Gilroy, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Storage limit before nuisance
- 7 days
- Pre-removal notice
- 10 days by registered mail
- Enforcing officer
- Gilroy chief of police
- Hearing right
- City Council, within 10 days of notice
- Extra cost to owner
- removal cost plus administrative fee
Summary
Gilroy declares an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle a public nuisance the moment it sits on private or public property for more than 7 days. The police chief can order it towed after a 10-day mailed notice to the owners under City Code Article IX, Sections 15.111 and 15.113.
The accumulation and storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles or parts thereof on private or public property not including highways is hereby found to create a condition tending to reduce the value of private property, to promote blight and deterioration, to invite plundering, to create fire hazards, to constitute an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors, to create a harborage for rodents and insects and to be injurious to the health, safety and general welfare. ... No person shall park, store, leave or permit the parking, storing, or leaving of any vehicle or part thereof which is in a wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, or abandoned condition upon any private or public property within the city for a period in excess of seven (7) days.
Full Breakdown
Section 15.111 finds that abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles reduce property values, promote blight, invite plundering, create fire hazards, endanger children as an attractive nuisance, and harbor rodents and insects, so it declares their presence on private or public property (not counting highways) a public nuisance subject to abatement. Section 15.113 makes it unlawful to store such a vehicle on any property in the city for more than 7 days, with exceptions for a vehicle fully enclosed and out of public view, and for one lawfully stored on the premises of a licensed dismantler, dealer or junkyard as part of that business.
Enforcement runs through the Gilroy Police Department: the chief may enter property to inspect or remove a nuisance vehicle (Section 15.114), and the city can add administrative removal costs on top of towing costs (Section 15.115). Before removal, Section 15.116 requires a 10-day notice by registered mail to both the land owner and the last registered vehicle owner, in a form set out in the Code, giving either the right to request a City Council hearing or submit a sworn statement denying responsibility within that 10-day window.
If no hearing is requested, the chief may abate and remove the vehicle without one; if a hearing is held, the Council can waive costs against a land owner who proves the vehicle was placed without consent (Section 15.117).
Violations & Fines
Beyond the underlying nuisance abatement, a person who violates the storage prohibition in Section 15.113 is subject to the Code's general penalty in Section 1.7, an infraction of up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second and $500 for a third within a year, escalating to a misdemeanor carrying up to $1,000 in fines or six months in jail, or both, for a fourth violation, in addition to being billed the towing and administrative removal costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a wrecked car sit on my Gilroy property?
Do I get warned before the city tows it?
Can I fight the removal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gilroy
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle abandoned vehicles.