City of Fond du Lac, WI Article III Abandoned Vehicles

§ 630-20 Vehicle abandonment prohibited.

No person shall leave unattended any motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or mobile home on any public street or highway or public or private property for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned. When any such vehicle has been left unattended on any City street or highway or on any public or private property within the City without the permission of the owner for more than 72 hours, the vehicle is deemed abandoned and constitutes a public nuisance.

§ 630-21 Removal and impoundment of abandoned vehicles.

Any vehicle in violation of this article shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of under § 630-22, except that if the Chief of Police or his/her authorized representative determines that the cost of towing and storage charges for the impoundment would exceed the value of the vehicle, the vehicle may be junked by the City prior to expiration of the impoundment period upon determination by the Chief of Police or his/her authorized representative that the vehicle is not wanted for evidence or other reason.

§ 630-22 Disposal of impounded vehicles.

A. Vehicles with value over $500.

(1) If the Police Chief or his/her authorized representative determines that the value of the abandoned vehicle exceeds $500, he shall notify the owner and lienholders of record by certified mail that the vehicle has been deemed abandoned and impounded by the City and may be reclaimed within 15 days upon payment of accrued towing, storage and notice charges and, if not reclaimed, shall be sold.

(2) If an abandoned vehicle determined to exceed $500 in value is not reclaimed within the period and under the conditions as provided above, it may be sold by sealed bids. The description of the vehicle and the terms of sale shall be published as a Class 1 notice five days before the sale.

(3) After deducting the expense of impoundment and sale, the balance of the proceeds, if any, shall be paid to the City Clerk.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).

B. Vehicles with value less than $500 (junk vehicles). Any abandoned vehicle which is determined by the Chief of Police or his/her authorized representative to have a value of less than $500 may be disposed of by direct sale to a licensed salvage dealer upon determination that the vehicle is not reported stolen. The Chief of Police is authorized to promulgate any administrative rules or policies necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section.

§ 630-23 Owner responsible for costs.

The owner of any abandoned vehicle, except a stolen vehicle, is responsible for the abandonment and all costs of impounding and disposing of the vehicle. Costs not recovered by the sale of the vehicle may be recovered in a civil action by the City against the owner.

§ 630-24 Notice of sale or disposition.

Within five days after the sale or disposal of a vehicle as provided in § 630-22, the Police Chief or his/her authorized representative shall advise the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles, of such sale or disposition on a form supplied by the Division. A copy of such form shall also be given to the purchaser of the vehicle. A copy shall also be retained on file in the City.