CT Passes Bill To Seize, Sell Bikes

HARTFORD – Cities in Connecticut will have the ability to seize and sell dirt bikes, ATVs and mini-motorcycles that have been ridden illegally on public property as a result of a bill that has now passed the General Assembly. Following a 33-2 vote in the Senate, the bill passed the House of Representatives this week by a 101-46 margin and now awaits the governor’s signature.

As a originally written, only cities of 30,000 or more residents would have been able to seize vehicles, but the population total was lowered to 20,000 residents as the bill moved through the General Assembly.

More than 50 towns and cities qualify under the bill, which will allow them to sell seized vehicles at public auction and deposit the proceeds into the general fund of the municipality. The Top Five largest cities in the state are Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Stamford and Waterbury.

A provision that would have allowed for the destruction of seized vehicles was eliminated from the bill.

The new law will apply to cities that have ordinances against illegally operated off-road dirt bikes, ATVs and mini-motorcycles and allows for fines of not more than $1,000 for the first violation, not more than $1,500 fine for the second and not more than $2,000 fine for the third violation.

If signed, the new act will take effect on Oct.1, 2016. The bill as amended is posted here.