Abandoned Cars Will be Regulated Under Proposed Ordinance

Newtown Township is moving forward to better define a 1942 ordinance that prohibits junked cars on private property.

Junked or abandoned cars are already prohibited by township ordinance but, officials say, it’s nearly impossible to enforce because there is no definition for what exactly “junked” means.

Last week, the supervisors took a step to better define the more than 70-year-old ordinance by advertising another that outlines what constitutes an abandoned vehicle.

Township manager Kurt Ferguson explained there have been complaints of abandoned cars that pose a threat to health and safety but since there is no clear definition of what a junked car is, it's difficult to take action.

Under the proposed language, an abandoned vehicle is one that is “unable to move under its own power, or a motor vehicle that does not bear a current registration and inspection sticker and has one or more specified defects."

Those defects include a broken windshield, flat tires, missing doors, torn upholstery that encourages vermin habitation, leaking gas tank, exposed battery acid and others that could threaten the health and safety of residents.

Final passage of the ordinance will be considered at an upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting.