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PO Box 2641 president (type as one string, no spaces) |
livable-neighborhoods.org
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Junk & Abandoned Vehicles QUESTION: Why are abandoned abandoned vehicles being left on City streets?
An old Chevy left on a City street. For more on the odyssey of this vehicle go to the The Chevy That Just Wouldn't Die. La Crosse is experiencing an increase in junk and abandoned vehicles. They are showing up more frequently in parking areas and backyards (especially at rental properties) and even on the streets. The reason we are seeing more junkers and abandoned is simple: Vehicles that cost more to repair than they are worth no longer have any value, so it is often easier to leave them wherever. Some owners also have financial or other problems that prevent them from dealing with their vehicles, so they sit on streets, parking lots and other parts of the community for weeks or even months. Years ago even an old beater had value and the salvage yards would pay to haul them away to crush for scrap metal or strip them of parts. Now the salvage yards often charge an owner to accept a junker, especially an older one, because it costs so much to properly dispose of the battery, gas, oil, transmission fluid, anti freeze, brake fluid, and power steering fluid. Used vehicle parts on models more than 5 years old also have limited value, so unless it has something unique, it will now cost money to have it hauled away and junked. The result is vehicles that will cost more than they are worth to fix up or that have been damaged in an accident are often abandoned ..... leaving the landlord or the City to pay to have it disposed of properly! Junkers are unsightly and detract from the neighborhood. They often leak automotive fluids that pollute our water, and they block street sweepers, leaf collectors and snow plows. The City R.E.N.E.W. Action Plan is starting to turn things around, but that is only part of the solution. The City has to be more aggressive in spotting junkers and abandoned vehicles, particularly when parked on City streets. Even then the City can only do so much with the limited resources available, it is up to us to help by reporting junkers. Here are the signs a vehicle may be a junker or abandoned vehicle:
If you see a vehicle with these signs, please report it to either the:
Outstanding parking tickets can be checked at the La Crosse Police Dept. Plate Lookup Page. (There is no online service to check how many tickets have been issued to a a vehicle, or to check using the VIN.
An old Buick parked on the street for days. Note the bumper hanging to the concrete.
A pair of cars sitting in a backyard.
A Blazer with no plates, a broken window and a flat tire. This sat for weeks until alternate side parking began on Nov 1st.
A Ford van behind a student rental. the license plates are expired and it has a flat tire.
This Pontiac is rusted from top to bottom sits in a 1 hour parking zone and is full of junk. Of course the license plates are expired!
A pair of wrecks behind a recently condemned rental house. No license plates are visible on either vehicle. The Building & Inspection Dept. tagged these two for removal.
This Bonneville has been sitting behind a rental only a few blocks away from some of the City's fanciest homes.
Part of the collection behind one of La Crosse's most historic homes. All pictures were taken in La Crosse in October or November, 2002. © September 2002, Livable Neighborhoods, Inc.., La Crosse, WI USA. All rights reserved worldwide. Revised December 8, 2002
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