Hammond, IN Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

01 defines ABANDONED VEHICLE broadly: it covers a vehicle left on public property illegally, one left continuously without being moved for 3 days, one blocking pedestrian or vehicle traffic on a right-of-way, one left on private property without the property owner's consent for more than 48 hours, one stripped of its engine, transmission or differential and left on public property, an impounded vehicle unclaimed 15 days after a tow, and a mechanically inoperable vehicle 6 or more model years old left visible from public property for more than 3 days.

02(C), when an officer, meaning a Hammond Police Department member or Code Enforcement Officer, judges the market value at $500 or less, the officer tags the vehicle with the date, contact information, a statement that it is considered abandoned, and notice that it will be removed after 72 hours at the owner's expense unless removed first. If it is not moved within that 72-hour window, the officer documents its condition with a written report and photographs, has it hauled to a storage area or scrapyard, and forwards the report and photos to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles within another 72 hours, keeping the originals for at least 2 years.

02(E) requires the officer to first try to identify the owner by asking neighbors before tagging it the same way; if it is still there after 72 hours, it gets towed and the report goes to the Bureau to trace the owner and any lienholder. 02(G). 04 exclude race-ready vehicles built for private raceways, vehicles owned by active-duty service members, vehicles on a sales lot or servicing facility, and vehicles on a licensed or zoned scrapyard.