Ann Arbor, MI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice trigger
- appears abandoned, any property
- Removal window
- 48 hours after notice affixed
- Outcome
- deemed abandoned, taken into custody
- Authority
- City Administrator
- Legal basis
- State Motor Vehicle Code § 252a/252b
Summary
Ann Arbor lets the City Administrator tag a vehicle that appears abandoned on public or private property; if it's not moved within 48 hours it's deemed abandoned and can be taken into custody.
(1)If a vehicle has remained standing or parked on public or private property for a period of time so that it appears to be abandoned, the City Administrator may affix a written notice to the vehicle requiring its removal.(2)If a vehicle is not removed within 48 hours after the time the notice ordering its removal was affixed, the vehicle shall be deemed abandoned and the City Administrator may take the vehicle into custody.(3)If a vehicle is taken into custody under this section, the Administrator shall act in accordance with the requirements of Section 252a of the State Motor Vehicle Code or, if the vehicle is an abandoned registered or unregistered scrap vehicle, in accordance with the requirements of Section 252b of the Motor Vehicle Code.(4)No person shall permit a vehicle registered to that person to remain standing or parked on public or private property more than 48 hours after the notice of subsection (1) has been affixed to the vehicle. (Ord. No. 3-82, 1-18-82; Ord. No. 34-92, § 2, 6-1-92; Ord. No. 12-34, § 1, 12-3-12)
10:137. - Vehicle trespass.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 10:136 lets the City Administrator affix a written removal notice to a vehicle that appears abandoned on public or private property. If the owner doesn't move it within 48 hours of that notice, the vehicle is legally deemed abandoned and the Administrator may take it into custody, proceeding under the State Motor Vehicle Code's abandoned-vehicle provisions, or the scrap-vehicle provisions if it's junk. No person may let a vehicle they own remain standing more than 48 hours after a notice is affixed.
Violations & Fines
Leaving a tagged vehicle past the 48-hour window violates § 10:136(4); the city may impound it under § 10:139, billing the owner for towing and storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to move a tagged abandoned vehicle in Ann Arbor?
Does this cover a car abandoned on my own private property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ann Arbor
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