Atlas Twp. – Under a new ordinance, unlicensed vehicles on private property must be moved in five days or towed.
The Atlas Township Board approved the unlicensed vehicles ordinance at its Feb. 21 meeting.
‘Currently it takes about six weeks to get (vehicles) moved,? said township supervisor Paul Amman.
Unlicensed vehicles not enclosed in a building that are reported to the township will be checked by the code enforcement officer, says Amman.
Vehicles in the roadway aren’t covered by the ordinance, as they’re addressed by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department.
Under the new ordinance, the township’s code enforcement officer can tag a reported vehicle. Unless moved in five days, the vehicle will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Owners not claiming and paying for cars and trucks within 30 days stand to lose their vehicles.
‘The towing company will get a salvage title and they’ll sell it for scrap,? said Amman.
The ordinance is based on a similar ordinance in the City of Burton which updates a previous Atlas Township ordinance allowing a citation.
‘Like the guy with the tie-up in the Genesee County court system,? Amman said. ‘It was tied up for two months.
The ordinance applies only to vehicles expected to display license plates, and does not include farm equipment like tractors.
The township will seek a towing company contract to carry out the ordinance.
‘We more than likely would contract with someone outside of the township,? said Amman.
Except for one dissenting vote by trustee Scott Statson, the ordinance was adopted by all ayes.