Abandoned Vehicles: Nuisance or Liability for Municipalities?

What’s an Abandoned Vehicle?

Any vehicle left on private property for an extended period may legally classify as abandoned. Details vary by location, municipality, state, and the code enforcement statutes of your area but any vehicle left on your property for 72 hours or more is usually considered abandoned. With the consent of the private property owner a car may stay as long as the owner consents, however, without consent, it becomes up to the owner of the space to remove it. It can be particularly annoying for citizens if an abandoned vehicle has been left in front of their residence causing parking and property nuisances.

What Should Citizens Do If Someone Leaves a Vehicle on Their Property?

The nicest thing to do is take a moment to ask neighbors if they know who owns the vehicle a citizen wishes  to remove. Someone could have left it there because they broke down. Citizens can also post on social media groups local to the local  area. 

It’s important to research the codes and ordinances regarding private property and abandoned vehicles for the local jurisdiction. This step is important because even though it’s on private property, citizens should be sure to handle it legally to avoid any confusion. Knowing these steps can protect citizens and their property.

Abandoned Vehicles Create Liability for Municipalities

The Federal Highway Administration, categorizes abandoned vehicles and trucks on the road as among the top 26 leading results causing traffic wrecks. Not only are abandoned vehicles an eyesore for municipalities they can drive up calls for first responders and broadly cost the community more in the long run. Abandoned vehicles can take up the shoulder of the road so there is no safe pull off area, or block visibility on curvy roads. 

Comcate’s Vehicle Database Saves Time for Municipalities 

When reporting an abandoned vehicle, code enforcement staff need to gather the make, model, color, license plate, and the exact location.

Some agencies will place a warning tag on the vehicle, giving the owner a short amount of time, such as 24 hours, to move it. If the vehicle has not been moved within the time limit, the city may impound and/or dispose of it.

Comcate’s vehicle database saves code enforcement officers and municipalities time by preloading vehicle owner information when someone reports an abandoned vehicle and license plate. Municipality employees can simply take action issuing a notice or fine to the owner. This saves time going between platforms to compile information manually for a case. 

311 Service Requests for Abandoned Vehicles

All abandoned vehicle requests should be made through online 311 software. For open service requests, the vehicle has further action that's required before the request can be closed. In some instances agencies will get duplicate complaints for a single vehicle, Comcate’s software makes it easier than ever to close out duplicate requests and mark them as resolved in addition to keeping citizens informed. Using our GIS mapping tool agencies can also see patterns such as areas of a municipality with high patterns of abandoned vehicles over time.

Learn how Comcate can help make government delivery simple, and offer a modern digital experience to help you increase transparency, efficiency, and performance across your departments. If you have any questions about implementing our software, please schedule a meeting with our team, or  call us directly at (415) 632-1248.