ABANDONED, UNATTENDED AND INOPERATIVE VEHICLES

Richmond, Va., City Code ch. 27, art. VII

in effect

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-327 Definitions.

Sec. 27-327. - Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: Abandoned motor vehicle means a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer that: (1) Weighs at least 75 pounds; and (2) a. Is left unattended on public property for more than 48 hours in violation of a state law or local ordinance; b. Has remained for more than 48 hours on private property without the consent of the property's owner, regardless of whether it was brought onto the private property with the consent of the owner or person in control of the private property; or c. Is left unattended on the shoulder of a primary highway. Inoperable abandoned motor vehicle means an abandoned motor vehicle which is inoperable and which the fair market value, as determined by the locality's official responsible for assessing motor vehicles under Code of Virginia, § 58.1-3503, is less than the cost of its restoration to an operable condition. Inoperable motor vehicle means any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer: (1) That is not in operating condition; (2) For a period of 60 days or longer has been partially or totally disassembled by the removal of tires and wheels, the engine, or other essential parts required for operation of the vehicle; or (3) On which there are displayed neither valid license plates nor a valid inspection decal. However, the term "inoperable motor vehicle" does not apply to any motor vehicle which is on the premises of a licensed business which on June 26, 1970, was regularly engaged in business as an automobile dealer, salvage dealer or scrap processor. Owner of record and persons having security interests of record mean per the records of the State Department of Motor Vehicles. Shielded or screened means hidden from sight, from any ground level location, by vegetation or fences. Unattended motor vehicle means any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or part of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer that is: (1) Left unattended on a public highway or other public property and constitutes a traffic hazard; (2) Illegally parked; (3) Left unattended for more than ten days on public property; (4) Left unattended for more than 72 hours on private property without the permission of the property owner, lessee, or occupant; or (5) Immobilized on a public roadway by weather conditions or other emergency situations. (Code 1993, § 28-316; Code 2004, § 102-361; Code 2015, § 27-327; Code 2020, § 27-327)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-328 Offenses relating to motor vehicles on private property.

Sec. 27-328. - Offenses relating to motor vehicles on private property. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep an inoperable motor vehicle on any property zoned for residential or commercial or agricultural purposes, except within a fully enclosed building or structure or otherwise shielded or screened from view. (b) Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A separate offense shall be deemed committed for each motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or part of a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer that is in violation of this section. (Code 1993, § 28-317; Code 2004, § 102-362; Code 2015, § 27-328; Code 2020, § 27-328)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-329 Offenses relating to inoperable motor vehicles on streets and other public property.

Sec. 27-329. - Offenses relating to inoperable motor vehicles on streets and other public property. (a) It shall be unlawful for an owner, operator, driver or person in control to leave an inoperable motor vehicle, motor home, trailer or semitrailer unattended on any public property, including on any street or roadway or in any alley, for more than 48 hours. (b) Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (c) In any prosecution charging a violation of this section, proof that the motor vehicle, motor home, trailer or semitrailer described in the complaint, warrant or summons was left unattended in violation of this section, together with proof that the defendant was at the time the registered owner thereof, shall constitute in evidence a prima facie presumption that the registered owner of the vehicle was the person who committed the violation. (Code 2004, § 102-362.1; Code 2015, § 27-329; Code 2020, § 27-329; Ord. No. 2005-114-62, § 1, 5-9-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-330 Procedures for impounding and immobilizing motor vehicles.

