FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               February 1, 2001

CARY, NC – Town of Cary Police patrol officers will today begin the process of having dozens of abandoned vehicles removed from streets and roadsides throughout Cary. Over the next several weeks and as part of their regular duty, patrol officers will be taking special note of abandoned vehicles and marking them with highly visible orange stickers notifying owners who might return that the vehicle is in violation of Town ordinances and in danger of being removed at the owner’s expense.

Once tagged, a number of efforts are made to reach the vehicle’s owner. First, Cary Police mail certified letters to the registered owners of marked vehicles stating that the car or truck will be towed within seven days at the owner’s expense. Once removed by one of the Town’s rotating wrecker services, the Town sends a second letter to the owner, this time giving the name and location of the towing company that is holding the vehicle. The towing service meanwhile sends a storage report to NC Department of Transportation stating that it has taken possession of the vehicle, and the State follows by notifying the owner of where the vehicle is being stored and that if not collected, the vehicle will be subject to sale. Finally, the State sends a second letter to the owner just before selling the vehicle to give the owner one last chance to collect it.

To collect the vehicle, the owner must contact the towing service and pay all towing and storage costs before the vehicle will be released, or place a bond for double that amount with the Clerk of Court if planning to appeal the action in court.

"Surprisingly, a high proportion of the cars and trucks are located in our residential neighborhoods," said Police Captain Pat Bazemore, who is coordinating this effort. "It’s pretty amazing at just how many people will simply walk away from their vehicles."

Cary’s crackdown will take several weeks to complete, with the most obvious abandoned vehicles being cleared first—those along major roadways. "It’s not difficult to determine that a vehicle is illegally parked and probably abandoned when you’re looking at places like NC HWY 54 or parts of Maynard Road," said Bazemore, "but it becomes more complicated when you’re in residential areas looking at cars parked in front of homes. Those cases require a lot more investigation."

Citizens who suspect that a vehicle is abandoned are encouraged to report it to Cary Police anytime by calling 469-4012.

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