(a)  “Abandoned motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is inoperable and over eight (8) years old and is left unattended on public property for more than forty-eight (48) hours, or a motor vehicle that has remained illegally on public property for a period of more than three (3) days, or a motor vehicle that has remained on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property for more than three (3) days.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-42-1

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
  • Motor vehicle: means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power for use on the public streets, roads, and highways;

    (2)  "Odometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation;

    (3)  "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or business trust including, but not limited to, private individuals and motor vehicle dealers, both wholesale and retail, whether the private individual or dealer is a dealer in the ordinary course of business or not;

    (4)  "Repair and replacement" means to restore to a sound working condition by replacing the instrument or any part thereof or by correcting what is inoperative;

    (5)  "Transfer" means to acquire ownership by purchase, gift, bequest, or any other means. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-23.2-2

  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9

(b)  “Abandoned motor vehicle of no value” means a motor vehicle that is inoperable and over ten (10) years old and is left unattended on public property for more than forty-eight (48) hours, or a motor vehicle that has remained illegally on public property for a period of more than three (3) days, or a motor vehicle that has remained on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property for more than three (3) days, and meets the following criteria:

(1)  The vehicle has no evidence of current registration in or upon the vehicle;

(2)  The vehicle has a fair market value of five hundred dollars ($500) or less; and

(3)  The vehicle does not have a valid inspection sticker.

(c)  “Demolisher” means any person whose business is to convert a motor vehicle into processed scrap or scrap metal, or otherwise to wreck or dismantle motor vehicles.

(d)  “Police department” means the police department of a city or town. For the purposes of this section “police department” shall also include the Rhode Island airport corporation police department.

(e)  “Unlicensed junkyards” means any establishment or premises which are used for the storing, keeping or accumulation of one or more inoperable, worn out, junked, or otherwise discarded motor vehicles, which establishment or premises do not have a license as an auto wrecking and salvage yard.

(f)  “Vehicle survey report” means a report printed in the following form:

History of Section.
P.L. 1971, ch. 234, § 1; P.L. 1988, ch. 191, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 434, § 1.