Question on abandoned vehicles?

[Jgordon]

I have a question for you guys, hopefully someone has had some experience with this.

I pass a garage every day, where there happens to be a car. The attendants say it's been there for years, just sitting and collecting dust. Flat tires, window's open and the interior is covered in dust, and it generally looks pretty forlorn.

How do I go about proving it's abandoned? Is there any law that says the garage can sell it to me, or do I have to prove through some arbitrary proceeding that the owner doesn't want it? I've read some regulations online, and many mention "reasonable appearence of abandonment. I think that would apply here.

Are there any good soures for information?

Thanks.

[ronin]

search the New York Consolidated laws. start with chapter 697. that should be a good start

[audi2.7t]

I believe that anyone owed money can place a lien on a vehicle in their possesion after 30 days and I believe it also applies to any vehicle left on a property more than 30 days .If the garage wants to get rid of it they can authorize it to be towed away and let the tower apply lien or just apply themselves .Contact a lien and appraisal company for more info .
Sam.

[Tim K]

We have what is called "The Garage Keeper's Act". I imagine you have something similar in your area. One point of interest is that if a car sits at a garage with a bill outstanding for something like a couple of weeks, the garage can legally assume ownership. If the garage wants to play your little game, they can start charging the imaginary owner for storage. The other option is to push it out onto the street. It probably isn't insured anymore, and it is usually against the law to leave an unlicensed vehicle on public property. The city will probably pick it up and put it in impound for a while and then auction it off. You can probably get a weekly list of what is on the chopping block.
I was examining both options once, but I eventually found out who the owner was. It was a collections agency. They had no interest in the vehicle because it was not in running condition. Also they were leagally responsible for the bill owing at the shop if they did want to reclaim it. While negotiating with the agency, the garage got tired of looking at it a pushed it onto the street. The city picked it up anyway, and I had to pay the impound fee to get it out, but I got the car (73 targa) for a song.

Gook Luck

[Tim K]

oops, audi2.7t beat me to it.

[SteveStromberg]

I bet that that car has its storage paid ever month.

[Joe Bob]

Eddie Murphy had a car like that....had a whole buncha money in the trunk waiting for him to get outta jail...he got there with an uglee cop and an even uglee'r baby blue caddy....%^B

[MovOvr1]

Might it be from someone that perished from 9/11??

[Jgordon]

That was my thought. Since the window was open, I took the liberty of opening the car and checking the insurance ID. I cross checked the name against CNN's list of 9/11 victims, and came up empty. I do believe that the car has lain there since 9/11, but I'm at a loss to explain how. I figure that if I start a process on it, I can come to some conclusions as to the owner, the status of the car, and figure it out.

[VaSteve]

There is a garage in Hoboken with about 3 911s like you describe.

[JeremyD]

Get a vin# and run a car fax, then contact the owner - that's the best way to start.

[unclebilly]

About 10 years ago, my 340 Dodge Dart got stolen from my friend's place where I was storing it. The car was somewhat rough and I wasn't into it for a bunch of money and it wasn't insured so I didn't report it stolen. I figured it was a goner, until one day while driving down the highway, I spotted my car in the back yard of a house just outside of town.

They had big dogs there but from the road, I was able to positively ID my car. That Saturday, I went to the Police station (with my registration for the car), reported my car stolen and reported the whereabouts of my car.

2 cop cars went to the house, told the guy there that the car in the back yard was stolen (checked the VIN vs. my paper work and what the computer said). Once all the hub bub died down, the police stood by while I loaded the car onto my trailer.

The guy who had the car, bought it from a wrecker and had sunk a bunch of money into the car even though he didn't have legal ownership of the car. In the end, I did sell him the car for $1500.

I guess that the key in this situation was that there was no lein on the car and he had no legal title for the vehicle. BC is a funny province...