Sec. 14-149. Mutilated or removed vehicle identification, factory or engine number. Discovery of vehicle reported as stolen or of vehicle or major component part with mutilated or missing identificati
Sec. 14-149. Mutilated or removed vehicle identification, factory or engine
number. Discovery of vehicle reported as stolen or of vehicle or major component
part with mutilated or missing identification, engine or factory number. Disposition of vehicle or part held in custody. Penalty. Fee. (a) No person shall purchase,
sell or have in such person's possession any motor vehicle, including construction equipment, or a major component part thereof, as defined in section 14-67h, or agricultural
tractors or farm implements with a mutilated, altered or removed vehicle identification,
factory or engine number or a number which shows evidence of having been tampered
with, except as hereinafter provided.
(b) Any officer attached to an organized police department, any state police officer
or inspector of the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon discovery of any motor vehicle,
including construction equipment, or major component part thereof, as defined in section
14-67h, or agricultural tractors or farm implements, the vehicle identification, engine
or factory number of which has been mutilated, altered or removed, shall take such
motor vehicle or major component part if not affixed to such vehicle, or agricultural
tractor or farm implement into custody. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this
section, any such motor vehicle or major component part or agricultural tractor or farm
implement shall be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of section 54-36a,
and in the case of a motor vehicle for which the owner, registration or title has been
identified, a report of such action shall be made to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.
Such officer or inspector may take into custody the operator of such motor vehicle or
agricultural tractor or farm implement or person in possession of such part and present
such operator or person before a proper court. No such operator or person shall be
discharged from custody until such operator or person has proved to the satisfaction of
the court the ownership of such motor vehicle or such part or such agricultural tractor
or farm implement and such operator's or person's right to its custody, provided any
such operator or person may be admitted to bail pending proceedings thereon. If such
operator or person is unable to establish ownership of such motor vehicle or such part
or such agricultural tractor or farm implement to the satisfaction of the court, the court
shall order such motor vehicle or part to be forfeited and turned over to the police
department or agency whose officer or inspector seized such motor vehicle or part or
agricultural tractor or farm implement to be used for such department or agency's purposes or sold at auction with the proceeds given to such department or agency. No officer
or inspector shall be personally liable for any official act performed under the provisions
of this section.
(c) Any inspector of the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon discovery of any
motor vehicle or major component part, the vehicle identification, engine or factory
number of which has been mutilated, altered or removed in the possession of any licensee
of the department, including a new or used car dealer who has been issued an auction
permit in accordance with the provisions of section 14-65, or a motor vehicle dealer or
repairer authorized to tow or transport and store motor vehicles in accordance with the
provisions of section 14-66, shall take such motor vehicle or major component part into
custody. If the motor vehicle or major component part is owned by any such licensee
or an insurance company, or if such licensee or insurance company has the right to
transfer and dispose of such vehicle or major component part, the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles may, upon receipt of transfer of title or forfeiture of all right and interest
therein and notwithstanding the method of disposition required under subsection (b) of
this section, make any disposition of such motor vehicle or major component part that
the commissioner deems necessary or advisable. The provisions of this subsection shall
apply to construction equipment, agricultural tractors or farm implements, the vehicle
identification, engine or factory number of which has been mutilated, altered or removed.
(d) Any officer attached to an organized police department, any state police officer
or inspector of the Department of Motor Vehicles, upon discovery of any motor vehicle,
construction equipment, agricultural tractor or farm implement which has been reported
as stolen, shall take such motor vehicle, construction equipment, agricultural tractor or
farm implement into custody and have it returned to its rightful owner or, if such owner
cannot be determined or if such motor vehicle, construction equipment, agricultural
tractor or farm implement is needed for evidence, shall have it taken to and stored in a
suitable place.
(e) No motor vehicle shall be registered unless it has permanently cut, impressed
or embossed on some portion thereof a factory, serial or identification number or mark.
Any person who knowingly has in such person's possession any motor vehicle, construction equipment, agricultural tractor or farm implement from which the factory, serial
or other identification number has been removed, defaced, obliterated or changed shall
immediately file with the commissioner a sworn statement describing such motor vehicle, construction equipment, agricultural tractor or farm implement and showing the
source of such person's title and, if known, the reason for such removal, defacement,
obliteration or change, together with a fee in the amount of fifty dollars. If satisfied as
to the facts, the commissioner may grant permission to cut, impress or emboss permanently into the motor of such motor vehicle, construction equipment, agricultural tractor
or farm implement a special identification number or mark which shall thereafter be
deemed sufficient for the purpose of registration of such motor vehicle, construction
equipment, agricultural tractor or farm implement. No person shall wilfully remove,
deface, obliterate or change or cause to be removed, obliterated, defaced or changed
any factory, serial or other identification number or mark on or from any motor vehicle,
construction equipment, agricultural tractor or farm implement.
(f) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall, for the first offense,
be fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than
three years, or both, and, for the second or subsequent offense, be fined not more than
five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(1949 Rev., S. 2474; 1961, P.A. 517, S. 63; P.A. 80-292, S. 4; P.A. 81-174, S. 4; 81-337; P.A. 83-587, S. 29, 96; June
Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13, S. 10, 21; P.A. 00-103, S. 4; P.A. 03-265, S. 11.)
History: 1961 act removed obsolete references to trial justices; P.A. 80-292 amended Subsec. (a) to include vehicles
with removed vehicle identification number and forbade purchase or sale of such vehicles as well as possession and
amended Subsec. (c) to increase fine from $300 to $500 and term of imprisonment from six months to one year; P.A. 81-174 extended the prohibition in Subsec. (a) to include major component parts and established a procedure for disposing
of motor vehicles or major component parts taken into custody; P.A. 81-337 subdivided Subsec. (a), inserted a new Subsec.
(c) providing for the disposition by an officer of a motor vehicle reported as stolen and relettered former Subsecs. (b) and
(c) as (d) and (e); P.A. 83-587 substituted "14-67h" for "14-67b" in Subsec. (a); June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-13 added $50 fee
for issuance of special identification number or mark; P.A. 00-103 added references to construction equipment, agricultural
tractors and farm implements throughout section, increased the penalties in Subsec. (e) and made technical changes for
the purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 03-265 amended Subsec. (b) to add provisions re officer attached to organized
police department, state police officer or inspector of Department of Motor Vehicles, to add provision re disposition of
motor vehicle, major component part, agricultural tractor or farm implement except as provided in Subsec. (c), to add
requirement that, in case of motor vehicle for which owner, registration or title identified, report of action be made to
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and to make technical changes, added new Subsec. (c) re when inspector of Department
of Motor Vehicles to take motor vehicle or major component part into custody, when commissioner may dispose of motor
vehicle or major component part and application of subsection to construction equipment, agricultural tractors or farm
implements, redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) to (e), inclusive, as Subsecs. (d) to (f), amended Subsec. (d) to add provision
re officer attached to organized police department, state police officer or inspector of Department of Motor Vehicles and
to make a technical change, and amended Subsec. (e) to replace "forthwith" with "immediately".
See Sec. 14-193(b) re powers of commissioner under Uniform Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title and Antitheft Act.
See chapter 952, part IX re penalties for larceny, robbery and related offenses.
Cited. 7 CA 532.
Subsec. (b):
Cited. 40 CS 226.
Subsec. (e):
Cited. 9 CA 686.