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“Their sale would barely cover the cost of towing, storing, and crushing them, let alone the cost of then selling them for reuse.” “Abandoned vehicles are not a reliable source of revenue,” said Marty Greenstein, public information officer at the California DMV. Probably the most direct answer to this particular question came from the California Department of Motor Vehicle. If nobody claims it, can the highway authority sell it to use the funds to better the roads? Afterward, they are either sold for scrap or sold at an auction. Where do these forgotten vehicles end up?Īs mentioned above, many of them tend to be towed and stored for a specific period of time. Let’s build infrastructure, but we better make it smart Related Are smart cars only as good as the roads they’re driving on? The funds are then used to cover the towing and storage fees for the car. If the owner does not turn up within 30 days, “the tow yard begins the steps to auction off the vehicle,” said Martis. When the owner picks up the car, they will be asked to pay the towing and storage fees. If the car is registered, the CHP notifies the owner about where their car is and how to retrieve it. If the vehicle is not removed, the vehicle is stored at a tow yard,” said Mike Martis, Jr., a CHP spokesman. The driver or registered owner must remove the vehicle from the roadway within four hours. “If the California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer comes upon a car that is abandoned, a notice is placed on the vehicle. Things are not that different in our other example, California, where we explored removals from highways rather than local roads. The proceeds from scrapping the vehicle are used to pay for the removal - the towing and any potential storage. We receive a fee for each vehicle removed,” Mager said. “Private tow and scrap yards are contracted by DSNY to remove the vehicles. Additionally, the car must be without license plates. Derelict vehicles are towed by the Department of Sanitation,” Alana Morales, spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Transportation, told Marketplace.Ī derelict car is any car that’s missing parts, has any exterior or interior damage, had been burned or is eight years or older, according to Belinda Mager, the director of digital media and communications at the Department of Sanitation of New York (DSNY). “Abandoned/stolen non-derelict vehicles are towed by the New York Police Department. Let’s take a look at New York City, where local street removal is the responsibility of two city agencies.
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For example, highways would fall under the state’s highway patrol while local roads like those in your town would fall under the supervision of the local government. Whether the responsibility falls to the state or the local government depends on what kind of the road it is. Keeping the highways and the clear-zone on either side free from accumulated obstructions is an ongoing responsibility of state highway patrols.” “This is also true of road kill - animals struck and killed by vehicles. “Each state has a slightly different process, but - in general - items like the sort you describe are collected by the state highway patrol and disposed of,” said Doug Hecox, spokesman for the department. According to them, the responsibility to keep roads clean falls to state and local level officials. Our first attempt to answer this question took us to the U.S. When cars, boats, campers or any other vehicle is left on the side of the highway and nobody picks it up who pays for its removal? Let’s break this down question by question: Who is responsible and where funds end up also varies depending on the state. When cars, boats, campers or any other vehicle is left on the side of the highway and nobody picks it up who pays for its removal? If nobody claims it, can the highway authority sell it to use the funds to better the roads? Where do these forgotten vehicles end up?Īt first, this seemed like an easy set of questions to answer - except for the fact that roads and things found on the side of them fall under a number of different government agencies and bureaucracy is anything but simple. Listener Cinthia Bonilla sent in this question: Ever wondered if recycling is worth it? Or how store brands stack up against name brands? What do you wonder? Let us know here. This is just one of the stories from our “I’ve Always Wondered” series, where we tackle all of your questions about the world of business, no matter how big or small.
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