05/22/2019
In the next coming weeks officers will be obtaining locations and information on junked vehicles parked in both private and public property’s. The goal will be to establish a current list of all junked vehicles within the City, these junked cars and trucks will be declared as a public nuisance, and will need to be abated (removed).
These vehicles are those that are detrimental to the safety and welfare of the public, tend to reduce the value of private property, invite vandalism, create a fire hazard, are an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors, produce urban blight, and are a public nuisance.
The Police Department will be mailing out notices to the registered owners of these vehicles and will begin court proceeding to have the vehicles abated and removed. The offense of maintaining a public nuisance is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not to exceed $200. If convicted the court shall order the vehicle removed.
If you have a junked vehicle on your property please take action to remove the vehicle from the City before an order to abate and remove has commenced or is issued. We understand that in some cases it may be a financial burden to have this done, and although some of our citizens may not want the vehicle, they do not have the means to have it removed.
In order to help our citizens we have made arrangements with a local wrecker company to remove those vehicles free of charge upon the request of the owner. You will need to provide a clear title at the time the vehicle is picked up. There are also some auto salvage companies that will purchase the vehicle and towed it off your property.
Please feel free to contact the Police Department if you would like information on how you can have the vehicle removed from your property. Call (361) 643-7555 or City Hall at 643-6562.