Abandoned vehicles (Huntsville, Madison: for sale, new house, neighborhood)

[rae-zor]

I have been meaning to ask this question for a long time, but what is the deal in this area with the abandoned vehicles on the highway? I've seen more of them in this areas that have far more cars and people in them. They sometimes sit out there for days too. Why aren't the towed off and impounded?

[CoreLysium]

Originally Posted by rae-zor

I have been meaning to ask this question for a long time, but what is the deal in this area with the abandoned vehicles on the highway? I've seen more of them in this areas that have far more cars and people in them. They sometimes sit out there for days too. Why aren't the towed off and impounded?

I haven't seen any, but when I used to drive in via 565 I'd see them often. Usually they start accumulating when it first gets warm (I'm guessing overheating) and in December (maybe having to take the beater out to do shopping.)

I think they get the orange sticker first, warning them they'll get impounded if they don't move it in the next X days. No idea what the amount of days is.

Most of the cars I would see were POS (not point of sale) and the people who drive them, I'm guessing, might not have funds to move them or repair them on hand easily.

[brianjb]

When my mother in law visited us (she drove up from Florida) in Huntsville, she remarked that there were a lot of abandoned cars on the highway in Alabama. It is enough to be noticeable.

[huffbuffer]

What many people dont realize is that you can get road side assistance through your phone carrier. I pay 5 bucks for the family share with Verizon and getting a car towed up to 10 miles with no extra charge is a nice thing to have. All you need is to have that phone present at the vehicle you call about.

Regards
Huffbuffer

[pamnbam]

Yeah, it's pretty bad. They are usually beater cars; I've noticed that, too. I think in some states where the roads are much busier, no chance to move it is given. Once it's noticed and tagged, they get picked up within 24-48 hours. Maybe it's a more efficient police force doing the tagging and more tow companies contracted to remove the cars. Once I saw an old beater tow truck picking up an abandoned car on 565. I figure if that's what's out there towing, no wonder things are so slow!

[rae-zor]

I meant to say it was on 565 I noticed this.

[BMW Dave]

Yeah I agree, first warm month and then all those radiators blow.

But I do see a lot of them here...

[FatTails]

It seems to me that this is a southern phenomenon. I saw it all the time driving on I-95 in Florida. It's strange because this area has a relatively mild climate. Never gets super hot or super cold.

[pyro4ik]

About a year ago there was a 4 door sedan on the side of the road on the elevated part of 565 for like a week. It was on the skinny 2 lane changeover and was not safe.

[BMW Dave]

Ok, so on Friday morning there was a car just parked in the right lane in front of my new house in Madison.

I got there about 7:30 and its literally in the road, not on the grass across the street, but taking up a full lane. The house btw is for sale and I know the owner, it's not his car or any car associated with him. In addition, the house is indeed empty and the garage and driveway are vacant.

So I went across the street and checked the engine and it was cold.

I waited till today, Saturday to call the police dept. They came out within 10min of my call and put an orange sticker on it and it said the car was being investigated by the MPD.

I asked around and no one knows what the deal is, the owner of the house for sale actually lives in the neighborhood, but is out of town. It's a local 47 plate too.

But the first thing I thought of when I saw it was this thread.