A vehicle left on a public way or on private property without permission for more than 72 hours is deemed abandoned under MGL c.90 §22C, and municipal officers may take possession, tow, and dispose of it.
Across Essex County, any car standing on a street or on someone else's property without permission for more than 72 hours can be treated as abandoned. The superintendent of streets, a police officer, or a state police captain may take possession without liability, disposing of it as refuse if it is worth less than the cost of removal and storage, or delivering it to the police custodian of lost property if it holds value. Cities including Salem, Lynn, and Peabody also enforce local nuisance ordinances against junk and unregistered vehicles left on private lots.
After 72 hours, officers may tow the vehicle at the owner's expense. Low-value vehicles are scrapped as refuse, and owners remain liable for towing and storage fees.
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See how Essex County's abandoned vehicles rules stack up against other locations.
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