an automobile comes in contact with
any other object for which the automobile must be towed or removed
for placement in a storage facility. This includes all situations
which are accidental as to the insured even if they were caused by
the intentional acts of a perpetrator where the perpetrator was not
the insured or not otherwise involved with the insured.
NIGHTTIME HOURS
From 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m., prevailing time, and all
day Saturday and Sunday.
OUTSIDE SECURED
An automobile storage facility that is not indoors and is
secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier that is at 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 indoors and is
not secured by a fence, wall or other man-made barrier, and all other
storage facilities not defined above as inside building or outside
secured.
ROAD SERVICE
Assisting a motor vehicle without towing or hookup. Service
such as providing fuel (plus cost of fuel), jump start, change flat
tire (with available spare), simple opening of vehicle lockout, etc.
TOW VEHICLE
Only those vehicles equipped with a boom or booms, winches,
slings, tilt beds, wheel lifts or under-reach equipment specifically
designed by its manufacturer for the removal or transport of private
passenger automobiles.
TRUCK
Any motor vehicle other than an automobile as defined above
and which requires heavy-duty towing. medium duty: 10,001-26,000 pounds
GVW; heavy duty: 26,001 pounds GVW and up.
WINCHING
Moving a vehicle by use of the cable or winch from a position
that is not accessible for direct hookup by conventional means of
loading onto a tow vehicle. It shall not include pulling a motor vehicle
onto a tilt bed or car carrier or lifting a vehicle with a conventional
tow sling.
YARD TOW
The removal of the vehicle from the towing operator's storage
yard for the benefit of another towing operator who is taking the
vehicle from the storage site and whose tow vehicle is physically
unable to gain access to the vehicle while it is inside the storage
yard.
The Borough Council shall by public resolution
authorize the issuance of towing operator licenses after consideration
of the applications submitted in conformity with this chapter.
[Amended 5-22-2006 by Ord. No. 32-2006; 8-27-2007 by Ord. No. 54-2007]
A. Fee schedule.
|
Service
|
Fee
|
---|
|
Service call
|
$65, cars; $95, trucks
|
|
Light-duty calls
|
$125
|
|
Heavy-duty
|
$350 per hour
|
|
Recovery calls
|
$150, cars; $350, trucks
|
|
Storage rate (daily)
|
$35, cars; $85, trucks; $175, tractor-trailer
|
|
Inside storage rate (daily)
|
$45
|
|
Mileage rate
|
$4.50, cars
|
|
Hourly rate (heavy and recovery)
|
$350
|
|
Recovery rates
|
$150, cars; $350, trucks
|
|
Sliding crane service
|
$450 per hour
|
|
Cleanup
|
$25 minimum
|
|
Yard/administration fee
|
$40
|
|
Waiting time
|
$85 per hour
|
|
Additional man/labor
|
$85 per hour
|
|
Fuel surcharge (when applicable)
|
20% of service/tow rate
|
B. Salvage title. If the Madison Police call out a duty
wrecker for accident or impound, and the vehicle has no value (salvage),
and the owner fails to respond for payment, then the Borough of Madison
will obtain title to the vehicle for salvage. The towing company will
absorb the storage charge until the vehicle title is conveyed to the
towing company by the Borough of Madison to discard the vehicle.