by Geoff Fox
Hancock officials are looking to crack down on unregistered vehicles around town after Town Manager Mike Faith noticed a number of such vehicles while doing town business.
A Hancock ordinance prohibits people in town from having unregistered or unlicensed vehicles on public or private property.
The whole ordinance is defined under “Chapter 373 Vehicles, Abandoned” in the town’s charter.
“In other words, if you have a vehicle and it’s not licensed or registered, you can’t have it parked on a vacant lot, or in your yard, or anywhere,” Faith said.
He said it should be a point of enforcement for town officials to give notice to those who have such vehicles 30 to 60 days to remedy the issue.
Faith said he’s talked to someone already about helping people out in removal of any unlicensed or unregistered vehicle.
There could be a situation where someone moved out of a house and left the vehicle behind.
Councilman Josh McCusker said officials should start off with the 60-day notice to allow residents to make appointments and get to the DMV.
Town officials voted unanimously to give Faith authorization to issue notifications regarding the unlicensed and unregistered vehicles.
Faith said he wants to figure out a way to notify the citizens because sending out letters would be time consuming and expensive.
He said it might be this week when he sends something out.
“I think there a lot of people that think ‘Well this car doesn’t have plates; it’s not registered but it’s parked on my property.’ Can’t have it,” Faith said.
Cars that are unlicensed or unregistered on private property can be kept in an enclosed garage.
Faith said dealerships and licensed garages would be allowed to have unlicensed or unregistered vehicles as they could be impounds, wrecked with dead plates, or vehicles for sale.
