The fate of vehicles abandoned on highways, as well as in parking lots, public spaces, repair facilities, and empty parcels of land, depends on local guidelines. As it stands, there are no federal laws that cover the removal or disposal of abandoned vehicles. Instead, the burden lies on your local state and municipality. For example, the city of Oakland in California — a town swamped by abandoned cars — has approved funding for towing and storing deserted vehicles.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) classifies a vehicle as abandoned if it has been sitting in the same public location for a minimum of three straight days. Meanwhile, an unattended vehicle that's been parked on public or private property for more than 48 hours will be considered abandoned in the great state of Texas. In New York, vehicles left unattended on private or public property are deemed abandoned if they've been there for 96 hours or four days.
As you can see, the criteria for defining an abandoned vehicle differ greatly across U.S. states. As for what happens to abandoned vehicles, that also depends on where you live, since the rules and procedures for towing and disposing abandoned cars vary substantially from state to state. Generally, abandoned cars are sold at auction. However, the ways in which those vehicles arrive at auction houses can differ, depending on the laws in your area.
Texas laws allow local law enforcement agencies to take custody of abandoned vehicles. After taking the car, the agency must notify the registered owner, and the agency has the right to sell the car at auction if the original owner fails to claim the vehicle. If the law enforcement agency sends the abandoned car to an authorized storage facility, the facility should notify the vehicle's last registered owner at least twice and inform the person that the vehicle is in their custody.
In comparison, vehicles abandoned on private property in New Jersey must be sold publicly at auction, and the registered owner can apply for a title (in their name only) if the car fails to sell. The rules are a bit different if the abandoned car is found on public property. New Jersey law states that cars abandoned on public property must be sold at a public auction. Otherwise, the abandoned vehicle will be issued a junk title, but only if the car is inoperable or if the costs to repair the damage will exceed the vehicle's existing market value.
If you live in New York, you can contact local authorities and ask them to take custody of an abandoned car. However, if the authorities refuse, you can tow the vehicle to an approved junk yard or itinerant vehicle collector if the car has been sitting for more than a month, is at least 10 years old, and is valued at less than $1,250. If the vehicle fails to meet those requirements, you can reach out to your local NY police agency for further assistance.
Unclaimed vehicles or those abandoned at repair facilities are treated similarly to abandoned cars. But again, the rules and procedures will depend on where you live. New Jersey law allows shop owners to classify a vehicle as abandoned if the car has been left sitting for 60 days without the shop owner's consent or if 60 days have passed since the shop notified the owner that their vehicle is ready for collection. Then, repair shops can remove and store the car or offload it in a public or private sale.
Meanwhile, New York shop owners can dispose of unclaimed cars by filing the appropriate garageperson's lien to recoup unpaid repair expenses, as well as towing and storage costs. The garage owner must file the appropriate paperwork and notify the owner before advertising the vehicle for sale or selling the car at a public auction.
Here at Jalopnik, we love all kinds of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. However, there's no denying that abandoned vehicles pose a number of problems — they can be harmful to the environment, cause road safety issues, and are generally considered to be eyesores (yes, that includes your abandoned project car). Contact the local authorities in your state to learn more about the lawful procedures for reporting, moving, and disposing of deserted cars.