CT Aims To Seize, Destroy Bikes

HARTFORD – A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly aimed at curtailing raucous riders who illegally operate motorcycles and ATVs on city streets would, if passed and signed by the governor, allow municipalities to fine riders. It would also empower cities to confiscate and either sell or destroy the dirt bikes and quads.State Capitol

The bill sets penalties for municipalities of more than 30,000 residents that have ordinances concerning the operation of dirt bikes, ATVs and mini-motorcycles. A total of 31 cities in Connecticut have a population of more than 30,000; the five largest being Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Stamford and Waterbury.

Senate Bill No. 463 proposes fines of not more than $1,000 for the first violation, not more than $1,500 fine for the second violation and not more than $2,000 fine for the third violation.

It also proposes “the seizure and forfeiture” to the municipality of such dirt bike or all-terrain vehicle for a violation of such an ordinance and would allow for dirt bikes and ATVs owned by violators to “be forfeited to the municipality … to be sold or destroyed.” This would occur following an appeals process. Proceeds from any sales would go to the town or city and deposited in the general fund.

Opposing the bill is the New England Trail Riders Association. “I’m not at all happy. These penalties are so onerous,” said Jim Sherman, who is legislative officer for NETRA. “The 30,000 population – that’s the only good thing about the bill. I would still argue that the penalties are onerous.”

On its website, NETRA says, “This is the bill that proposes to confiscate OHVs that are ridden on city streets but they have to know that this bill is damaging to even legal OHV use. The money they spend enforcing this proposed law is better used in creating a legal places to recreate. The bill is poorly written and it creates an open door for even more damaging bills that will affect everyone.”

NETRA is urging its members to write complaint letters to their state legislators.

Introduced and referred to the Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding last month, a revised version of the bill was filed today with the Legislative Commissioners’ Office. Listed as the co-sponsor of the bill is Sen. Toni Boucher, a Republican representing the 26th District, which includes Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Westport and Wilton.

Earlier this week, the NYPD announced plans to publicly crush more than 300 bikes that have been seized so far this year from illegal operators in New York City.

Here’s a link to the bill as it was original proposed. Here’s a link to the revised bill and here’s what it says:

February Session, 2016

Proposed Substitute Bill No. 463

LCO No. 3761

AN ACT CONCERNING THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATIONS OF A MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE OPERATION OF A DIRT BIKE, ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE OR MINI-MOTORCYCLES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

  1. 1  Section 1. Section 14-390 of the general statutes is repealed and the
  2. 2  following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):
  3. 3  (a) Any municipality may, by ordinance, regulate the operation and
  4. 4  use, including hours and zones of use, of snowmobiles and all-terrain
  5. 5  vehicles in a manner not inconsistent with the provisions of sections
  6. 6  14-379 to 14-390, inclusive, or any regulations adopted pursuant
  7. 7  thereto, and may (1) prescribe a penalty for violation of such ordinance
  8. 8  in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars for a first violation, in
  9. 9  an amount not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars for a
  10. 10  second violation and in an amount not to exceed two thousand dollars
  11. 11  for a third or subsequent violation, and (2) if the population of such
  12. 12  municipality is thirty thousand persons or more, provide for the
  13. 13  seizure and forfeiture to the municipality of such all-terrain vehicle for
  14. 14  a violation of such ordinance and subject to any bona fide lien, lease or
  15. 15  security interest in the all-terrain vehicle, including, but not limited to,
  16. 16  a lien under section 14-66c.
  17. 17  (b) No all-terrain vehicle shall be forfeited under this section to the

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Proposed Substitute Bill No. 463

