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Abandoned vehicle advice - JB3 - 06-01-2011
Just rented a great work space.
I get half off the rent first month to deal with the mess in the space left by the previous tenant. (apparently his life went to shit, his wife left him and took the kids, ect). He left a shocking mess in the space, but he also left a ton of useful stuff, so in the spirit of cynical enterprise, not a problem.
However, he has until the 3rd (two days) to get rid of three cars in the parking area, then I have a chance to try and deal with them. The landlord says if I can figure out ownership and paperwork, I can have them to sell or whatever.
Worst case I think I can just call the city to have them removed, but id like to sell them and pick up some cash. anyone have any experience with mechanics liens/ abandoned cars?
The cars in question are a mid 90s giant buick station wagon, a late 90s jetta GLS 5-speed, and an early 90s toyota corolla.
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - yankneck696 - 06-01-2011
You have a few options:
1. Take VIN #'s to the DMV & explain the situation. They should be able to provide you with the owners (bring your lease papers & pics) or they will have the owners contact you .
2. Call a wrecker company to remove them & they will do all of the paperwork after 30 days for titles (no $ for you)
3. If you are opening a mechanic's shop with the proper licensing, you can do a mechanic's lein for storage
This all varies due to the state you live in & their laws. The DMV may give you other options & you can claim that the city wants them gone before you can get an occupational license...
G'luck,
Ed
Oh, if the wagon is a 95-97 Roachmaster, you might have the detuned corvette engine which is worth a few bucks in running condition...
Ed
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - JB3 - 06-01-2011
(06-01-2011, 06:51 AM)yankneck696 You have a few options:
1. Take VIN #'s to the DMV & explain the situation. They should be able to provide you with the owners (bring your lease papers & pics) or they will have the owners contact you .
2. Call a wrecker company to remove them & they will do all of the paperwork after 30 days for titles (no $ for you)
3. If you are opening a mechanic's shop with the proper licensing, you can do a mechanic's lein for storage
This all varies due to the state you live in & their laws. The DMV may give you other options & you can claim that the city wants them gone before you can get an occupational license...
G'luck,
Ed
Oh, if the wagon is a 95-97 Roachmaster, you might have the detuned corvette engine which is worth a few bucks in running condition...
Ed
Just calling a tow company is probably the best use of my time. Ill see how much trouble it might be first to create storage fees and get addresses. They have to sit for 30 days? They are all in a fenced lot
The buick supposedly has a new engine and is "not totally complete" according to the landlord. New engine piques my interest, potentially a vette engine piques it further.
If the cars are still there on the 3rd, ill have a look and see if any of the 40 ignition keys still on the wall open any of the cars.
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - Greazzer - 06-01-2011
Hey,
I would be somewhat cautious. Depending on the state, there may be a bailor -bailee relationship created. In that case, although you do not know this person, there may be some duty on the landlord. I would get the landlord to take whatever action that is going to be taken as it is his property (garage), but if you remove or dispose of the cars/property, my guess is that you would be liable or at least partially liable since you are acting as the agent of the principal (landlord). Or, these cars may have liens by finance companies, and a lien does not have to be recorded. Recording just puts you first (or second ...) in line. Also, some liens have higher priority than others. So, if you get rid of the cars, the lien holders may come after every person. Or, if this person declares bankrupty, my guess is that the bankruptcy trustee is coming after those cars which he is required to do to liquadate them, but if they are gone, my guess is that someone is going to be liable. Also, I never heard of a landlord shifting its responsibility onto a tenant.....
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - 300D50 - 06-02-2011
Run.
Do not look back.
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - willbhere4u - 06-02-2011
Call the police and report 3 abandon vehicles on your property and let them haul them off and deal with the mess!
Or if they wont take them off private property push them in the street and do the same thing!
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - winmutt - 06-02-2011
Second the motion!
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - yankneck696 - 06-02-2011
The 30 days is Florida, Massachusets & New Hampshire laws that I know of. I have towed or worked auto salvage in those 3 states. I think your best bet is to just go to the DMV with the VINs & your lease & ask them for their advice. They are truly the only ones that have jurisdiction. If the cars "Disappear", you could be charged with auto theft. Don't go by rumors & supposition, go to the source. Again, everything varies by state & sometimes communities.
