Delaware § 4401 - Purpose; abandoned vehicles on private property or public highways; definition.

§ 4401. Purpose; abandoned vehicles on private property or public highways; definition.

(a) The purpose of this chapter is to eliminate abandoned vehicles which tend to impede traffic in the streets or interfere with the enjoyment of, and reduce the value of, private property, to invite plundering, to create fire hazards and other safety and health hazards to children as well as to adults, to interfere with the comfort and well-being of the public and to create, extend and aggravate urban blight.

(b) Any vehicle that is either: (1) inoperable, dismantled, wrecked, or which displays expired registration plates which are at least 30 days expired, or which displays no registration plates, or from which major components have been removed, is in such a state of disrepair as to be incapable of being operated in the manner for which it is designed and is situated on private property appearing to have been abandoned; or (2) which is inoperable, dismantled, wrecked, or which displays expired registration plates which are at least 30 days expired, or which displays no registration plates, or from which the major components have been removed and which shall have been placed upon any State or public highway or property or the property or roads of any political subdivision or the State or public highways within a municipality or upon any express highway in the State for a period in excess of 12 hours without being removed, shall be considered to be abandoned for the purpose of this chapter, except:

(1) That vehicles and equipment used or to be used in the construction, operation or maintenance of public utility facilities and which are left in a manner which does not interfere with the normal movement of traffic shall not be considered abandoned vehicles for the purposes of this chapter;

(2) Those vehicles whose owners have properly parked and locked them and have notified the State Police, county police or municipal police, as the case may be, as designated in § 4402 of this title, that the owner desires to leave the vehicle so parked and secured for a period not to exceed 30 days, except that if during such period the vehicle is no longer secured, or, in the opinion of the State Police, county police or municipal police, has become a danger to the public, then the vehicle shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

(c) As used in this chapter, the term “express highway” or “state highway” or “public highway” shall include any portion of the highway located within the right-of-way lines or, in the case of limited access highway, the denial of access lines, including shoulders and median strip.

21 Del. C. 1953, §  4401;  55 Del. Laws, c. 173;  57 Del. Laws, c. 204;  57 Del. Laws, c. 713, §  1;  65 Del. Laws, c. 46, §  1;  74 Del. Laws, c. 60, §§  1-3;