  1. 18  extent of the interest of an owner or lienholder by reason of any act or
  2. 19  omission committed by another person if such owner or lienholder did
  3. 20  not know and could not have reasonably known that such all-terrain
  4. 21  vehicle was being used in violation of a municipal ordinance adopted
  5. 22  pursuant to section 7-148, as amended by this act.
  6. 23  (c) Any person whose all-terrain vehicle is seized and forfeited
  7. 24  pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may appeal therefrom to the
  8. 25  superior court for the judicial district in which such seizure occurred,
  9. 26  provided such appeal shall be filed not later than thirty days after the
  10. 27  date on which such seizure occurred. The court shall order such all-
  11. 28  terrain vehicle to be forfeited to the municipality and delivered to the
  12. 29  chief elected official of the municipality to be destroyed upon a finding
  13. 30  of a violation of an ordinance adopted pursuant to section 7-148, as
  14. 31  amended by this act, except that if any such all-terrain vehicle is
  15. 32  subject to a bona fide lien, lease or security interest, including, but not
  16. 33  limited to, a lien under section 14-66c, such property shall not be
  17. 34  ordered destroyed in violation of the rights of the holder of such lien,
  18. 35  lease or security interest. The person using or in charge of any all-
  19. 36  terrain vehicle used in violation of any such provision may be
  20. 37  considered the owner thereof for the purpose of any appeal brought
  21. 38  pursuant to this subsection, except as provided in subsection (b) of this
  22. 39  section. Any person prevailing on appeal shall not be required to pay
  23. 40  the penalty set forth in subsection (a) of this section and shall be
  24. 41  permitted to reclaim the all-terrain vehicle seized and forfeited
  25. 42  pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
  26. 43  (d) Any municipality that seizes an all-terrain vehicle pursuant to an
  27. 44  ordinance adopted pursuant to section 7-148, as amended by this act,
  28. 45  shall destroy such all-terrain vehicle after the expiration of the appeal
  29. 46  or appeal period under subsection (c) of this section except if (1) such
  30. 47  all-terrain vehicle may be reclaimed pursuant to subsection (c) of this
  31. 48  section, or (2) if any such all-terrain vehicle is subject to a bona fide
  32. 49  lien, lease or security interest, including, but not limited to, a lien
  33. 50  under section 14-66c, such property shall not be so destroyed in
  34. 51  violation of the rights of the holder of such lien, lease or security

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Proposed Substitute Bill No. 463

  1. 52  interest.
  2. 53  Sec. 2. Section 14-390m of the general statutes is repealed and the
  3. 54  following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):
  4. 55  (a) Any municipality that adopts an ordinance pursuant to section
  5. 56  7-148, as amended by this act, to regulate the operation and use on
  6. 57  public property, including hours of use, of dirt bikes or mini-
  7. 58  motorcycles may (1) prescribe a penalty for violation of such ordinance
  8. 59  in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars for a first violation, in
  9. 60  an amount not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars for a
  10. 61  second violation and in an amount not to exceed two thousand dollars
  11. 62  for a third or subsequent violation, and (2) if the population of such
  12. 63  municipality is thirty thousand persons or more, provide for the
  13. 64  seizure and forfeiture to the municipality of such dirt bike or mini-
  14. 65  motorcycle for a violation of such ordinance and subject to any bona
  15. 66  fide lien, lease or security interest in the dirt bike or mini-motorcycle,
  16. 67  including, but not limited to, a lien under section 14-66c.
  17. 68  (b) No dirt bike or mini-motorcycle shall be forfeited under this
  18. 69  section to the extent of the interest of an owner or lienholder by reason
  19. 70  of any act or omission committed by another person if such owner or
  20. 71  lienholder did not know and could not have reasonably known that
  21. 72  such dirt bike or mini-motorcycle was being used in violation of a
  22. 73  municipal ordinance adopted pursuant to section 7-148, as amended
  23. 74  by this act.
  24. 75  (c) Any person whose dirt bike or mini-motorcycle is seized and
  25. 76  forfeited pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may appeal
  26. 77  therefrom to the superior court for the judicial district in which such
  27. 78  seizure occurred, provided such appeal shall be filed not later than
  28. 79  thirty days after the date on which such seizure occurred. The court
  29. 80  shall order such dirt bike or mini-motorcycle to be forfeited to the
  30. 81  municipality and delivered to the chief elected official of the
  31. 82  municipality to be destroyed upon a finding of a violation of an
  32. 83  ordinance adopted pursuant to section 7-148, as amended by this act,
  33. 84  except that if any such dirt bike or mini-motorcycle is subject to a bona

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Proposed Substitute Bill No. 463

