(a)  Any person, firm, corporation, or unit of government upon whose property or in whose possession is found any abandoned motor vehicle, or any person being the owner of a motor vehicle whose registration is faulty, lost, or destroyed may apply to the police department of the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is situated for authority to sell, give away, or dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-42-7

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

(b)  The application shall set out the name and address of the applicant, the year, make, model, and serial number of the motor vehicle, if ascertainable, together with any other identifying features, and shall contain a concise statement of the facts surrounding the abandonment, or that the registration of the motor vehicle is lost or destroyed, or the reasons for the defect in registration of the owner. The applicant shall execute an affidavit stating that the facts alleged in it are true and that no material fact has been withheld.

(c)  If the police department finds that the application is executed in proper form, and shows that the motor vehicle has been abandoned upon the property of the applicant or if it shows that the motor vehicle is not abandoned but that the applicant appears to be the rightful owner, the police department shall follow the notification procedures set forth in § 31-42-3.

(d)  If the abandoned motor vehicle is not reclaimed in accordance with § 31-42-3, the police department shall give the applicant a certificate of authority to sell the motor vehicle to any demolisher for demolition, wrecking, or dismantling. The demolisher shall accept the certificate in lieu of the registration of the motor vehicle.

(e)  Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter, the general laws of the state of Rhode Island, public laws of the state of Rhode Island, or municipal ordinances, any person, firm, corporation, or unit of government upon whose property or in whose possession is found any abandoned motor vehicle, or any person who is the owner of a motor vehicle whose registration is faulty, lost, or destroyed, may dispose of the motor vehicle to a demolisher without a registration and without notification procedure of § 31-42-3, if the motor vehicle is over eight (8) years old or has no engine or is otherwise totally inoperable. Any demolisher who purchases or acquires any motor vehicle for the purpose of demolition and removal may demolish it on the premises where they are located.

History of Section.
P.L. 1971, ch. 234, § 1.