The following terms, phrases and words as used in and for the purposes
of this chapter shall be deemed to have the following meanings:
ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE
A.
Any motor vehicle found in any public street, highway or lands and not
bearing current license plates or, if bearing current license plates, remaining
stationary and unused on public streets, highways or lands for more than 10
days consecutively.
B.
Any vehicle so disabled as to constitute an obstruction to traffic and
which the driver or person in charge thereof neglects or refuses to move.
C.
Any motor vehicle not currently in use for transportation and not licensed
for the current year which is left, placed, kept or stored on private land
for 15 days or more shall be presumed to have been abandoned by the owner.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any vehicle propelled otherwise than by muscular power, excepting
such vehicles as run only on rails or tracks.
PERSON
An individual, firm, association, partnership or corporation.
It is hereby determined and declared that the placing, abandonment,
leaving, keeping or storage out of doors of any motor vehicle not currently
used for transportation and not being licensed for the current year or any
unused machines on public or private lands in the Township of Rochelle Park
is contrary and inimical to the public welfare in that such vehicles so placed,
abandoned, left, kept 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 that such motor vehicles so placed, abandoned, left or stored out of doors,
exposed to the elements, deteriorate and in themselves are unsightly and detrimental
to and depreciate the value of properties in the neighborhood where they are
located and in the township as a whole.
No person shall abandon or suffer or permit the abandonment of any motor vehicle as described in §
177-1 out of doors and upon any public or private land in the township or between the right-of-way side lines of any public thoroughfare therein. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to prohibit the placing, keeping or storage of any such motor vehicle in an enclosed garage, barn or other closed building.
Whenever it shall appear to any member of the Police Department of the Township of Rochelle Park that §
177-3 is being violated and that the violation exists on public lands, between the right-of-way lines of any public street, said motor vehicle shall be taken into possession by the Police Department and removed to a storage place designated by the Township Committee of the Township of Rochelle Park.
Upon the taking into possession of a motor vehicle pursuant to §
177-4 or
177-5 hereof, the Police Department shall follow the procedures established by Title 39, Chapter 10A of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey and shall sell such vehicle at public auction.
This chapter shall not apply to a lawfully operated junkyard or to motor
vehicles kept temporarily in the operation of a business primarily conducted
for the sale and repair, or either, of motor vehicles.
[Amended 5-5-1986 by Ord.
No. 519; 12-17-2003 by Ord. No. 903-03]
Any person who shall violate the provisions of this chapter shall, upon
conviction thereof, be liable to a fine of not less than $52 nor more than
$500 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 90 days, or both, at the
discretion of the Judge.