  1. 85  fide lien, lease or security interest, including, but not limited to, a lien
  2. 86  under section 14-66c, such property shall not be ordered destroyed in
  3. 87  violation of the rights of the holder of such lien, lease or security
  4. 88  interest. The person using or in charge of any dirt bike or mini-
  5. 89  motorcycle used in violation of any such provision may be considered
  6. 90  the owner thereof for the purpose of any appeal brought pursuant to
  7. 91  this subsection, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section.
  8. 92  Any person prevailing on appeal shall not be required to pay the
  9. 93  penalty set forth in subsection (a) of this section and shall be permitted
  10. 94  to reclaim the dirt bike or mini-motorcycle seized and forfeited
  11. 95  pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
  12. 96  (d) Any municipality that seizes a dirt bike or mini-motorcycle
  13. 97  pursuant to an ordinance adopted pursuant to section 7-148, as
  14. 98  amended by this act, shall destroy such dirt bike or mini-motorcycle
  15. 99  after the expiration of the appeal or appeal period under subsection (c)
  16. 100  of this section except if (1) such dirt bike or mini-motorcycle may be
  17. 101  reclaimed pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, or (2) if any such
  18. 102  dirt bike or mini-motorcycle is subject to a bona fide lien, lease or
  19. 103  security interest, including, but not limited to, a lien under section 14-
  20. 104  66c, such property shall not be so destroyed in violation of the rights of
  21. 105  the holder of such lien, lease or security interest.
  22. 106  (e) For the purposes of this section, “dirt bike” means a two-wheeled
  23. 107  motorized recreational vehicle designed to travel over unimproved
  24. 108  terrain and not designed for travel on a highway, as defined in section
  25. 109  14-1 and “mini-motorcycle” has the same meaning as provided in
  26. 110  section 14-289j. “Dirt bike” does not include an all-terrain vehicle, as
  27. 111  defined in section 14-379, or a motor-driven cycle, as defined in section
  28. 112  14-1.
  29. 113  Sec. 3. Subdivision (10) of subsection (c) of section 7-148 of the 2016
  30. 114  supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is
  31. 115  substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2016):
  32. 116  (10) (A) Make all lawful regulations and ordinances in furtherance
  33. 117  of any general powers as enumerated in this section, and prescribe

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Proposed Substitute Bill No. 463

  1. 118  penalties for the violation of the same not to exceed two hundred fifty
  2. 119  dollars, unless otherwise specifically provided by the general statutes.
  3. 120  Such regulations and ordinances may be enforced by citations issued
  4. 121  by designated municipal officers or employees, provided the
  5. 122  regulations and ordinances have been designated specifically by the
  6. 123  municipality for enforcement by citation in the same manner in which
  7. 124  they were adopted and the designated municipal officers or employees
  8. 125  issue a written warning providing notice of the specific violation
  9. 126  before issuing the citation, except that no such written warning shall
  10. 127  be required for violations of a municipal ordinance regulating the
  11. 128  operation or use of a dirt bike, [or] all-terrain vehicle or mini-
  12. 129  motorcycle;
  13. 130  (B) Adopt a code of ethical conduct;
  14. 131  (C) Establish and maintain free legal aid bureaus;
  15. 132  (D) Perform data processing and related administrative computer
  16. 133  services for a fee for another municipality;
  17. 134  (E) Adopt the model ordinance concerning a municipal freedom of
  18. 135  information advisory board created under subsection (f) of section 1-
  19. 136  205 and establish a municipal freedom of information advisory board
  20. 137  as provided by said ordinance and said section;
  21. 138  (F) Protect the historic or architectural character of properties or
  22. 139  districts that are listed on, or under consideration for listing on, the
  23. 140  National Register of Historic Places, 16a USC 470, or the state register
  24. 141  of historic places, as defined in section 10-410.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:

Section 1

October 1, 2016

14-390

Sec. 2

October 1, 2016

14-390m

Sec. 3

October 1, 2016

7-148(c)(10)

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-Bud Wilkinson

 

 

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Since 2010, RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland has been reporting about motorcycling in New England and portions of New York.