(a) Definitions.
(1) "Abandoned motor vehicle"means any motor vehicle, or major part thereof, which is inoperative and which has been abandoned on public or private property for any period of time over seventy-two hours, other than in an enclosed building or in a licensed salvage yard or at the business establishment of a demolisher; or any motor vehicle, or major part thereof, which is unattended, discarded, deserted and unlicensed and is not in an enclosed building, a licensed salvage yard or the actual possession of a demolisher, or has an expired or no license, or does not have a valid inspection sticker, or has no valid vehicle registration: Provided, that a motor vehicle, or major part thereof, shall be considered an abandoned motor vehicle.
(2) “Enclosed building” means a structure surrounded by walls or one continuous wall and having a roof enclosing the entire structure and includes a permanent appendage thereto.
(3) “Motor vehicle” means a vehicle which is or was self-propelled, including, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, buses and motorcycles.
(4) “Person” means a natural person, corporation, firm, partnership, association or society and the plural as well as the singular.
(WVaC 17-24A-1)
(b) Abandonment of Motor Vehicle Prohibited. No person shall, within this Municipality, abandon a motor vehicle or major part thereof upon the right-of-way of any public highway, upon any other public property or upon any private property unless it be at a licensed salvage yard or at the business establishment of a demolisher, or a business licensed to do business in the State of West Virginia and not in the primary business of offering motor vehicles or parts thereof for sale. (WVaC 17-24A-2)
(c) Abandoned and Junk Vehicles.
(1) No person shall abandon any motor vehicle within the City. No person shall leave any motor vehicle at any place within the City for such time and under such circumstances as to cause such vehicle reasonably to appear to have been abandoned.
(2) No person shall leave any unlicensed, partially demolished, nonoperating, wrecked or junked motor vehicle on any street, lane or any other public property within the City.
(3) No owner of any property within the City, or any person in charge or control of any property within the City, whether as owner, tenant, occupant or otherwise, shall allow any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, junked or discarded motor vehicle to remain upon such property for more than seventy-two hours. No person shall leave any such vehicle on any property within the City for more than seventy-two hours.
(4) This section shall not apply to any vehicle stored or placed in an enclosed building, nor to any vehicle on the premises of a business enterprise operated in a lawful place and manner and when necessary to the operation of such business enterprise.
(Passed 6-13-05.)