(A) Any member of the Police Department may order a junk motor vehicle removed within ten days.
(Prior Code, Title III, Ch. I, Art. III, § 5)
(B) (1) Notice of the order of removal shall be placed on the junk motor vehicle and a coy of such notice shall be served on any adult occupying the real estate on which the junk motor vehicle is located and on the owner of the junk motor vehicle if known.
(a) If no occupant of the real estate or owner of the junk motor vehicle can be found, a notice affixed to any building on the real estate shall constitute notice to the owner and occupant of the real estate and to the owner of the junk motor vehicle.
(b) If there is no building on the real estate, the notice shall be affixed elsewhere on the real estate.
(2) If the junk motor vehicle is not removed within the time fixed by the notice, the Police Department may cause the motor vehicle to be removed at the expense of the owner of the real estate and/or at the expense of the owner of the motor vehicle.
(3) After removal of the junk motor vehicle, the Police Department may elect to proceed as follows.
(a) Within a reasonable time after removal of a junk motor vehicle to a storage area, the Police Department shall prepare and forward to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles a vehicle report containing a description of the vehicle including the make, model, engine number, if any, identification number and the number of the license plate and request that the Bureau of Motor Vehicles advise the Police Department of the name and most recent mailing address of the owner and any lienholder. If the Bureau of Motor Vehicles provides a response to the inquiry made by the Police Department, the Police Department shall mail a copy of the notice and a copy of this section to each individual listed as an owner of the motor vehicle and as a lienholder on the motor vehicle.
(b) If the junk motor vehicle remains unclaimed a period of 30 days after being placed in storage, the town will sell the vehicle to the highest bidder at a public sale conducted after notice under I.C. 5-3-1 or the town may elect to sell the motor vehicle as unclaimed property in accordance with I.C. 36-1-11 et seq.
(c) If the town elects to sell the motor vehicle the purchaser shall be furnished a bill of sale for the motor vehicle.
(d) The proceeds of the sale of any motor vehicle shall be applied towards the costs incident to the removal, storage and disposal of the motor vehicle. Any excess funds shall be returned to the owner, if known; and, if unknown, deposited with the Clerk-Treasurer of the town.
(e) If the town has entered into an agreement with any business for the purpose of towing, storing and disposing of junk motor vehicles, then the business may be empowered to dispose of the junk motor vehicle as allowed by state law.
(Prior Code, Title III, Ch. I, Art. III, § 6) (Ord. passed 9-4-1996)