GSTA - Title 39: Removal of Debris by Towing Service

Title 39:10A.                Abandoned and unclaimed motor vehicles

39:10A-1. Public auction of motor vehicles

a. When the State or any county, county park commission, municipality or any authority created by any thereof, hereinafter referred to as a "public agency," shall have taken possession of a motor vehicle found abandoned, such taking of possession shall be reported immediately to (1) the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles on a form prescribed by him, for verification of ownership and (2) the National Automobile Theft Bureau.

b. When such motor vehicle which has been ascertained not to be stolen and to be one which can be certified for a junk title certificate under section 3 of P.L.1964, c.81 (C.39:10A-3) shall have remained unclaimed by the owner or other person having a legal right thereto for a period of 15 business days, even if at that time the owner has not been identified as a result of efforts to make identification by the public agency or the Division of Motor Vehicles, the same may be sold at auction in a public place. If the certified motor vehicle is sold at auction prior to identification of the owner, the public agency shall document the condition of the motor vehicle in writing and with photographs prior to the sale; document the amount obtained from the sale of the motor vehicle; and notify the owner, if his name and address are identified after the sale, of the actions taken by the public agency to dispose of the motor vehicle.

c. When a motor vehicle which cannot be certified for a junk title certificate under section 3 of P.L.1964, c.81 (C.39:10A-3) remains unclaimed by the owner or other person having a legal right thereto for a period of 20 business days, the motor vehicle may be sold at auction in a public place, but shall be sold no later than 90 business days after the public agency takes possession of the vehicle, except that a waiver of the 90-day limit may be obtained for good cause from the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs.

d. The public agency shall give notice of a sale conducted pursuant to subsection b. or c.of this section, by certified mail, to the owner, if his name and address be known and to the holder of any security interest filed with the director, and by publication in a form to be prescribed by the director by one insertion, at least five days before the date of the sale, in one or more newspapers published in this State and circulating in the municipality in which such motor vehicle is held.
L.1964, c.81, s.1; amended 1986, c.173; 1987,c.127,s.5; 1989,c.66,s.1.

39:10A-2. Reclaiming possession; payment of costs and penalties

At any time prior to sale the owner or other person entitled thereto may reclaim possession of the motor vehicle upon payment of the reasonable costs of removal and storage of the vehicle and any fine or penalty and court costs assessed against him for a violation which gave rise to the seizure or taking possession of such vehicle.
L.1964, c. 81, s. 2.

39:10A-3. Issuance of junk title certificate; grounds

If the public agency taking possession of a motor vehicle pursuant to this act shall, in its report thereof to the director, certify on an application prescribed by him that such motor vehicle is incapable of being operated safely or of being put in safe operational conditional except at a cost in excess of the value thereof, the division shall, without further certification or verification, issue to the public agency for a fee of $2.00 a junk title certificate thereto, with proper assignment thereon, which shall be assigned and delivered to the purchaser of the vehicle at public sale.
L.1964, c. 81, s. 3. Amended by L.1975, c. 180, s. 19, eff. Jan. 1, 1976.

39:10A-4. Execution and delivery of application for certificate of ownership; issuance of certificate; fee

Upon the sale of any motor vehicle for which no junk title certificate shall have been issued, the public agency shall execute and deliver to the purchaser an application for certificate of ownership prescribed by the director in the same form and manner as provided in Revised Statutes 39:10-15, which shall also contain the name and address, if known, of the former owner. Such application shall be accepted by the director for issuance of a certificate of ownership for a fee of $3.00.
L.1964, c. 81, s. 4. Amended by L.1968, c. 130, s. 16, eff. Aug. 1, 1968.

39:10A-5. Sale as barring claims of interest; remission of proceeds of sale

Upon the sale of a motor vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this act all claims of interest therein shall be forever barred and the proceeds realized therefrom after payment of the expenses of possession and sale, shall be remitted to the treasury of the public agency as its sole property.
L.1964, c. 81, s. 5.

39:10A-6. Rules and regulations

The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles may make and promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this act.
L.1964, c. 81, s. 6.

39:10A-7. Additional remedy

This act is intended to provide an additional remedy and shall not be construed to supersede procedures provided under any other act.
L.1964, c. 81, s. 7.

39:10A-8. Motor vehicle abandoned at repair facility

For purposes of this act a motor vehicle shall be deemed to be abandoned if it is left at a motor vehicle repair facility without an attempt by the owner, a person on the owner's behalf or any other person having a legal right thereto to regain possession thereof:

a. For a period in excess of 60 days without the consent of an authorized representative of the motor vehicle repair facility;

b. For a period of 60 days in excess of the period for which consent has been given by an authorized representative of the motor vehicle repair facility; or

c. For a period in excess of 60 days after being notified by an authorized representative of the motor vehicle repair facility that service or repairs to the motor vehicle have been completed.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 1.

39:10A-9. Removal and storage, sale or obtaining junk title certificate; inapplicability if dispute between repair facility and owner on amount due

a. An authorized representative of a motor vehicle repair facility may take one or more of the following actions with respect to an abandoned motor vehicle:

(1) Remove and store, or hire another person to remove and store the motor vehicle pursuant to section 3 of this act;

(2) Sell or cause the motor vehicle to be sold, at public or private sale, pursuant to section 4 of this act; or

(3) Cause a junk title certificate to be issued for the motor vehicle pursuant to section 5 of this act.

b. No motor vehicle shall be sold and no junk title certificate shall be issued pursuant to this act where the cause for a motor vehicle being left in the possession of a motor vehicle repair facility for a period in excess of that set forth in section 1 of this act is a dispute between the motor vehicle repair facility and the owner of the motor vehicle or other person having a legal right thereto regarding the amount to be paid in order to regain possession of the motor vehicle.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 2.

