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Greenville council adopts ordinance tightening rules on inoperable vehicles and parking penalties
Summary
Greenville’s City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 23-02 on May 2, clarifying what counts as an inoperable vehicle, banning storage in city-owned parking areas, and updating penalties and impound authority tied to the Michigan Vehicle Code.
The Greenville City Council on May 2 unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 23-02, a revision to Chapter 42 (Traffic and Vehicles) that defines "inoperable motor vehicle" and expands the city’s authority to regulate and remove such vehicles from public and private spaces.
Mayor Jeff Scoby presided over the meeting. Councilperson Moss moved to approve the ordinance and Councilperson Johnson seconded; the motion carried unanimously. The ordinance text ties the definition of "inoperable motor vehicle" to the Michigan Vehicle Code (MCL 257.1 et seq.) and describes vehicles that lack valid registration, are dismantled or in disrepair, lack power or safe operating condition, or otherwise do not comply with the state code.
Under the ordinance, it is unlawful to store an inoperable motor vehicle on private property (with limited exceptions), on public streets, or in any city-owned parking area. Exceptions include vehicles stored within a completely enclosed building or storage by licensed junk dealers, automobile dealers, or bona fide commercial garages where premises are enclosed by an opaque fence or wall at least six feet high and zoning requirements are met. The ordinance classifies violations as municipal civil infractions and permits immediate removal of inoperable vehicles from public property at the expense of the last titled owner as allowed by law.
The ordinance also amends penalties and administrative authority related to parking violations and unpaid parking tickets, including a fee schedule for parking-ticket payments and authority for seizure, towing and impoundment when fines remain unpaid beyond 30 days. Procedures for notice, bond for contested liability (up to $500), and potential sale of impounded vehicles after one month are set out in the ordinance.
The ordinance requires publication within 10 days of adoption and becomes effective 15 days after adoption provided it is published. The council recorded the ordinance adoption during the May 2 meeting; the ordinance was introduced earlier on April 18.
Why it matters: The changes give city officials clearer standards to remove vehicles that are unregistered or unsafe and provide a codified process for fines, seizure and disposition. That affects property owners, vehicle owners, and users of city-owned parking areas across Greenville.
