(1) An employee
authorised by a local government for the purpose may remove and impound a
vehicle that, in the opinion of the local government, is an abandoned vehicle
wreck.
(2) If, within 7 days
after a vehicle is removed under subsection (1), the owner of the vehicle is
identified, the local government is to give notice to that person advising
that the vehicle may be collected from a place specified during such hours as
are specified in the notice.
(3) A notice is to
include a short statement of the effect of subsection (4)(b) and the effect of
the relevant provisions of sections 3.46 and 3.47.
(4) If —
(a)
after 7 days from the removal of a vehicle under subsection (1), the owner of
the vehicle has not been identified; or
(b)
after 7 days from being given notice under subsection (2), the owner of the
vehicle has not collected the vehicle,
the local government
may declare that the vehicle is an abandoned vehicle wreck.
(5) In this section
—
abandoned vehicle wreck means a vehicle —
(a) that
is not operational; and
(b) the
owner of which has not been identified by the local government after using all
reasonable avenues to do so; and
(c) that
has a value that is less than the prescribed value calculated in the
prescribed manner.
[Section 3.40A inserted: No. 49 of 2004 s. 25(1).]