[HISTORY Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Bergenfield 12-16-1975 by Ord. No. 1046 as Sec. 3-4 of the Revised General Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
General penalty — See Ch. 1, Art. II.
Towers — See Ch. 284.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 299.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:
ABANDONED
Includes, with respect to public streets, public property and private property used as a business parking area, any motor vehicle parked without the current year's registration or found to be in a mechanically inoperable condition. It shall also mean and include, with respect to any other private property, the keeping or storing by a property owner, or lessee, of more than one vehicle out of doors without the current year's registration for a period of more than 30 days. Nothing herein provided shall be deemed to prohibit the placing, keeping or storage of such vehicle in an enclosed building, nor the storage or display of motor vehicles out of doors by dealers authorized to engage in the business of buying, selling or dealing in motor vehicles pursuant to N.J.S.A. 39:10-19.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Includes automobile, omnibus, road tractor, trailer, truck, truck tractor or other vehicle as defined in N.J.S.A. 39:1-1.
A. 
Whenever it appears to the Police Department that this section is being violated and the land on which the violation exists is privately owned, as defined in § 295-1, it shall notify the owner or tenant in possession of the land to abate the violation within 10 days of the service of the notice.
B. 
If he resides in the Borough, the notice shall be served upon the owner or tenant personally or by leaving it at his usual place of abode with some member of his household over the age of 14 years.
C. 
If the person resides outside the Borough, the notice shall be served by registered or certified mail addressed to the last known address as shown by the records in the tax office. If the owner is a corporation, service upon an officer or upon the manager or other person in charge of the business or premises shall be sufficient.
Whenever a motor vehicle is abandoned, the Police Department shall take possession of the vehicle and cause it to be removed to a garage or other place designated by the Chief of Police. If the vehicle is abandoned on private property, without the consent of the owner or tenant occupying the property, by a person who cannot be found or identified, it shall be removed in the same manner with the permission of the owner or tenant, occupying the property.
After taking possession of an abandoned vehicle, the Police Department shall immediately notify the director of the Division of Motor Vehicles of the possession and shall otherwise follow the procedure for the public sale of the abandoned vehicle in the manner provided by N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 et seq.
At any time prior to sale, after the Police Department has taken possession of an abandoned vehicle, the owner may reclaim possession upon payment of the reasonable costs of removal and storage of the vehicle and any fine and court costs assessed against him for the violation which gave rise to the taking of possession, as provided by N.J.S.A. 39:10A-2.