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Abandoned Vehicles

Abandoned Vehicles pose a threat to public health and safety.  The Department of Code Enforcement (DCE) administers a contract to ticket, tow and dispose of abandoned vehicles, as authorized by Section 611-301 of the Municipal Code.

REPORT AN INOPERABLE OR ABANDONED VEHICLE
 
To report a suspected abandoned vehicle, please get the exact location and description of the vehicle and contact the Mayor's Action Center (MAC) online at www.indy.gov/mac or call (317) 327-4MAC (4622). It will be assigned a report tracking number and will be forwarded on for action.
 
To check the status of your report, contact the Mayor's Action Center and be prepared to provide the tracking number.
 
If the vehicle is located on a street, alley, or other public right-of-way, the City vendorr will "Tag" it. This tag notifies the vehicle's owner that he/she has three (3) days to move the vehicle. If it is not moved within this time limit, the vendor will then tow the vehicle to an Abandoned Vehicle Lot.
 

ON PRIVATE PROPERTY?

Removal with a Property Owner's Consent to Tow
If a vehicle has been on private property for more than 48 hours without the property owner's consent, or a citizen will attest (via a signed affidavit) that the vehicle has not moved for 21 days, then an initial inspection will be performed by a Department of Code Enforcement Inspector. A DCE vendor will tag the vehicle and refer it for tow it after 72 hours.
 
Removal without a Property Owner's Consent to Tow
Under the State abandoned vehicle statute, a vehicle more than three model years old, mechanically inoperable, and left on the property continuously in a location visible from public property for 20 days can be removed from the property without the owner's consent.  The process is as follows:

Step 1: Initial inspection and documentation by DCE.
Step 2: A re-inspection occurs 18 days after the initial inspection.  If the vehicle is still in violation of zoning ordinance, the DCE inspector issues a $50.00 citation.
Step 3: If the vehicle is still present 21 days after the initial inspection, it will be referred for tow.
 
VEHICLE RETRIEVAL
Once an abandoned vehicle is on the Abandoned Vehicle Lot, the title records of the Indiana State Bureau of Motor Vehicles will be searched to identify both the owner and any lien holders connected to the vehicle. All parties involved will be notified by letter, informing them that the City has current possession of the vehicle and the proper procedures required to re-gain possession before it’s sold at auction. Abandoned vehicles are sold at auction after fifteen (15) days and impounded vehicles after twenty-six (26) days.

To claim your vehicle, you must supply proof of ownership (the Title) and photo identification, pay a towing fee of ninety dollars ($90.00), pay the storage fees, at a rate of ten dollars ($10.00) per day, effective six hours after arrival on the lot and pay any impounding fees if applicable.