RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

I've noticed a lot more of these abandoned cars on the side of the road these days. I think I passed about 10 of them this morning on my 70 mile drive into work this morning. I've seen everything from POS clunkers to BMW's.

Got me wondering....what becomes of these?

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

^ I always thought they were towed... and if the owner did not claim after a certain period of time the city would auction off the good ones and junk the crappy ones. Not sure... so curious if my guess is accurate!

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

That's my assumption as well. It's just nuts how many there are on the side of the road these days. Last Friday I saw one that's was there for about a week.

incredulous1

tow it yourself

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

None of them belong to me.

chill_dog

That is what happens, at least around here. In NC, if it has an orange sticker on the rear window, it's been spotted by the police/state troopers, called in, and towing requested. I'm not sure if there's a time period after the sticker goes on that they sit, but they will still be there a while (can't imagine the tow company not being on top of it). From what I've noticed, within a week, they're always gone, sticker or not.

Usually, I couldn't care less about these cars as they are typically POS's; however, I saw a classic 60's era Chevy on the side of the interstate the other week. It was in decent shape, too. I really wanted to "claim" it.

SG81

iTrader: (1)

that's called stealing

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

^^^^

I saw a 300Z a couple months back and it had a sticker on it for a week or so before it was towed. Same thing....outside looked to be in good shape.

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

abandoned vs jacked up... alot of peeps cannot afford even minor maintenance on cars so they just drive them until they stop somewhere... a used tire guy told me he hardly gets any good tires anymore because peeps drive on the tires until there is nothing left...

SIDEBAR: just off one of the major toll roads in North Houston is a "derelict' vehicle area... prob at least 200 cars / trucks in there... kinda weird... its not a junk yard either... all of them are lined up neatly on concrete surface...kinda creepy... some look totalled while others look just fine...

Moog-Type-S

Abandoned cars = ghetto

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

wow, surprised someone leaves that kind of a car on the side of the road

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

u would think that the police would trace these cars down to the registered owner and wack them with the 'removal' bill...

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

^ I'm sure it happens. The tow company is definitely not going to eat the bill themselves.

F23A4

I routinely see late model cars in varying stages of deconstruction along the Morris & Essex NJ Transit line in Harrison, NJ. Though in clear view of passing commuter rail trains the cars are typically parked behind the dump trucks that usually park in that area.

The latest was a Volvo XC90 which -- as of today -- is now reduced to a frame.

tmnhs81

I went to this junk yard to find some part for my car. There was a white 3G TL in there with blown tires. I asked him wassup with that car. He told me they towed it from somewhere and waiting for owner to come and claim it. They will wait for a month only and after that they will auction it. It was already a week, I was interested in that car but I lost track of the days and that car was gone...FML..

Eoanou

Why would they do that? Instead, they should just do a vehicle registration check and contact the owner, it would take much effort to do.

Eoanou

By the way I've noticed many of these types of vehicles in my area as well. Most of them are just clunkers which probably have a high amount of miles. Like early 90s Toyota Camry, Saturns or stuff like that.

Moog-Type-S

abandoned cars must be an east coast/jersey thing

tmnhs81

What I meant to say was that they contacted the person whoever that car was registered to and told him to come and pay all the BS fee and pick his car. He didn't come through in 30 days, thats not their problem.

STL+3.0CL

I wonder why? I've been seeing a bunch lately too. Its something I normally wouldn't see where Im at, but they are definitely more frequently dumped now days. There was a news story last month where a guy called the local news station to bitch. He lives off of a service road on I-70 and people kept dumping cars on his side street.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I'm sure cars break down on the side of the highway all over the country.

Chill_dog said he sees a bunch but where I'm driving I hardly see any. Once in a while on I485 I may... but that's usually it...

Then again I don't drive much.

slvrdrgn123

+1 I see the usual 1-3 a day but 10+ is crazy.

atticusbcr

I hate chilli dogs

1slo23

^ wtf?

I usually see 3 per day around Cincinnati

zac

Are they leaving it in hopes of having it stolen or they want to claim it as such?

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

Who knows maybe people can't pay for the cars so they dump them thinking they don't have to pay anymore, which is not true. Just a thought....

DeusVictorae

That's like something out of "I Am Legend". Very eerie..

Anhedonia

i want to take an abandoned car from the woods/side of the road and use it as a project car lol

YeuEmMaiMai

here they will tow your stuff within 4 hours. They don't leave anything on the expressways here even if it is parked off on the side off of the shoulder of the road.

PortlandRL

Around here abandoned cars are smacked with an orange label that basically says if you don't move it within 48 hours, it will be towed. I'm assuming that if it isn't claimed, they part it out.

Towing companies around here are vicious and the trucks are always circling like vultures, looking for the slightest infraction to tow a car. The drivers are paid by the car so once they decide that they can legally hitch yours, they'll do it. They've towed from a domestic violence victim who was bleeding and bruised following an altercation with her boyfriend. A cop even begged the man to let her keep the car and the tow truck driver said it wasn't his problem. Once the story broke out, the owner of the company released a statement saying he sided with his driver and that he had done the right thing. It took months of hate mail before they finally retracted their opinion. Soulless bastards.

dallison

there were 3 in a 10 mile stretch from york to lancaster

zac

What road?

nsnrider

iTrader: (2)

around here, once the police call up a tow truck, it is towed to a storage yard and a certified letter is mailled to the last registered owner telling them to payy towing fees and storage fees and pick up the vehicle. After 30 days, if no one claims it they'll send another certified letter. After that, they publish in the legal notice section of the paper for two weeks. If no one claims it, they apply for a title with the registry of motor vehicles, and send the car off to auction.

Note that it is no required for the owner to actually recieve the certified letter, they just have to prove that it was send out.

Thats how it goes down in MA based on personal expirience.

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

rt30.

chill_dog

But I live near and work in the hood


Almost lunch time, too

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

That could do it. Like I said... I don't get out too much from where we live since I do everything locally... so you probably see more then me

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

Oh and for the noobs trying to be funny... I said chill_dog as that is his screen name. If you're going to try to be witty, at least learn to fucking read.

And cut the shit in Car Talk.... otherwise, you won't be long for this forum. If you want to fail at comedy... take it to Ramblings.

chill_dog

Unfortunately, the same applies to me.

iTimmy

I think we are seeing a few things happening all at once, all of which are directly tied to the poor economic conditions. As it was said above the clunkers are simply dying on the side of the road and being left for dead, people cannot afford to repair them so they drive them until they crap out and walk away, literally. With the late model cars it's surprisingly more common then most people think, people will report the car stolen and simply hide it someplace until the insurance money coughs up the dough and then miraculously the car is found. I have a friend at an insurance company he is in claims, he tells me it was common to see before, now it's out of control. It's the easy(and sleazy) way to get yourself out from under a car you can no longer afford. It's a condition created by money lenders allowing consumers to get in way to deep and the burden is being spread into the insurance world and all of us law abiding citizens are left to pay for it with our premiums. I do think it is most common in and around NYC because so many over extended themselves to fill the status quo of trendy metropolitan life.