pheller
UltimaDork
8/31/23 1:10 p.m.
There an E36 318IS with neat Pandem-style box flares and wide wheels that's been sitting in my neighborhood for a few months. It's got an out-of-state plate, and it previously was sitting at a nearby apartment building until they did repaving, when it was towed to it's current location and has sat since.
After talking with the police, some contacts at a local tow company, and the city, it appears that the process is:
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City receives complaint or report of abandoned vehicle.
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City pursues state abandoned vehicle process with help from local PD - tries to contact owner.
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After 60 days, vehicle is towed by contracted towing company.
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Towing company resells vehicle after title has been acquired. They don't sell via a LOCAL public auction. No money goes back to the city/taxpayer.
I want in on this.
It sounds like, if I fill out the correct paperwork, the state motor vehicle department will actually attempt to contact the owner on my behalf. Sweet.
The trick is, how do I beat the local tow company to the punch? (obviously I can't talk to them about this because they aren't inclined to tell me their secrets)
Some strategies I thought might work:
- Get a city official to sign my paperwork prior to the tow company being notified.
- Raise hell about the fact that these cars are sold for significant dollars, most of the which doesn't go back to the taxpayer. (City ordinance does not specify that vehicles be sold locally.)
- Have the vehicle towed to my property, start the abandoned vehicle process (illegal)
- Bribe the tow company to give me first dibs on a vehicle.
Thoughts?
In reply to pheller :
If the vehicle isn't ON your property then you have no cards in this game. Unless, you want to open your own tow company and try to get in with the city.
If I were you, I'd pick the 'bribe the tow company for first dibs' option. It isnt illegal.
pheller
UltimaDork
8/31/23 1:19 p.m.
I mean, I could probably get on this list and submit an RFP, but what happens when the city calls me up and says "hey move this car" and I'm like "uhh...is it cool? because otherwise, nah."
johndej
SuperDork
8/31/23 1:20 p.m.
Yup, brother's done this with local shop that then drug it off and put a mechanics lean on it followed by selling to him. Think it was 1/2 cash up front 1/2 once title came in.
contact the secretary of state office of the state in which the vehicle is registered. they may have a form you fill out and for a small fee they'll give you the name and last registered address of the owner.
I tried this once and it didn't work. Where I live, you had to take out a newspaper ad in the area amongst other methods of trying to contact the owner. My problem was, the car was abandoned at a place I rented, so when the police asked why I made the complaint, thats when the red tape started. Even though I had already filed the complaint, paid the fees, etc. Last I heard the car was at the police impound. I gave up on it at that point.
Chicago has a lot of rogue tow truck businesses. Be careful as I think there are a lot of knee caps being broken.
In reply to pheller :
That's where you can use that uncool car as a money making venture. Get the title and sell as-is for the cost of gas+title process + profit.
In reply to yupididit :
Yep, that was my problem, as soon as the local govt realized it was only on a property I rented they basically ghosted me.
Become a tow company and hope you have tighter connections to local government than the current tow company.
That really is the only way without breaking any rules.
Might not even be a bribe. Talk to the towing office manager, ask how much they need to get for the car to be worth skipping the auction hassle and towing directly to you. If they are allowed to do that (they might be required by some law somewhere to auction) and you make the better business case, they might appreciate the offer.
Your best bet would be to try to contact the owner and buy it directly from them. No tow company involved. If they abandoned it, it's a liability for them, they may just sign it over to you and be done with it. Otherwise, they could still be on the hook for any towing and storage fees that aren't covered by the lien sale.
I don't think the tow companies are out to make money on abandoned vehicles. Basically, they can put a lien on it to cover towing and storage fees. Storage fees can be high, and easily eclipse the value of an abandoned car. They can sell it to recover fees. I don't think they can sell it for profit- more than they claim in fees- or they have to return the excess to the owner. So they don't usually care about getting top dollar, they just want to get paid for their towing and storage.
I bought my Galant VR4 that way. It was abandoned in a parking lot, and I saw it being towed. I took down the info on the truck and called them. I had to wait for the lien period to be over- a month or two- then made an offer, and they sold me the car for $750. I believe they even towed it to my house for free.
In reply to pheller :
I would start with putting the 17 digit VIN into a google search. I have been amazed on what you can find about a car from just the 17 digits. I have found previous owners this way.
See if you can make contact with the owner and do that owner the favor of getting the car gone before the city comes after him for costs+.
Isn't the fact that the cars aren't sold locally effectively making the abandoned cars a regional export? I mean, the money goes directly to the towing company, but that means it's being paid to local workers and spent locally, yeah?
I think it'd be nice if locals got first crack at the cool cars, but I'm not seeing where there's a downside for the taxpayer because the cars aren't sold locally, though I'm not 100% certain that's a thing you were asserting; I may have conflated two points you simply mentioned next to each other. It might be better if above some floor the city got a cut of the selling price, though.
It might also have a lien on it from the bank ,
if it's not too much problem , can you go to the car and check the glovebox etc ?
maybe you will find some papers with the owners name so you can ask at the apartment ,
Good luck