You may be able to get the mechanic's lein & then titles for all 3 cars. Just the engine (if it's the LT1) in the Roachmaster could bring a good chunk of change.
Ed
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - Greazzer - 06-02-2011
I will add my last .02. Only a court has jurisdiction, and "abandonment" is a legal determination by a court. In sunny South Carolina, about every 3-4 months, there is a news story almost identical to yours. Cars left on a property, someone "removes" them, and the "real" owner pops up and wants them back. Whatever a DMV (state employee) tells you, that is not binding on any party nor would it consistute a defense. However, as I said, this is my last .02. Good luck, and I appreciate this must be very frustrating.
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - JB3 - 06-04-2011
yesterday was the last day, going by to see if any were removed. The plot thickens, I share the lot with a pizza parlor immediately next door to me, and we both have access to the lot. However, neither of us has specific right to the lot as specified on our leases.
That means I can't call a tow truck and neither can the pizza guy unless the cars are in front of our doors. The landlord in florida does not seem inclined to call the police because of some complications by two other unregistered vehicles in the same lot.
theres a blazer that no one has talked about, and a nissan sentra owned by one of the pizza guys as yet unregistered.If he call the city, thats 5 cars being towed, not 3 from the previous tenant.
No one seems to know who owns the blazer. Im meeting with the landlord later this morning to discuss some repairs and demo ive been doing, and we can touch on these abandoned cars then.
Additionally, the state of RI has made this worse by consolidating all DMVs into two or three locations in the entire state. One main one, and two small limited hours places. They also have eliminated a help desk. This means you have to figure out what you want to do from the website, then go take a ticket and wait. Sucks big time if you have a question.
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - JB3 - 06-05-2011
ok, so the previous tenant showed up at the 11th hour and took the station wagon, the corolla, and the blazer. (which apparently was his too). He left the 5-speed jetta VR6.
Further digging shows this car to have been owned by a former employee of the pizza parlor next door.
In my cleaning of the shop, I somewhat randomly found 5 or 6 VW car keys in the back storeroom in a milk jug of over 40 keys to all kinds of cars. The other huge group of keys in the office area are for cars that were in possession of a dealership that used this space 5 years ago or so apparently. None of them open anything, mostly seem to be kia keys, with a few gms and fords. One of the milk jug group turns out to be the ignition and door key to this jetta. I think the guy hid or threw them there, needlessly obnoxious I think. I had to wire wheel the keys since they were all rusty, but it works. This car may have been sitting there for 2-3 years, it has brush growing up through the bumper.
So far, I have a couple of choices. The landlord is open to any suggestions, he just does not appear to want to be involved.
Choice one is he calls a tow truck or files the necessary paperwork for a mechanics lien on the jetta.
Choice two is we push the car into my shop space or near my door and I do either of the same since then its under my leased rental area. Im debating if I want to be involved really, but the landord is offering 100 bucks off the rent to not be involved in getting rid of this car since he's in florida.
Should I do this?
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - 300D50 - 06-05-2011
$100 off rent, with possible $1500 in legal fees, possible record, etc...
I'd say it isn't worth it to be involved, let the pizza joint deal with it.
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - JB3 - 06-14-2011
(06-05-2011, 06:02 PM)300D50 $100 off rent, with possible $1500 in legal fees, possible record, etc...
I'd say it isn't worth it to be involved, let the pizza joint deal with it.
Mechanics leins are pretty common, its about assembling the right paperwork. Not worried about legal fees on this, I can either do it or not once I figure out what paperwork is needed. If the paperwork is too much trouble, the car can sit there. However, if the paperwork is not so bad, I have no problem taking over the title on a decent looking jetta for a couple hundred bucks. I could use another winter beater.
The pizza place and i have the same problem with the lot, in order for us to actually get rid of the car, we have to push/move it to the spaces specifically listed on our leases, then we can just have it towed.
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - willbhere4u - 06-14-2011
See if the pizza place can get you the number of the employee call him offer him $20 for the title or tell him to get it off your property!
RE: Abandoned vehicle advice - JB3 - 06-18-2011
The town constable's advice- "take that key, put it in the ignition, and walk away. thats as far as your responsibility carries you. Someone takes it, problem solved"
Official advice is to help the car get stolen.
guess im leaving it alone, damn, I wanted that powertrain and hot rims to resell on that car.