Sec. 27-330. - Procedures for impounding and immobilizing motor vehicles. (a) Abandoned and inoperable abandoned motor vehicles. The City may cause abandoned motor vehicles and inoperable abandoned motor vehicles to be removed to the vehicle compound for safekeeping. (b) Unattended motor vehicles. The City may cause unattended motor vehicles to be removed by or under the direction of a law enforcement officer to the vehicle compound for safekeeping. However, unattended motor vehicles shall not be removed from private property without the owner, lessee, or occupant of the premises providing to the City both a written request that the unattended motor vehicle be removed and the owner's, lessee's, or occupant's agreement to indemnify the City against any loss or expense incurred by reason of removal, storage, or sale thereof. The City shall not cause unattended motor vehicles to be removed from private property which is normally open to the public for parking unless there is posted at such places signs warning that vehicles left on the property for more than 72 hours will be towed or removed at the vehicle owner's expense. (c) Motor vehicles with three or more unpaid parking violation notices. (1) The City may cause any motor vehicle parked on the public highways or public grounds against which there are three or more unpaid or otherwise unsettled parking violation notices to be either immobilized or removed to the vehicle compound for safekeeping. The removal or immobilization of the vehicle shall be by or under the direction of an officer or employee of the Department of Police. No such vehicle parked on private property may be removed or immobilized unless written authorization to enforce this section has been given by the owner of the property or an association of owners formed pursuant to the Virginia Condominium Act (Code of Virginia, § 55.1-1900 et seq.) or the Horizontal Property Act (Code of Virginia, § 55.1-2000 et seq.), and the City has provided written assurance to the owner of the property that he will be held harmless from all loss, damage, or expense, including costs and attorney's fees, that may be incurred as a result of the towing or otherwise of any motor vehicle pursuant to this section. (2) It shall be the duty of the law enforcement personnel removing or immobilizing the motor vehicle or under whose direction such vehicle is removed or immobilized, to inform as soon as practicable the owner of the removed or immobilized vehicle of the nature and circumstances of the prior unsettled parking violation notices for which the vehicle was removed or immobilized. (3) When a vehicle is immobilized pursuant to this section, there shall be placed on the vehicle, in a conspicuous manner, a notice warning that the vehicle has been immobilized and that any attempt to move the vehicle might damage it. For at least 24 hours from the time of immobilization, the owner of an immobilized motor vehicle, or other person acting on his behalf, shall be permitted to secure the release of the vehicle by payment of the outstanding parking violation notices for which the vehicle was immobilized and by payment of all costs incidental to the immobilization. After at least 24 hours have passed, and the owner of an immobilized vehicle or person acting on his behalf has not secured the release of the vehicle, law enforcement personnel may direct that the vehicle be removed to the vehicle compound for safekeeping. (d) Inoperable motor vehicles. In addition to the penalty prescribed in Section 27-328, the City may cause the owner or occupant of any parcel of land found to contain an inoperable motor vehicle which is not in a fully enclosed building or structure, whether or not such inoperable motor vehicle is shielded or screened from view, to be given notice that the inoperable motor vehicle constitutes a nuisance and that the City will cause the vehicle to be removed unless the vehicle is placed within a fully enclosed building or structure or removed from the property within 48 hours or within some longer time period stated in the notice. If the owner or occupant fails to comply with the notice and abate the nuisance within the specified time, the City or its agents shall cause such vehicle to be removed to the vehicle compound. (Code 1993, § 28-318; Code 2004, § 102-363; Code 2015, § 27-330; Code 2020, § 27-330; Ord. No. 2005-115-63, § 1, 5-9-2005; Ord. No. 2006-328-2007-10, § 1, 1-8-2007)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-331 Notice of impounded motor vehicles.

Sec. 27-331. - Notice of impounded motor vehicles. (a) When, pursuant to Section 27-330, an abandoned motor vehicle, unattended motor vehicle, inoperable motor vehicle or motor vehicle against which there are three or more unpaid or otherwise unsettled parking violation notices has been impounded pursuant to Section 27-330, the City or its designees shall provide notice of such impoundment as required by this section. (b) As promptly as possible after impoundment, the law enforcement officer or other City employee or agent under whose direction the unattended vehicle was removed shall report the impoundment to the Chief of Police. (c) Within 15 days after a motor vehicle is impounded under this section, the person in charge of the vehicle compound shall notify, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, the owner of record of the motor vehicle and all persons having security interests in the vehicle of record that the vehicle has been taken into custody. The notice shall state the year, make, model and the vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle; shall set forth the location of the facility where it is being held; and shall inform the owner and any persons having security interests of their right to reclaim the motor vehicle within 15 days after the date of the notice upon payment of all towing, preservation and storage charges resulting from placing the vehicle in custody. The notice shall also state that the failure of the owner or persons having security interests to reclaim the vehicle within the time provided shall constitute both a waiver by the owner and all persons having any security interests of all right, title and interest in the vehicle and consent to the sale of the motor vehicle at a public auction. If the vehicle was impounded because of three or more unsettled parking violation notices, the notice shall also state the nature and circumstances of the unsettled parking violations for which the vehicle was impounded. (d) If records of the State Department of Motor Vehicles contain no address for the owner or no address of any person shown by such records to have a security interest or if the identity and addresses of the owner and all persons having security interests cannot be determined with reasonable certainty, notice by publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in the City shall be sufficient to meet all requirements of notice to any such person. Such notice by publication may contain multiple listings of motor vehicles. Any such notice by publication shall be within the time requirements and shall have the same contents as for notice by mail prescribed in Subsection (c) of this section. (Code 1993, § 28-319; Code 2004, § 102-364; Code 2015, § 27-331; Code 2020, § 27-331)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-332 Disposition of impounded motor vehicles.

