Medford, OR Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MMC § 5.505
- Storage time limit
- 5 days
- Exception
- Fully enclosed permitted building or licensed junk dealer
- Maximum fine
- $250 per day (MMC § 5.990(2))
- Abatement authority
- MMC § 5.520 nuisance process, lien under § 5.535
Summary
Medford bans storing a neglected or discarded vehicle, one that is inoperative, wrecked, or dismantled, on public or private property for more than five days under Code Section 5.505, unless it sits inside a permitted building or at a licensed junk dealer. Violations are a public nuisance abated through the city's lien process.
5.505 Unlawful Storage of Vehicles. "Neglected or discarded vehicle." A vehicle that is or appears to be inoperative, wrecked, dismantled or partially dismantled.
(2) No person shall store or permit to be stored a neglected or discarded vehicle upon private or public property within the city for more than five days unless the vehicle is completely enclosed within a legally permitted building, or unless it is stored by a licensed business enterprise dealing in junked vehicles lawfully conducted within the city.
(3) A violation of this section constitutes a violation. Every day the vehicle or part is stored or permitted to remain unlawfully constitutes a separate violation.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-32, passed May 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
505, "Unlawful Storage of Vehicles," targets what it defines as a "neglected or discarded vehicle": one that is or appears to be inoperative, wrecked, dismantled or partially dismantled, and cannot be made mechanically operative without adding vital parts and substantial labor. No person may store or permit such a vehicle on private or public property within the city for more than five days, unless it is completely enclosed within a legally permitted building or stored by a licensed junk-vehicle business operating lawfully in the city.
Because every day the vehicle remains constitutes a separate violation, the exposure compounds quickly for a property owner who lets a wreck sit. 505(4) requires the city to send a separate removal notice to the vehicle owner when ownership can be identified. 405. The provision was last substantively amended by Ordinance No. 2000-45.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 5.505 is a municipal violation under subsection (3), fined per the general schedule in Section 5.990(2) up to $250, with every day of unlawful storage counted as a separate violation. Beyond the fine, the city can abate the nuisance directly under Section 5.520, remove the vehicle, and assess the abatement cost as a lien against the property under Section 5.535.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a wrecked car sit in a Medford yard?
Does each day count as a separate violation in Medford?
Who pays if someone dumps a wrecked car on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Medford
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