Court Opinion

ID: 9528949
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:45:37.768315+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:27:30.111572
License: Public Domain

THOMAS J. MOEAN, P. J., specially concurring: The evidence in this cause disclosed that the defendant kept old farm equipment, dismantled machinery and other junk upon his premises. There was further testimony to the effect that, in addition to the above, the defendant also stored inoperative motor vehicles upon his premises. It is to this latter subject (inoperative motor vehicles) that I direct my opinion. The majority view has decided that (1) the Village has the power to enact an ordinance prohibiting the storing, keeping or maintaining, outside of a closed building, any motor vehicle not in operable condition, (2) that the Legislature did not indicate or intend to preempt the area of “inoperative motor vehicles” when it enacted section 11-40-3 of the Municipal Code (quoted in the opinion) and (3) that the ordinance in question was enacted under section 11-60-2 (quoted in the opinion) rather than under section 11-40-3. Section 11-60-2 became law on May 29, 1961, whereas section 11-40-3 became law on June 19, 1967. The latter section declared certain motor vehicles to be a nuisance and not only provided for a notice but defined what would constitute an inoperative motor vehicle. The Village, on September 18, 1967, enacted an ordinance which enumerated six conditions or acts that would constitute a nuisance. Included as one of the six was the following, under which the defendant was charged: “The storing, keeping, or maintaining outside of a closed building any junk, parts, machinery or equipment not in operable condition, or motor vehicle not in operable condition, provided, however, that this ordinance shall not apply to a properly licensed junkyard. . . .” (Emphasis added.) As can be seen, the ordinance neither requires notice, nor defines what constitutes an inoperable motor vehicle as required in the statutory provision. Prior to the enactment of section 11-40-3, an inoperative motor vehicle was not a nuisance per se. However, by enacting this section, the Legislature granted municipalities the right to declare all inoperative motor vehicles, whether on public or private property, to be a nuisance and to levy a fine in the event (1) that after notice a person fails to dispose of any such vehicle under his control and (2) the vehicle, for a period of six months, was incapable of being driven under its own power. The majority opinion asserts that there is nothing in section 11-40-3 which indicates that the Legislature intended to preempt this area (inoperative motor vehicles) and bar proper and authorized legislation by municipal bodies relating to nuisances in general as expressed under section 11-60-2. I would agree if the section of the ordinance in question had not included inoperative motor vehicles or, having included the same, would have provided for a notice and defined what constituted an inoperative motor vehicle. However, the fact that the Legislature did act in this area bears out the conclusion that it was intended to preempt this specific field, otherwise there would be no reason for such legislation and it would become a useless act. We must keep in mind that the section is directed, expressly, to municipalities and not to other agencies of the State. It should be further noted that this section is not found under section 11-60-2 covering nuisances in general. The majority, by assumption, concludes that the ordinance in question was enacted under section 11-60-2. There is nothing in the ordinance or the record before us upon which to base this assumption; rather, because of the time sequence between the enactment of section 11-40-3 and the later enactment of the ordinance, the assumption should be that the Village had the recent enactment of the Legislature in mind when it adopted its ordinance. There can be no question that the Village had the power to adopt an ordinance pertaining to inoperative motor vehicles. That is the purpose of section 11-40-3; however, the section requires certain minimum safeguards, i. e., notice, and a definition of inoperative motor vehicles. These minimum requirements were not included within the ordinance. As it stands, any resident of the Village may, under the present ordinance, (since it is styled in the disjunctive) be prosecuted for having an inoperative motor vehicle upon his premises, without being given notice and regardless of how long such vehicle may be present. I therefore disagree with the majority view to the extent expressed herein, but agree that the judgment must be affirmed based upon the evidence introduced at the hearing, as it relates to old farm equipment, dismantled machinery and other junk.