[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Bridgeton 11-4-1970 as Sec. 4-4 of the 1970 Code; amended in its entirety 1-15-2008 by Ord. No. 07-25.[1] Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Towing — See Ch. 334.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 350.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance provided an effective date of 1-1-2008.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE
Includes any motor vehicle, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck, truck tractor and vehicle which:
A. 
Is parked without the current year's registration or identification markers as required by law and has been continuously parked in any of the places mentioned in this chapter for a period greater than 30 days; or
B. 
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
C. 
Is found to be mechanically inoperative and incapable of economically being made mechanically operative; or
D. 
Is found without one or more tires.
MOTOR VEHICLE, OMNIBUS, ROAD TRACTOR, TRACTOR, TRAILER, TRUCK, VEHICLE AND MOTOR VEHICLE JUNKYARD
The meanings given them in N.J.S.A. 39:1-1 et seq.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See also N.J.S.A. 39:11-2.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person either as owner, occupant, lessee, agent, tenant or otherwise of any private property within the City, to store or deposit, or cause to be stored or deposited, in an open and visible manner an abandoned, junked or discarded motor vehicle upon any private land, except that this chapter shall not apply to the owner or operator of a motor vehicle junkyard in conformance with N.J.S.A. 39:11-1 et seq.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for the driver, owner or person in charge thereof to abandon a vehicle on any public street within the City.
A. 
If the provisions of the foregoing section are violated, the Division of Housing and Code Enforcement shall serve written notice, either personally or by mail, upon the owner, occupant or persons having charge of any such private property to comply with the provisions of this chapter. The Division of Housing and Code Enforcement may determine ownership of any parcel of land from the then-current tax rolls of the City of Bridgeton and may serve written notice upon such owner by mailing, by regular mail, such notice to the owner at the address listed in the then-current tax rolls.
B. 
The notice shall provide a date within which the vehicle must be removed. Except in the case of emergency, it is anticipated that the minimum time allowed for removal shall be 10 days from the date of the notice.
A. 
In the event that the motor vehicle is not removed as prescribed in this chapter, the Division of Housing and Code Enforcement is authorized to report said vehicle to the Police Division. The Police Division shall direct the towing and/or impounding of the vehicle, and such vehicle shall be retained and impounded until the person owning the same shall first pay the reasonable costs of the removal and storage which may result from such removal before regaining possession of the vehicle, along with any costs charged by the Police Division in accordance with the Codes of the City of Bridgeton.
B. 
Whenever any vehicle is impounded as provided in this chapter, the Supervisor of the Division of Housing and Code Enforcement shall, within 15 days from the date of impoundment, notify the registered owner, in writing, by personal service or by certified mail, at the last-known address of the owner, of the removal of such vehicle, the reason for its removal, and the location of the vehicle. This notification shall be in addition to any notification required pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 et seq., which shall be performed by the Police Division.
Whenever any vehicle impounded following the referral of the matter by the Division of Housing and Code Enforcement to the Police Department shall remain unclaimed for a period of 30 days, the vehicle may be sold pursuant to the rules and regulations issued by the Chief of Police and/or the Director of Public Safety and consistent with N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 et seq. The expenses incurred in hauling, towing or otherwise transporting the vehicle to the place of storage shall be the responsibility of the person buying such vehicle. The expenses incurred by the City of Bridgeton shall be assessed against the proper owner and shall constitute a lien thereon and collected as provided by law.