Rhode Island § 31-42-1 - Abandoned Motor Vehicles

§ 31-42-1. Definitions.

(a) “Abandoned motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is inoperable and over eight (8) years old and is left unattended on public property for more than forty-eight (48) hours, or a motor vehicle that has remained illegally on public property for a period of more than three (3) days, or a motor vehicle that has remained on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property for more than three (3) days.

(b) “Abandoned motor vehicle of no value” means a motor vehicle that is inoperable and over ten (10) years old and is left unattended on public property for more than forty-eight (48) hours, or a motor vehicle that has remained illegally on public property for a period of more than three (3) days, or a motor vehicle that has remained on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property for more than three (3) days, and meets the following criteria:

(1) The vehicle has no evidence of current registration in or upon the vehicle;

(2) The vehicle has a fair market value of five hundred dollars ($500) or less; and

(3) The vehicle does not have a valid inspection sticker.

(c) “Demolisher” means any person whose business is to convert a motor vehicle into processed scrap or scrap metal, or otherwise to wreck or dismantle motor vehicles.

(d) “Police department” means the police department of a city or town. For the purposes of this section “police department” shall also include the Rhode Island airport corporation police department.

(e) “Unlicensed junkyards” means any establishment or premises which are used for the storing, keeping or accumulation of one or more inoperable, worn out, junked, or otherwise discarded motor vehicles, which establishment or premises do not have a license as an auto wrecking and salvage yard.

(f) “Vehicle survey report” means a report printed in the following form: