Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 39:4-139.13

  • certified mail: include private express carrier service, provided that the private express carrier service provides confirmation of mailing. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
a. The governing body of every municipality may make, amend, repeal and enforce an ordinance authorizing the impoundment or immobilization of a vehicle found within the jurisdiction of that municipality if there are any outstanding warrants against the vehicle.

b. Except for vehicles owned by lessors who have complied with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection b. of section 4 of this act, if the outstanding warrants are not paid by midnight on the 30th day following the day on which the vehicle was impounded or immobilized, the vehicle may be sold at a public auction. The municipality shall give notice of the sale by certified mail to the owner, if his name and address are 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 the motor vehicle has been impounded or immobilized.

c. At any time prior to the sale, the owner of the motor vehicle or other person entitled to the motor vehicle may reclaim possession of the motor vehicle upon payment of the reasonable costs of removal and storage of the motor vehicle, any fine or penalty and court costs assessed against him for a violation that gave rise to the impoundment or immobilization of the motor vehicle, and any outstanding warrants against the vehicle; however, the owner-lessor of a motor vehicle who has complied with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection b. of section 4 of this act shall be entitled to reclaim possession without payment and the lessee shall be liable for any fine, penalty, court costs and outstanding warrants against the vehicle.

d. Any proceeds obtained from the sale of a vehicle at public auction pursuant to subsection b. of this section in excess of the amount owed to the municipality for the reasonable costs of removal and storage of the motor vehicle, any fine or penalty and court costs assessed against him for a violation that gave rise to the impoundment or immobilization of the motor vehicle, and any outstanding warrants against the vehicle, shall be returned to the owner of the vehicle, if his name and address are known.

L. 1985, c. 14, s. 12.