39:10A-10. Notice to owner of intent to remove and store

Prior to the removal and storage of a motor vehicle pursuant to section 2. a.(1) of this act, an authorized representative of a motor vehicle repair facility shall give the owner of the motor vehicle or other person having a legal right thereto 30 days' notice of the intent to remove and store the motor vehicle.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 3.

39:10A-11. Notice of intent to and of date, time, place and manner of sale

Prior to the sale of a motor vehicle pursuant to section 2. a.(2) of this act, an authorized representative of a motor vehicle repair facility shall:

a. Give the owner of the motor vehicle or other person having a legal right thereto, the holder of any security interest in the motor vehicle filed with the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles and the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles 30 days notice of the intent to sell the motor vehicle or cause it to be sold; and

b. Give the owner of the motor vehicle or other person having a legal right thereto and the holder of any security interest in the motor vehicle filed with the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles at least five days notice of the date, time, place and manner of the proposed sale.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 4.

39:10A-12. Junk title certificate; issuance; notice

If a motor vehicle repair facility determines that a motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this act is incapable of being operated safely or of being put in safe operational condition except at a cost in excess of the value thereof, an authorized representative of the motor repair facility shall so certify to the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles, on an application prescribed by him, and the Division of Motor Vehicles shall thereupon, without further certification or verification, issue to the motor vehicle repair facility, for a fee of $10.00, a junk title certificate for the vehicle; but no title certificate shall be issued unless the motor vehicle repair facility first gives 30 days notice of its intention to obtain a junk title certificate to the owner of the motor vehicle or other person having a legal right thereto and to the holder of any security interest in the motor vehicle filed with the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 5.

39:10A-13. Notices; writing; method of delivery; publication

Any notice required to be given by this act shall be in writing and sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the person to whom the notice is to be given. In the event that the notice is unclaimed by the addressee, or if the address of the person to whom the notice is to be given is unknown to the person giving the notice and cannot be ascertained from the records on file with the Division of Motor Vehicles, the notice shall be given by publishing it twice in at least one newspaper published in this State and circulating in the municipality in which the motor vehicle is left.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 6.

39:10A-14. Reclamation of possession by owner prior to sale or issuance of junk title certificate

At any time prior to the sale of the motor vehicle or the issuance of a junk title certificate therefore, the owner of the motor vehicle may reclaim possession of the motor vehicle from the motor vehicle repair facility or other person with whom the motor vehicle is stored pursuant to this act, upon payment of the reasonable costs of removal and storage of the motor vehicle, the expenses incurred pursuant to the provisions of this act, and the charges for the servicing or repair of the motor vehicle.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 7.

39:10A-15. Sale of motor vehicle; certificate of ownership; application; issuance; fee

Upon the sale of a motor vehicle for which no junk title certificate has been issued, an application for a certificate of ownership on a form prescribed by the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall be submitted to the director. The application, in addition to containing any information required by the director, shall set forth the name and address, if known, of the former owner and shall contain a certification from the motor vehicle repair facility selling the motor vehicle that the sale was in conformity with the provisions of this act. The application shall be accepted by the director for issuance of a certificate of ownership for a fee of $10.00.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 8.

39:10A-16. Bar of claims of former owner, other person formerly having legal right and holder of security interest

Upon the sale of a motor vehicle, or the issuance of a junk title certificate pursuant to the provisions of this act, all claims of interest in the motor vehicle of the former owner, any other person formerly having legal right thereto and any holder of a security interest shall be forever barred, except as provided for in section 10 of this act.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 9.

39:10A-17. Claims allowable against repair facility in compliance with act only for balance of proceeds of sale

No claim of any kind may be asserted against a motor vehicle repair facility that complies with the provisions of this act by the owner of a motor vehicle for damages arising out of the storage, removal, sale or issuance of a junk title certificate for a motor vehicle except for the balance of the proceeds of the sale of the motor vehicle, if any, after deduction of the expenses of the sale, the costs and expenses incurred in the removal and storage of the motor vehicle and the charges of the motor vehicle repair facility for the servicing and repair of the motor vehicle.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 10.

39:10A-18. Pattern or practice of knowingly violating act or aids or advises such pattern or practice; penalty

A motor vehicle repair facility, or any employee, officer or agent thereof, which or who engages in a pattern or practice of knowingly violating any of the provisions of this act or aids or advises in such a pattern or practice is guilty of a crime of the third degree.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 11.

39:10A-19. Rules and regulations

The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L. 1968, c. 410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.), to implement the provisions of this act.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 12.

39:10A-20. Act as additional remedy; priority of perfected lien or security interest

This act provides an additional remedy and shall not be construed to supersede procedures provided under any other act, and shall not be deemed to supersede or alter the priority of any perfected lien or security interest on an abandoned motor vehicle, which lien or security interest shall have priority over the amounts due to the motor vehicle repair facility.
L.1983, c. 455, s. 13.