New Berlin, WI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 258-1 of the New Berlin Code of Ordinances defines an abandoned motor vehicle as one that sits unused in one location for 30 consecutive days or more, one reported stolen to any law enforcement agency, or one lacking a current vehicle license plate. Section 258-2 then bars anyone owning or possessing a dismantled, partially dismantled, abandoned, junked, wrecked, nonoperable, or discarded motor vehicle, or its parts and accessories, from storing it on any private, public, or municipal property in the City for more than 30 consecutive days, with a narrow exception for vehicles connected to a licensed junkyard operation.

The prohibition falls specifically on the private property owner too, determined from the City's own tax assessment records, so a landowner cannot escape responsibility by pointing to a tenant or a visitor's car. The code declares that storage a public nuisance outright, which lets the City abate or remove the vehicle. For vehicles left on public streets, highways, or City property, § 258-7 shortens the clock: leaving a vehicle unattended there for more than 48 hours makes it deemed abandoned. Before removal from private property, § 258-4 requires the City to serve written notice to the property owner, giving 30 more days to comply before the vehicle is towed. Vehicles valued under $100 can be sold directly without prior storage under § 258-7.