Only owner can
dispose of vehicle

Answer: You can get rid of it by taking advantage of the city's "junking of vehicle" service, but you will somehow have to be able to show legal ownership.

It doesn't matter if the vehicle is on private property or city street (as long as it is legally parked) or if the vehicle registration has expired.

The registered owner is required to take several steps to have a vehicle legally disposed, said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the Motor Vehicle & Licensing Division.

The only way someone else can have the vehicle "junked" is by having the power of attorney or other legal document to release the owner's interest, he explained.

"The junked vehicle is subsequently disposed and may never be re-registered, so we do not want any legal action for disposing of a vehicle without proper authorization of the recorded owner," Kamimura said. "If the person junking the vehicle has a chain of notarized bills of sale, then the last purchaser will have the authority to dispose of the vehicle."

To have the city tow the vehicle away for free, the registered owner or other legally authorized person must take the following items to a satellite city hall: License plates; Certificate of Title with a "release of ownership" indicated on the appropriate lines; and a completed form CS-L(MVR)202 -- the "Statement of Facts Relating to Junking of Vehicle."

After the city's Motor Vehicle Branch processes the transaction, a motor vehicle control inspector will be assigned to inspect the vehicle to see that there is no debris inside; that it is easily accessible for a tow truck to remove; that it has at least two inflated tires, either front or rear, to allow towing; and that it is parked on property owned by the applicant or legally parked on a public street or property.

Then the city's contractor for derelict vehicles will be notified to remove the vehicle. The entire process may take up to six weeks before the vehicle is removed, Kamimura said.

Q: A rooster in the front yard of a home in Palolo Valley crows repeatedly from at least 4:30 a.m., waking us up when we generally awaken hours later for work. Occasionally, it crows in the late evening. The residents seem to do nothing about the noise. We aren't on friendly terms with these neighbors, so I am doubtful that discussing the problem will be a positive experience. Are there any laws that protect us from the rooster crows? If so, who do we contact?

A: Although the Hawaiian Humane Society has reassumed responsibility for responding to barking-dog complaints, the Honolulu Police Department enforces the animal nuisance law when it comes to noisy roosters. If you are not able to resolve the problem by talking with your neighbor, you're advised to call police at 911 for violations: Crowing that goes on continuously for 10 minutes or intermittently for 30 minutes.

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