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Abandoned cars
can haunt owners

Question: Are there any consequences for people who leave their junk cars on the road? We have neighbors who twice have left their beat-up cars on the street, presumably to have us taxpayers pay for their disposal. The first car still had its plates, the second car had the plates removed though everyone on the street knows who owns it. When we reported it we were told that the owner did not renew the registration so he was no longer responsible. I read that the city is paying over $1 million a year to dispose of derelict and abandoned cars. The ordinance should be changed to discourage the irresponsible behavior of people who never learned to clean up their own messes.

Answer: Just because someone doesn't renew the registration and leaves a car on the road doesn't absolve him or her of responsibility, according to Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city Motor Vehicle & Licensing Division.

If you were told that you were given incorrect information, he said.

Unless the owner of the vehicle surrenders to the city the endorsed certificate of title, last issued certificate of registration and the license plates, AND submits a completed "junking" form, an abandoned vehicle is issued citations for abandonment (which can result in a minimum $155 fine) and other possible violations, such as for an expired registration, expired safety check, etc., Kamimura said.

All this falls on the last recorded registered owner of the vehicle.

Even if the license plates are removed, there are ways authorities can identify a vehicle.

However, Kamimura acknowledged, if there is no way to identify a vehicle's owner, then no citation is issued and the vehicle will be declared either abandoned or derelict and towed away at city expense.

He recommended calling police to issue possible citations or call the abandoned vehicles section -- 733-2530 -- to have a vehicle removed.

The cars conceivably could have been surrendered to the city as "junked" vehicle.

But in that case and to have the city tow the vehicle away for free, certain procedures have to be followed and documents surrendered, as mentioned above.

The city then provides the owner with a notice to place in the vehicle, normally on the driver's seat.

That document says: "NOTICE -- This vehicle is in the process of being towed by an authorized tow wagon company. Do not cite this vehicle. Turned over to the C&C Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing on (whatever date). For Information call: 733-2530. Motor Vehicle Control Section."

Mahalo

To whoever found my wife's cosmetic bag at Longs Drugs Store at Ala Moana Center and to Lori, who works there, who kept it safely until its return. My wife didn't notice that her bag, containing all her IDs and some money, was missing. We heard her name being called by Customer Service and when we went there, Lori returned her bag with everything intact. -- Ed

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