Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 23 Sec. 2153

  • Abandoned motor vehicle: means :

  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. See
  • Dealer: means a person as defined in subdivision 4(8) of this title. See
  • Identification number: means the numbers and letters, if any, on a vehicle designated by the Commissioner for the purpose of identifying the vehicle. See
  • Landowner: means a person who owns or leases or otherwise has authority to control use of real property. See
  • Law enforcement officer: means a State Police officer, municipal police officer, motor vehicle inspector, Capitol Police officer, constable, sheriff, or deputy sheriff certified by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council under 20 V. See
  • Motor vehicle: means all vehicles propelled or drawn by power other than muscular power that have, or could have, one or more of the following:

  • Owner: shall include any person, corporation, co-partnership, or association holding legal title to a motor vehicle or having exclusive right to the use or control thereof for a period of 30 days or more. See
  • Vehicle: means a motor vehicle as defined by section 4 of this title. See

§ 2153. Abandoned motor vehicle certification

(a) A landowner on whose property an abandoned motor vehicle was discovered or has been relocated to shall apply to the Department for an abandoned motor vehicle certification on forms supplied by the Department within 90 days after the date the vehicle was discovered or relocated. An abandoned motor vehicle certification form shall indicate the date that the abandoned motor vehicle was discovered or relocated; the make, color, model, and location of the vehicle; the name, address, and telephone number of the landowner of the property where the vehicle is currently located; and a certification of the public vehicle identification number, if any, prepared by a law enforcement officer, licensed dealer, or inspection station designated by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. This subsection shall not be construed as creating a private right of action against the landowner of the property where an abandoned motor vehicle is located.

(b) Upon receipt of an abandoned motor vehicle certification form, the Commissioner shall attempt to identify and notify the owner of the vehicle as required by section 2154 of this title. If no owner can be determined by the Commissioner within the time period allowed by section 2154 of this title, the Commissioner shall issue a certificate of abandoned motor vehicle with appropriate title or salvage title, or both, and the vehicle may be disposed of in the manner set forth in section 2156 of this title. (Added 2003, No. 101 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2015, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), § 77; 2023, No. 41, § 32, eff. July 1, 2023.)