What's happening
This bill allows New York City to immediately impound abandoned vehicles without license plates and without prior notice.
Why it matters
Removes delay in dealing with abandoned vehicles. By allowing immediate impoundment without notice, the bill enables city agencies to clear abandoned, unplated vehicles from streets faster, helping address neighborhood blight and improve street cleanliness.
Targets vehicles most likely to evade enforcement. Vehicles without license plates are harder to trace to owners and more likely to be dumped, so this measure specifically targets a category that can be more difficult for the city to manage under existing rules.
Expands local agency authority. The bill grants New York City agencies more discretion and power to enforce abandoned vehicle laws, potentially leading to more efficient use of city resources and faster resolution of quality-of-life complaints from residents.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Impound Abandoned Cars Immediately
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5621
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 20, 2017
Introduced by Sen. HAMILTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend vehicle and traffic law, in relation to allowing for an abandoned vehicle to be impounded without notice in a city having a population of one million or more
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1224 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. In a city having a population of one million or more, if an abandoned vehicle, at the time of abandonment, has no number plates affixed, the abandoned vehicle shall be immediately impounded. The agency or agencies designated to enforce this subdivision and impound abandoned vehicles by the mayor of such city shall not be required to give notice of the violation prior to impounding an abandoned vehicle.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10012-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend vehicle and traffic law, in relation to allowing for an abandoned vehicle to be impounded without notice in a city having a population of one million or more
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to allow an abandoned vehicle to be impounded without notice in a city having a population of one million or more.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Section 1224 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. In a city having a population of one million or more, and abandoned vehicle, as defined in paragraph (a) of subdivision one of this section, shall be immediately impounded. The agency or agencies designated to enforce this subdivision and impound such abandoned vehicles by the mayor of such abandoned vehicles by the mayor of such abandoned vehicles by the mayor of such city shall not be required to give notice of the violation prior to impounding such abandoned vehicles.
Justification
Abandoned vehicles are a huge liability and threat. The vehicles are often parked on the street. Most of the time these vehicles have signs that say for sale by the "owner", which has a detrimental economic effect on dealerships because that it where the vehicles should be sold, not on the streets. The reason these vehicles pose a threat and hazard for folks is because if involved in an accident there's no insurance, which brings up the question, who is going to pay for it? The point is that abandoned vehicles should be in lots, garages, dealerships or impounds not on the streets. Abandoned vehicles come with more sets of problems. For example, homeless people get attracted to the car, or since the car is not registered, it can be used for drug drops, prostitution, vandalizing, etc. They become blight on the community.
Prior legislation history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
None to the State
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.