It is hereby determined and declared that the
abandonment or storage out of doors of any motor vehicle not currently
in use for transportation and not currently licensed or registered
for use on any public street or on any public or private lands within
the Township is contrary and inimical to the public welfare in that
such vehicles so abandoned or stored attract or may attract persons
of tender years who, being so attracted, may play in and about them
and be injured in so doing and in that such vehicles so abandoned
or stored out of doors deteriorate and are unsightly and are detrimental
to and depreciate the value of properties in the neighborhood where
they are located and in the Township as a whole.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED
Any motor vehicle, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck,
truck trailer or vehicle which is found without the current year's
registration or identification markers as required by law for a period
of 10 continuous days, or which is so disabled as to constitute an
obstruction to traffic and the driver or person owning or in charge
thereof neglects or refuses to move the same to a place where it will
not obstruct traffic, or which is found to be mechanically inoperative
and is allowed to remain inoperative for a period of 45 days (said
period of time may be extended for good cause by the Police Department).
JUNK AUTOMOBILE or JUNK AUTOMOBILE BODY
Any automobile which is no longer in actual use as a motor
vehicle, which is wholly unfit without rebuilding or reconditioning
for use in highway transportation, or which has been discarded for
use as a motor vehicle or otherwise abandoned.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, partnership or corporation being the
owner or having any legal right in, of or to the motor vehicle or
other vehicle, as herein defined.
Any vehicle, omnibus, road tractor, trailer,
truck or truck trailer or other vehicle, including motorcycles, motorized
bikes and mopeds, which is abandoned or stolen as hereinabove set
forth shall be impounded by the Police Department. Any person who
seeks to recover an impounded vehicle shall pay a storage fee at the
rate of $15 per day, except that the fee for motorcycles, motorized
bikes and mopeds shall be $5 per day. Storage fees for abandoned vehicles
shall commence upon the date of impoundment; however, storage fees
for vehicles reported stolen shall commence three days following the
date of first notification thereof to the owner by the Police Department.
Fees may be paid and automobiles may be recovered at the Police Department
during the regular working hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday. For purposes of determining the storage fee charged, any vehicle
impounded after 9:00 p.m. shall be deemed to have been impounded on
the following day.
No person shall place, keep or store any junk
automobiles or junk automobile body on any public or private property
within the Township of Oxford, nor shall any person who owns any real
property with the Township allow any such automobile or body to remain
on his land; and failure to remove such automobile or body after seven
days' notice to do so by the police shall constitute a violation of
this chapter.