ULPT how to get abandoned cars towed
Posted by ron_burgandee@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 43 comments
So as the title says, there are two cars right by my condo complex that are clearly abandoned (one is on a tire jack lift and has slashed tires and a year expired registration). I filed a police report and after a week or so they gave them violation warning tags. Weeks have passed and nothing has happened. I feel kinda like a karen about this but they have been abandoned for months and its so annoying seeing them there. Parking is very hard to come by in my neighborhood and these vehicles are on a public city road not private so I was hoping the police would actually do something about it.
coolsellitcheap@reddit
Tape signs on them saying free car.
smoothvanilla86@reddit
Just keep calling. I had the same problem a month ago and they ignored me the first few calls but I just kept calling. Can't ignore me if I keep calling. Just call non emergency and request and officer and dont say why. When they get there say I have called and talked x amount of times please help. They may leave. Just call again. Worked eventually lol
Microballer@reddit
Call a tow company off a burner Google number and tell them it won’t run and you need it towed to a shop. They will 100% drag it over there and then call you to collect payment but obviously your VPN Google number is not working at that point and it’s the shop’s problem.
Icy_Huckleberry_8049@reddit
call code enforcement
RealHuman2080@reddit
Oh. I did this. A neighbor was finally kicked out and left their car. 6 months later, the PD still hasn't been able to tow it. I checked with the landlord, and they can't do anything. No clue, no keys, no paperwork.
I put it on craigslist as free and explained all. Come and tow it. Neighbors will cheer. I told them the best time to pick it up. It was gone within a week.
Chocolatefix@reddit
You can buy some fart spray and put it all over the trunk and tell them you think "there's something really wrong and suspicious" going on with the car.
vanchica@reddit
Thank you for a good laugh!!!
pointofyou@reddit
Pour some gasoline underneath the car and call the fire department because it smells like a car is leaking gasoline.
Plethorian@reddit
Note that spilling gasoline intentionally is a federal offense. EPA, at least: maybe also Coast Guard. Even a drop.
Just so you know.
pointofyou@reddit
Hence 'unethical life pro tip'.
Plethorian@reddit
Oh, I agree - it's brilliant. But you should be aware of the risks.
EatSleepJeep@reddit
Reminder to look at the subreddit you're in.
yukichigai@reddit
Borrowing from that other thread, you could also spray it with a fire extinguisher to add to the impression of "this might burst into flame at any moment". Gas under the car is one thing, but fire extinguisher residue on it indicates it already tried to become a fireball. Fire Department probably won't look much past that before deciding to haul the thing away.
my_name_is_tree@reddit
I thought you were gonna say set the car on fire ngl. which would probably be an unethical(illegal?) life pro tip too tbh. so maybe, OP, you can also set them cars on fire and have the fire dept deal with it?
lmao. don't do this. I'm sure it's hella illegal.
Grant_Winner_Extra@reddit
Arson == muy bad muy muy bad.
pointofyou@reddit
Yeah, definitely do not set the freaking car on fire!
ron_burgandee@reddit (OP)
This is a good one!
Jefethevol@reddit
ding!
feenixdung@reddit
My city has an app (mayor's action center)where you can report everything wrong that is a non emergency in the city, including abandoned cars. It asks questions about the make/model, length of time, if it has expired tags and they will come out within 3 days or so. This is for city streets though. If it is in an apartment complex then that would be on the property management. If it is a city street then I would try the non emergency line in your city if they don't have a website or app.
Grant_Winner_Extra@reddit
Dude if the car is basically disintegrating and the location won’t tow it, nothing will make it move.
Maybe offer to let the local homeless guy live in it. Or the whole “birdseed” thing, so it’s local wildlife living in it.
MacintoshEddie@reddit
That's a parking enforcement complaint, not an expired registry complaint.
ron_burgandee@reddit (OP)
Yeah I mentioned the expired registration as additional proof it’s abandoned
kanakamaoli@reddit
It would be horrible if the cars caught on fire and had to be cleared due to being a hazard.
Sure_Comfort_7031@reddit
Ethically? Keep calling the police.
Unethically? Drag it into the roadway, set it ablaze, post it on craigslist as scrap FCFS.
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BoxNo5564@reddit
I'm in Australia but similar thing, mate had a hatchback parked in the bottom of his apartment building. It was taking up a visitor spot for weeks. Registration had expired. It had a McDonald's bag in it with maggots coming out of it.
So one day he tied a chain to the axl and used his V8 ute (truck for you Americans) to drag it out into the street into a public parking spot on the road. It was gone in a week.
CriscoCamping@reddit
Exactly what I was going to suggest
TheLastREOSpeedwagon@reddit
That's awesome
user3won_u@reddit
Continue filing police reports until something happens with it. Talk to your neighbors and suggest they do the same
If that doesn't work, list them for free pick up only with address on Craigslist
ron_burgandee@reddit (OP)
Thanks!
Longjumping_West_907@reddit
Contact your city councilor or other local politicians. They can pressure the cops to get moving on it.
Plethorian@reddit
Paint ICE! on the sides. Try for Comic Sans.
Should be highly amusing, depending on the neighborhood.
m00ph@reddit
Paint "fuck the police" on them. Reporting didn't work for us, that did.
ron_burgandee@reddit (OP)
This one would work pretty well in my city
yourdonefor_wt@reddit
Drag them onto the street, make sure they're obstructing a travel lane, they'll be gone within the hour
ron_burgandee@reddit (OP)
I’ve heard this idea from a coworker and seems to be effective!
Brokenarrow1969@reddit
That is exactly what I did. I got a rolling Jack and jacked up the back of the car. I swung the ass out into the street and then called the cops. Told them that there was a car blocking the road abandoned. It was towed away within 45 minutes.
Jefethevol@reddit
I am not advising this in any way, shape or form. But if the car were to catch fire that would force the city's hand. Dont do this because a car fire xan cause considerable collateral damage.
vanchica@reddit
In my city, you report it to the City. We even have an app for contacting the city departments. So report them to your city and dump some bird seed around the cars for that Unethical touch.
thejustducky1@reddit
Cool cool gotcha, I was really looking for the "unethical" part of this.
LokeCanada@reddit
Is it on a public road? Most cities set a time limit (ie 3 days) that a car can be parked in one spot. Call the city and let them know.
Quirky-Invite7664@reddit
Yes. They don’t want vehicles sitting there, idle, because vermin live in them.
OP, I agree about sprinkling birdseed. Maybe throw in some male and female mice and put some food in there.