[Adopted as § 13.07 of the 1998 Code]
Pursuant to § 342.40, Wis. Stats., no person shall leave unattended any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or mobile home on any public highway or private or public property, for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned. Except as otherwise provided in this section, whenever any vehicle has been left unattended without the permission of the property owner for more than 48 hours, the vehicle is deemed abandoned and constitutes a public nuisance. A motor vehicle shall not be considered an abandoned motor vehicle when it is out of ordinary public view or when designated as not abandoned by the Sheriff.
Any vehicle in violation of this article shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of under § 200-11 below, except that if it is deemed by the Sheriff that the cost of towing and storage charges for the impoundment would exceed the value of the vehicle, the vehicle may be junked or sold by the Sheriff prior to expiration of the impoundment period, upon determination by the Sheriff that the vehicle is not stolen or otherwise wanted for evidence or other reason. All substantially complete vehicles in excess of 19 model years of age shall be disposed of in accordance with § 200-11 below.
Any abandoned vehicle shall be impounded at a suitable place of impoundment designated by the Sheriff and disposed of as follows:
A. 
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 from the sale of the vehicle may be recovered in a civil action by the County against the owner.
B. 
Any vehicle which is deemed abandoned by the Sheriff and not disposed of under § 200-10 above shall be retained in storage for a minimum period of 10 days after certified mail notice has been sent to the owner and lienholders of record to permit reclamation of the vehicle after payment of accrued charges. Such notice shall set forth the year, make, model and serial number of the abandoned motor vehicle, the place where the vehicle is being held, and shall inform the owner and any lienholders of their right to reclaim the vehicle. The notice shall state that the failure of the owner or lienholders to exercise their rights to reclaim the vehicle under this section shall be deemed a waiver of all right, title and interest in the vehicle and a consent to the sale of the vehicle. Each retained vehicle not reclaimed by its owner or lienholder may be sold. The Sheriff may dispose of the vehicle by sealed bid or auction sale. At such a sale, the highest bid for any such motor vehicle shall be accepted unless the same is deemed inadequate by the Sheriff, in which event all bids may be rejected. If all bids are rejected or no bid is received, the Sheriff may either readvertise the sale, adjourn the sale to a definite date, sell the motor vehicle at a private sale or junk the vehicle. Any interested person may offer bids on each abandoned vehicle to be sold. Upon sale of an abandoned vehicle, the Sheriff shall supply the purchaser with a completed form designed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, enabling the purchaser to obtain a regular certificate of title for the vehicle. The purchaser shall have 10 days to remove the vehicle from the storage area, but shall pay a storage fee of $5 for each day the vehicle remains in storage after the second business day subsequent to the sale date. Ten days after the sale, the purchaser shall forfeit all interest in the vehicle and the vehicle shall be deemed to be abandoned and may be sold again. Any listing of vehicles to be sold by the Sheriff shall be made available to any interested person or organization which makes a written request for such list. The Sheriff may charge a fee for the list.
(1) 
Within five days after the sale or disposal of the vehicle as provided, the Sheriff shall advise the Department of Motor Vehicles of the sale or disposition on a form supplied by the division.
Any individual who violates § 200-9 of this article shall be subject to the forfeiture of not less than $25 nor more than $200, together with costs of prosecution.