Sec. 27-332. - Disposition of impounded motor vehicles. (a) If no owner or lienholder of a motor vehicle impounded pursuant to Section 27-330 can be located following the procedures in Section 27-331 or if no owner or lienholder pays all costs incidental to its removal and storage and locating the owner, including the payment of any outstanding parking violation notices and any costs incidental to immobilization for a vehicle which was impounded for three or more unsettled parking violation notices, the City or its authorized agent shall, notwithstanding Code of Virginia, § 46.2-617, sell it at public auction. (b) Auction of motor vehicles pursuant to this section shall occur no earlier than 21 days after notice was provided pursuant to Section 27-331. However, auctions of unattended motor vehicles removed from private property shall occur no earlier than 61 days after such vehicles were impounded or 21 days after notice was provided pursuant to Section 27-331, whichever date occurs later. (c) Any personal property found in such motor vehicles may be sold incident to the sale of the vehicle as authorized in this section. (d) The purchaser of such motor vehicles shall take title to the motor vehicle free of all liens and claims of ownership of others; shall receive a sales receipt at the auction; and shall be entitled, upon application to the State Department of Motor Vehicles, to receive a certificate of title and registration card for the vehicle. The sales receipt from the sale shall be sufficient title only for purposes of transferring the vehicle to a demolisher for demolition, wrecking, or dismantling, and in that case, no further titling of the vehicle shall be necessary. (e) The City or its authorized agent shall reimburse itself from the proceeds of any auction authorized in this section for the expenses of the auction; the cost of removing, preserving, and storing the motor vehicle which resulted from placing it in custody; and all notice and publication costs incurred pursuant to Section 27-331. Any remainder from the proceeds of an auction shall be held for the owner of the motor vehicle or any person having security interests in the motor vehicle, as their interests may appear, for 90 days and then shall be deposited into the City treasury. (f) In addition to the sale as outlined in this section, the cost of removal and disposal for inoperable motor vehicles shall be chargeable to the owner of the motor vehicle or the owner of the premises from which it was removed and may be collected by the City as taxes and levies are collected, and every cost authorized by this section assessed against the owner of the premises shall constitute a lien against the property from which the vehicle was removed, the lien to continue until actual payment of cost has been made to the City. (g) After the sale at auction of any unattended motor vehicle, the City or its authorized agent shall notify the State Department of Motor Vehicles of the disposition of the unattended motor vehicle. (Code 1993, § 28-320; Code 2004, § 102-365; Code 2015, § 27-332; Code 2020, § 27-332; Ord. No. 2006-328-2007-10, § 1, 1-8-2007)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 27-333 Notice and disposition of inoperable abandoned motor vehicles.

Sec. 27-333. - Notice and disposition of inoperable abandoned motor vehicles. (a) Notwithstanding any other section of this article, the City may dispose of any inoperable abandoned motor vehicle which has been taken into custody pursuant to Section 27-330(a) by sending it to a demolisher, without following the title or notification procedures required by Section 27-331. (b) When a motor vehicle is disposed of as provided for in Subsection (a) of this section, the Chief of Police shall certify this fact to and claim reimbursement from the State Department of Motor Vehicles pursuant to Code of Virginia, § 46.2-1207. (Code 1993, § 28-321; Code 2004, § 102-366; Code 2015, § 27-333; Code 2020, § 27-333)

Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH27TRVE_ARTVIIABUNINVEFetched: 11/8/2026