Chief White says he wants to work with community
The Mantua Township Police Department announced via social media for residents to be mindful of the “abandoned vehicle ordinance.”
The post reads, in part, “Essentially, if you have a vehicle that isn’t currently registered and insured or mechanically operable, it has to be covered in the driveway or backyard. Any violation is punishable by a fine of $100-$2,000 per violation, per day.”
“The goal is not to harass residents who are working on their cars in an effort to get them back on the road,” Chief of Police Darren White said. “I know the ordinance does not really provide for this, but when this is the case, we normally request that they be neatly covered. We are trying to keep the township nice for everybody.”
The ordinance was adopted by the township on June 11, 1968. It has been amended over the years and the most recent version, from 2009, begins:
“The Township Committee hereby finds, determines and declares that the keeping, storage or abandonment of any motor vehicle not currently used for transportation, not mechanically in operation or not licensed for operation in the current year, out of doors, within the limits of the township, is a nuisance and contrary to the public health, safety and welfare of the residents of the township in that such vehicles so abandoned or stored attract or may attract persons of tender years who may play in and about them and be injured in so doing, and in that such vehicles so abandoned and stored out of doors, exposed to the elements, deteriorate, are a fire hazard, are unsightly and, by deteriorating, become more unsightly and are detrimental to the public health, safety and general welfare and depreciate the value of properties in the neighborhoods where they are located and in the township in its entirety.”
“I realize that some people are upset with this ordinance, which is why we do our best to work with them rather than just go out there and hammer everybody with summonses,” White said. “If you have a vehicle that fits the description, please cover it or remove it. We will be driving through the neighborhoods and warning residents first.
“We are a community-oriented police department and will do our best to come up with a solution where everybody is happy — or as happy as the circumstances allow. The mayor is big on maintaining a clean town. Our weekly litter patrols and occasional community upkeep campaigns help to move toward this goal.”
