Madera, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Time limit
- 72 consecutive hours
- Value exception
- Under $200, missing motor/transmission/wheels
- Hearing officer
- Police Chief or designee
- Notice period
- 10 days by certified mail
- Cost recovery
- Lien on property via Tax Collector
Summary
Madera Municipal Code § 4-8.01(B) declares any abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle on private or public property, including highways, a public nuisance. Section 4-8.14(A) backs that up with a hard number: leaving such a vehicle on any property in the city for more than 72 consecutive hours is an infraction, unless it falls under one of the chapter's narrow exceptions.
Therefore, the presence of an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle, or part thereof, on private or public property, including highways, except as expressly permitted by the provisions of this chapter, is declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. ... It is unlawful and shall be an infraction for any person to abandon, store, leave, or permit the abandonment, storing, or leaving of any licensed or unlicensed vehicle or parts thereof which is abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperable upon any private or public property, including highways, within the city for a period in excess of 72 or more consecutive hours unless such storage is pursuant to the exceptions described in § 4-8.03 of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-50: Current through Ordinance 1010 C.S., passed 6-5-24).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8 of Title IV, adopted in 1972 under Ord. and amended through Ord. in 2005, implements the state authority in Cal. Veh. Code § 22660 to treat derelict vehicles as nuisances. 02 defines the covered categories: an ABANDONED VEHICLE is one left in such inoperable or neglected condition that the owner's intent to give up all rights in it can reasonably be concluded, while WRECKED, DISMANTLED, and INOPERABLE VEHICLE each get their own definition. 03 exempt vehicles fully enclosed inside a building out of public view, and vehicles lawfully stored on a licensed dismantler's, dealer's, or junk yard's property as part of that business.
09: at least ten days' mailed notice, a right to a hearing before the Police Chief or a designee, and a written decision assessing removal and administrative costs against the landowner unless the landowner shows the vehicle was dumped without consent. 08(B) if the city finds it an immediate hazard. 14.
Violations & Fines
Leaving an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperable vehicle on private or public property for more than 72 consecutive hours is an infraction under § 4-8.14(A); refusing to remove one after an abatement order is a separate infraction under § 4-8.14(B). Unpaid removal and administrative costs become a lien on the property, collected by the Tax Collector with the same priority as city taxes under § 4-8.13.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a wrecked car sit in my Madera yard?
Does Madera have to notify me before towing an abandoned vehicle?
Who pays for removing an abandoned vehicle in Madera?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera
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