Who handles abandoned cars on Louisville's highways? What to know if you find one
As you drive through Louisville, you may notice abandoned vehicles parked on the side of the road and wonder, who takes care of those cars?
They may have been parked incorrectly or just left to the elements, but there is still a regulating agency in charge of picking them up and citing the drivers who left them there.
"It shall be a parking violation for anyone to park in any one place any vehicle on any of the public ways of Metro Government for a period of 24 hours or longer," according to the Louisville Metro Police website.
"A vehicle parked in one place upon a public way for three consecutive days, after being marked with a warning, shall be deemed abandoned and shall be subject to all existing regulations of Metro Government pertaining to motor vehicles."
Here is what you should know about abandoned vehicles in Louisville:
How long does a car have to sit before it's considered abandoned in Louisville? How do I report an abandoned car?
In Louisville, a car is considered abandoned if it remains on a highway for three consecutive 24-hour days, according to the LMPD website.
To report an abandoned vehicle, residents can call Metro311 at 311 or (502) 574-5000; send an email to metro.311@louisvilleky.gov; tag @LouMetro311 on X, formerly Twitter; or report it through the Metro311 app. Residents are asked to provide an exact location and description of the vehicle, including the license plate number, if available.
Who is in charge of picking up abandoned cars in Louisville?
According to LMPD, the Vehicle Impoundment Unit is in charge of impounding abandoned cars in public areas. They also take care of vehicles violating traffic regulations and blocking streets.
What is the process for vehicles that are incorrectly parked?
When a car isn't parked according to Metro Government regulations, an officer will cite it with a parking violation. The citation will include, among other things, the parking violation that was committed, the economic penalty and a note stating that the car could be impounded, according to the LMPD website.
The person who receives the parking violation notice must respond within seven days, but they can appeal the notice by requesting a hearing with the Parking Citation Enforcement Hearing Board.
If the board decides that no violation was committed, it is dismissed. If it decides there was a violation, the person has to pay the citation within seven days, the website states. People can appeal within seven days of the board's decision to the Civil Division of Jefferson District Court.
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What is the jurisdiction of LMPD when it comes to abandoned vehicles?
While LMPD's jurisdiction extends across Jefferson County roadways, spokesperson Aaron Ellis said the agency that responds to an abandoned car — for example, Jeffersontown Police Department or the Shively Police Department — has the authority to remove it.
How to find out if my vehicle was impounded
People can search through the LMPD's Towed Vehicle Search website for their vehicle's license plate number or vehicle identification number (VIN) to find out if it was impounded.
If the vehicle is not in their system, it may have been towed by another agency, including the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office or the Jeffersontown Police Department.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How do I report abandoned cars in Louisville? Everything to know
