Livonia, MI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Abandonment threshold
- 48 continuous hours on public property
- Private property towing
- Allowed under MVC § 252
- Auction hold period
- 45 days unclaimed
- Sale notice
- Published 2 consecutive weeks
- Reclaim cost
- Owner pays hauling, storage, ad fees
- Enforcing agency
- Livonia Police Department
- Sale proceeds
- Deposited to city general fund
Summary
Livonia police may remove any automobile, bicycle or other personal property parked, stored or left unattended on a public street, alley or highway for 48 continuous hours or more. Officers can also tow a vehicle off private property under Section 252 of the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code. Unclaimed vehicles go to storage, then public auction after a 45-day wait.
A.The following conditions are required before any automobile, bicycle or other personal property shall be deemed to have been abandoned:1.The automobile shall have been parked, stored or left unattended upon a public highway, street, alley or other public place for a period of forty-eight (48) continuous hours or more;2.The bicycle or other personal property shall have been left unattended upon a public highway, street, alley or other public place for an undue length of time;3.The police department shall have had its attention drawn to the fact or shall have been notified of the fact that the automobile, bicycle or other personal property is so located.B.The police department shall, in all cases, make a reasonable effort to locate the owner or person entitled to possession of the property; provided, however, that in the case of an abandoned automobile, the procedure set forth in Section 252 of the Michigan Motor Vehicle Code, as amended, shall be followed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
010). 020). 055). 030). 070). 080). 090). 20 makes it unlawful to park on private property, drive-in lots or private property without the owner's consent, enforced by the police department on complaint of the property owner.
Violations & Fines
Failure to reclaim an abandoned vehicle within the 45-day hold results in public auction by the chief of police, with proceeds deposited to the city's general fund. An owner who wants the vehicle back before the sale must pay the accrued hauling, storage and advertising costs. Unauthorized parking on private property (§ 10.20) is enforced only on a complaint filed by the property owner, holder, occupant, lessee, agent or trustee, and tow fees are capped by § 10.21.010, with a right to petition the 16th District Court for a refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car sit on a Livonia street before it counts as abandoned?
Can Livonia police tow a vehicle off private property?
How do I get my towed vehicle back before it's sold?
What happens to an abandoned vehicle that nobody claims?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Livonia
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle abandoned vehicles.