West Virginia Code 17-24A-5 – Disposal of abandoned motor vehicles, junked motor vehicles, and inoperative or abandoned household appliances
(a) If an abandoned motor vehicle or junked motor vehicle is not reclaimed as provided for in section four of this article, the enforcement agency in possession of the abandoned motor vehicle or junked motor vehicle shall sell it either at a public auction or to a licensed salvage yard or demolisher. The purchaser of the motor vehicle shall take title to the motor vehicle free and clear of all liens and claims of ownership and shall receive a sales receipt from the enforcement agency which disposed of the motor vehicle. The sales receipt at the sale shall be sufficient title only for purposes of transferring the motor vehicle to a licensed salvage yard or to a demolisher for demolition, wrecking or dismantling and no further titling of the motor vehicle shall be necessary by either the purchaser at the auction, the licensed salvage yard or the demolisher, who shall be exempt from the payment of any fees and taxes required under article three, chapter seventeen-a of this code: Provided, That the purchaser at the auction must place the motor vehicle in the possession of a licensed salvage yard or demolisher within twenty days from the date he or she purchased the motor vehicle and the licensed salvage yards or demolisher must demolish, wreck or dismantle the motor vehicle within six months after taking possession of the motor vehicle and if the licensed salvage yard or demolisher does not, the licensed salvage yard or demolisher shall be required to pay all fees and taxes required under article three, chapter seventeen-a of this code.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17-24A-5
- Abandoned motor vehicle: means any motor vehicle, or major part thereof, which is inoperative and which has been abandoned on public property for any period over five days, other than in an enclosed building or in a licensed salvage yard or at the business establishment of a demolisher. See West Virginia Code 17-24A-1
- Demolisher: means any person licensed by the Commissioner of the Division of Highways whose business, to any extent or degree, is to convert a motor vehicle or any part thereof or an inoperative household appliance into processed scrap or scrap metal or into saleable parts or otherwise to wreck or dismantle vehicles or appliances. See West Virginia Code 17-24A-1
- Enforcement agency: means any of the following or any combination of the following:
(a) Public law-enforcement officers of this state, including natural resources police officers. See West Virginia Code 17-24A-1
- Junked motor vehicle: means a motor vehicle, or any part thereof which: . See West Virginia Code 17-24A-1
- Licensed salvage yard: means a salvage yard licensed under article twenty-three of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 17-24A-1
- Motor vehicle: means a vehicle which is or was self-propelled, including, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, buses and motorcycles. See West Virginia Code 17-24A-1
(b) When an enforcement agency has in its custody and possession inoperative or abandoned household appliances collected in accordance with section seven of this article it shall sell the property from time to time at public auction or to a licensed salvage yard or demolisher.