Greenville, NC Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Greenville City Code Chapter 12, Title 4 defines an 'abandoned motor vehicle' four ways: left on a street in violation of parking law, left on city-owned property longer than 24 hours, left on private property without the owner's, occupant's or lessee's consent for more than two hours, or left on any public street in the city for more than seven days (§ 12-4-1). Section 12-4-3 makes it unlawful for the registered owner or person entitled to possession to cause or allow that abandonment, and lets an 'authorizing official' (a Police Department supervisor or Code Enforcement Division staffer) order the vehicle removed once the determination is made.

Enforcement is split by location: the Police Department administers removal from public streets, highways and city-owned property, while the Code Enforcement Division handles abandoned, nuisance and junked vehicles on private property, and the city may contract with private tow operators to do the actual towing (§ 12-4-2). Before towing, the city must give notice, generally by certified mail if the owner's address can be found, or by affixing a notice to the windshield stating a removal date at least seven days out (§ 12-4-6). That prior-notice requirement can be skipped for vehicles obstructing traffic, blocking a driveway, parked in a no-stopping, loading or bus zone, or posing another documented safety hazard (§ 12-4-7).

Once towed, the city must notify the last known registered owner within 24 hours for an in-state registration or 72 hours for an out-of-state one, describing the vehicle, its storage location, any charge, and how to redeem it or request a hearing (§ 12-4-8). Any owner or possessor may demand a written probable-cause hearing on the removal before the vehicle is sold or otherwise disposed of (§ 12-4-9).