LAKE COUNTY >> Code enforcement officers have tagged close to 100 abandoned vehicles around the county. If everything goes as expected, these will be removed through the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (AVA) Service Authority.
The AVA has received authorization to remove the vehicles from the state. Cathy Freeman of Lake County Code Enforcement said the office has been holding off on the process until they received the funds for the project
“When we see a vehicle out where it is not supposed to be, we put a tag on it, which gives people 10 days to remove the car,” Freeman said. “We come back to the office to run the plates to find out who it is registered to and we send a notification to them.”
The funds designated for the county come from a fee paid during vehicle registration. With tow fees sometimes running as much as $6,000, the county can afford to remove few vehicles without assistance.
“It depends on if it is an RV or a motor home and on how large it is, how large it is, if it’s filled with trash, and who is towing it,” Freeman said.
Members of different departments help AVA determine whether a vehicle is truly abandoned and which receive priority. If a vehicle is covered in debris or filled with trash, the decision to tag becomes easier.
Since code officers do not have the ability to check if the car is registered while they are in the field, they must wait until the contact the office for confirmation.
Freeman added that if there is no response after the 10 days of notice to remove the vehicle, it will be towed. However, if it is removed they would mark in the report that the vehicle was “Gone on Arrival” when they go back to check the area. This gives the Code Enforcement an idea of how many cars are towed or removed by the owners.
“The natural beauty of the land surrounding our county’s roads is one of our great strengths, and we are very excited that this program will provide for the removal of unsightly abandoned vehicles,” said District 1 Supervisor Moke Simon in a press statement.
Freeman said they are hoping to receive the funds and start up the process of towing vehicles they have tagged by next week. Law enforcement asks that if there are vehicles around the area residents know of, or should they see someone trying to abandon a vehicle, residents should report them to the police. This will help make sure the owner pays the disposal cost.
