NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1967 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1215

HOUSE BILL 1271

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND G.S. 160-200 RELATING TO ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLES.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 160-200 is hereby amended by inserting therein a new subsection to be designated as subsection (44) and to read as follows:

"(44)    The governing body of any municipality may provide by ordinance that whenever a vehicle is found to be an abandoned motor vehicle as defined in Section 160-200(43)(a) and, in addition, is found to be inoperable, dismantled or damaged, five years old or older, and worth less than fifty dollars ($50.00), it shall be deemed to be a junk motor vehicle. A junk motor vehicle may be removed from public or private property under the direction of an official designated by the municipality to a storage area or garage, provided no such vehicle shall be removed from private property without the written request of the owner, lessee or occupant of the property on which the vehicle is located, unless the same has been declared a health or safety hazard by the municipality. Any junk motor vehicles so removed shall be held at least 15 days. The owner of any such junk motor vehicle may reclaim his vehicle during the 15-day retention period by exhibiting proof of ownership to a designated official and paying all reasonable costs incident to the removal and storage of the vehicle and administrative expenses. If, after holding the vehicle 15 days, it remains unclaimed, said vehicle may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of as provided by ordinance or resolution of the municipality. Further, any municipality may, with the consent of the owner of the vehicle, remove and dispose of any motor vehicle as a junk motor vehicle regardless of the value, condition or age of such vehicle and without waiting the aforesaid 15-day period. Any proceeds derived from the disposition of junk motor vehicles shall be retained by the municipality for deposit in the general fund. Notice shall be given within 15 days after final disposition to the Department of Motor Vehicles, that such vehicle has been deemed to be a junk motor vehicle and has been disposed of as such. The notice shall contain as full and accurate a description of the vehicle as can reasonably be determined. No person shall be held to answer in any civil or criminal action to any owner, lien holder or other person legally entitled to the possession of any abandoned, lost or stolen junk motor vehicle for disposing of such vehicle as contemplated by this subsection."

Sec. 2.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 3.  This Act shall be effective upon its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 6th day of July, 1967.