H. B. 4337


(By Delegate Kuhn)
[Introduced February 1, 2000; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then the Judiciary.]




A BILL to amend and reenact section four, article twenty-four, chapter seventeen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to abandoned motor vehicles and permitting one unlicensed junked vehicle to be placed on property owned, rented or controlled by the motor vehicle owner.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section four, article twenty-four, chapter seventeen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 24. DISPOSAL OF ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLES, JUNKED MOTOR VEHICLES, OLD VEHICLE TIRES AND ABANDONED OR INOPERATIVE HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE.
§17-24-4. Junked motor vehicles prohibited in certain places; penalty.

No person shall may, within this state, place or deposit any junked motor vehicle upon the right-of-way of any public highway or upon any other public property; nor shall may any person, within this state, place or deposit any junked motor vehicle upon any private property which he does not own, lease, rent, or otherwise control unless it be at a licensed salvage yard or at the business establishment of a demolisher: Provided, That a person who owns, leases, rents or otherwise controls any private property may place or deposit one unlicensed or junked motor vehicle upon that private property. Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned in the county or regional jail for not more than six months, or both fined and imprisoned.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit the placing of one unlicensed or junked motor vehicle on property owned or rented by the person who owns and places the unlicensed vehicle on that private property, without criminal penalty.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.