LAKE COUNTY >> The Abandoned Vehicle Authority (AVA) commission has begun tagging and removing vehicles in the County and Cities of Lakeport and Clearlake. Here is what you need to know:
The AVA follows a procedure that allows time for owners to recover the vehicle. There are over 160 tagged in Clearlake alone.
When a vehicle is tagged for removal, the last registered owner is notified by mail at their last known address. They are granted a period of ten days in which to remedy the related code violation and legally park the vehicle. If, after ten days, insufficient action has been taken by the owner, the vehicle will be towed.
Vehicle information is logged with the placement of each tag. If a vehicle is moved to a different location and dumped illegally, the jurisdictions will know where it came from. Abandonment of any vehicle is presumed the responsibility of the last registered owner under the California Vehicle Code.
As of May 17, the County of Lake had tagged 59 vehicles, towed 10, and impounded two. The City of Lakeport had tagged three, towed two, and had five more ready to be tagged.
The City of Clearlake has now tagged more than 160, and towed over 35. Efforts are ongoing to identify vehicles eligible for removal.
As a reminder, it can cost between $4,000 to $6,000 to remove an abandoned motorhome, and there are many environmental concerns associated with such a vehicle’s disposal.
Funds available through the AVA program are limited, and one individual’s choice to abandon an RV could mean that multiple smaller vehicles will remain alongside Lake County roads.
For more information about abandoned vehicles in the county, contact Lake County Code Enforcement at (707) 263-2309.
For abandoned vehicles within either of the city limits, please contact your city offices: City of Clearlake, (707) 994-8201; City of Lakeport, (707) 263-5615.
