Washington County, WI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 200-9 of the Code of Washington County, adopted pursuant to § 342.40, Wis. Stats., makes it unlawful to leave any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or mobile home unattended on a public highway or on private or public property under circumstances that make it reasonably appear abandoned. A vehicle left unattended without the property owner's permission for more than 48 hours is deemed abandoned by operation of the section and constitutes a public nuisance, though a vehicle kept out of ordinary public view, or one the Sheriff specifically designates as not abandoned, does not count.

Under § 200-10, any vehicle in violation is impounded until it is lawfully claimed or disposed of. If towing and storage costs would exceed the vehicle's value, the Sheriff can skip the standard impoundment period and junk or sell it once satisfied it is not stolen or wanted as evidence; any substantially complete vehicle more than 19 model years old is disposed of the same way. Section 200-11 requires at least 10 days of storage after certified-mail notice to the owner and any lienholders before the County sells the vehicle by sealed bid or auction; the owner is responsible for all impounding and disposal costs, and unrecovered costs can be pursued in a civil action. A buyer at auction gets 10 days to remove the vehicle before owing a $5-per-day storage fee, and forfeits all interest in it 10 days after the sale.