For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ABANDONED VEHICLE. As authorized and defined in G.S. § 160A-303, one that:
(1) Is left upon a public street or highway in violation of a law or ordinance prohibiting parking;
(2) Is left on a public street or highway for longer than 7 days;
(3) Is left on property owned or operated by the town for longer than 24 hours; or
(4) Is left on private property without the consent of the owner, occupant or lessee thereof for longer than 2 hours.
AUTHORIZING OFFICIAL. The supervisory employee of the Police Department or the Town Manager, respectively, designated to authorize the removal of vehicles under the provisions of this chapter.
JUNKED MOTOR VEHICLE. As authorized and defined in G.S. § 160A-303.2, a vehicle that does not display a current license plate lawfully upon that vehicle and that:
(1) Is partially dismantled or wrecked;
(2) Cannot be self propelled or moved in the manner in which it originally was intended to move; or
(3) Is more than 5 years old and appears to be worth less than $100.
MOTOR VEHICLE OR VEHICLE. All machines designed or intended to travel over land by self-propulsion or while attached to any self-propelled vehicle.
NUISANCE VEHICLE. A vehicle on public or private property that is determined and declared to be a health or safety hazard or a public nuisance, including but not limited to a vehicle found to be:
(1) A breeding ground or harbor for mosquitoes, other insects, rats or other pests;
(2) A point of heavy growth of weeds or other noxious vegetation over 8 inches in height;
(3) A point of collection of pools or ponds of water;
(4) A point of concentration of quantities of gasoline, oil or other flammable or explosive materials as evidenced by odor;
(5) One which has areas of confinement which cannot be operated from the inside, such as trunks, hoods and the like;
(6) So situated or located that there is a danger of it falling or turning over;
(7) One which is a point of collection of garbage, food waste, animal waste or any other rotten or putrescible matter of any kind;
(8) One which has sharp parts thereof which are jagged or contain sharp edges of metal or glass; or
(9) Any other vehicle specifically declared a health or safety hazard or a public nuisance by the Town Council.
(1981 Code, § 16-2) (Ord. passed 3-26-1990)
Statutory reference:
G.S. § 160A-303(b1)(4), from which subdivision (2) of the definition of abandoned vehicle derives, currently reads “Is left on any public street or highway for longer than seven days or is determined by law enforcement to be a hazard to the motoring public.” As of the 2012 S-3, the town had not adopted such an ordinance.
G.S. § 160A-303(b2)(2), from which subdivision (3) of the definition of junked motor vehicle derives, currently reads “Is more than five years old and worth less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or is more than five years old and worth less than five hundred dollars ($500.00) as provided by the municipality in an ordinance adopted under this section; or.” As of the 2010 S-2, the town had not adopted such an ordinance.