Ask the Mayor: What is the Procedure for Removing an Abandoned Vehicle?

Debra Lordan photo.

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the questions submitted to his office staff. Submit your own questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email at [email protected], call 270-7855 or send them by mail to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.

Aloha,

Q: Someone abandoned their car at our condo complex in Kīhei. What is the proper procedure to remove the vehicle from the property?

A: Because the vehicle was left on private property, it is the responsibility of the owner or management to have the vehicle removed. Hopefully there are signs posted that prohibit unauthorized parking.

The first step is to call the Maui Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 244-6400 and select “0” to file an abandoned vehicle report to document that the vehicle was left on the property. The property owner/management is then responsible to notify the owner, if known, or to place a legal ad in the newspaper as public notification.

If after 10 days the registered owner has not contacted the property owner, the vehicle can be towed to Hammerhead Metals Recycling, which processes vehicles.

Another option is to pay a tow company to dispose of the vehicle properly, which may be more convenient, but will likely be more expensive.

For more information, refer to Hawaii Revised Statutes 290-11.