Allegany County, MD Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Chapter 354, Junk Abatement, adopted December 14, 2007 under Bill No. 12-07, defines "junk" in § 354-2 to include vehicles or other conveyances that are "inoperable, dismantled, partially dismantled or deteriorated," and treats failure to start a vehicle on the county's request as a presumption that it is inoperable. Section 354-3A flatly bars storing junk on any public right-of-way in the unincorporated area, and bars storing it on private lots too, unless the lot is a licensed salvage yard, the junk sits inside an enclosed structure, or the storage is tied to the daily operations of a lawfully operating business at its principal location.

The "responsible party," meaning the landowner, tenant, or current owner of the junk, is obligated under § 354-3B to properly store or dispose of it, while the Maryland State Police or another authorized police agency handles abandoned vehicles left on public rights-of-way under the state Transportation Article. The Codes Inspector enforces the chapter under § 354-4A, giving a responsible party a thirty-day written notice to remove or store junk before escalating to a civil citation. If the violation is not corrected within that thirty-day window, § 354-4B grades it by vehicle count: Class A covers one inoperable vehicle among the junk, Class B covers two to five, and Class C covers six or more, with repeat violations bringing fines up to $1,000 under § 354-4C. Allegany County can also abate the violation itself and place a lien on the property for the cost under § 354-4E.