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

07(1) prohibits leaving any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or mobile home unattended on a public highway or on private or public property under circumstances making it reasonably appear abandoned; once left without the owner's permission for more than 48 hours, the code deems the vehicle abandoned and a public nuisance. 07(2) carves out an exception when the vehicle is out of ordinary public view or the Sheriff designates it as not abandoned. 07(3), the Sheriff impounds a violating vehicle until it is lawfully claimed or disposed of; if towing and storage costs would exceed the vehicle's value, the county may skip straight to a direct sale to a licensed salvage dealer, a sealed-bid sale, or an auction, and every substantially complete vehicle over 19 model years old must be disposed of the same way.

07(5)-(6) sets the sealed-bid or auction sale procedure, including posting notice at the Sheriff's office and giving the purchaser a state title-transfer form. 07(8) requires the county to notify the State Department of Transportation within 5 days of the sale. 07(9) makes the owner of any abandoned vehicle, other than a stolen one, responsible for all impoundment and disposal costs, recoverable by the county in a civil action if the sale proceeds fall short.