Bartholomew County, IN Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Fine range
- $25 to $300 per day
- Removal notice
- 30 days after written demand
- Citation compliance window
- 10 days
- Salvage yard exemption
- 6-foot screening fence required
- Unclaimed vehicle sale
- After 15 days storage
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Technical Code Enforcement
Summary
In unincorporated Bartholomew County, keeping an unlicensed or inoperable vehicle on private or public property in plain public view violates County Code Chapter 98. The county's Enforcement Officer can order removal within 30 days, and unresolved violations bring a citation, fines of $25 to $300 per day, and possible court-ordered towing at the owner's expense.
It is a violation of this chapter for any person to keep, park or store any unlicensed and inoperable vehicles or parts thereof on private or public property within the unincorporated areas of the county, except in a garage or other enclosure so as not to be exposed to public view, except as herein provided. ... Any person who violates any section of this chapter by causing or permitting the accumulation of unlicensed and inoperable vehicle(s) or parts thereof on private or public property or who fails to comply with any of its requirements, shall be guilty of an ordinance violation and, upon conviction, shall be fined a sum not less than $25, nor more than $300, for each day's violation.
Full Breakdown
02. 03 makes it a violation to keep, park or store such a vehicle or its parts on private or public property anywhere in the unincorporated county unless it sits inside a garage or other enclosure that keeps it out of public view. Two narrow exceptions apply: a properly zoned salvage yard or junkyard operating as a lawful nonconforming use is exempt as long as it is enclosed by a fence at least six feet high so stored vehicles are not readily visible, and a licensed vehicle repair business may keep vehicles awaiting repair on its own property if it is not violating any zoning ordinance.
Enforcement starts with a hand-delivered written complaint identifying the complainant; the county's Enforcement Officer, an agent of the Department of Technical Code Enforcement, then investigates and, if a violation exists, issues a warning or written demand giving the owner 30 days to remove the vehicle. If the owner does not comply, a citation follows requiring removal within ten more days before further penalties attach. The chapter took effect July 1, 2004, under Ordinance 2004-02.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliance is an ordinance violation carrying a fine of $25 to $300 for each day the vehicle remains, per § 98.99. Courts can also order the vehicle towed and removed at the owner's expense, with removal and storage costs assessed against the owner; an unclaimed vehicle may be sold under I.C. 9-22-1 if the owner does not reclaim it within 15 days. Unpaid removal costs become a lien against the property under I.C. 36-1-6-2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a vehicle 'inoperable' under the ordinance?
Can I keep a junk car if I put it in my garage?
How much time do I get before a fine starts?
Are junkyards exempt from this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartholomew County
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