Rochester Hills, MI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

The city's Zoning Ordinance regulates junked and wrecked vehicles through the off-street parking article rather than a stand-alone abandoned-vehicle chapter. Section 138-11.100(H), "Prohibited Activities," bars "the outdoor storage of merchandise, motor vehicles for sale, trucks or equipment, wrecked, junked or unlicensed vehicles, or the repair of vehicles in areas designated for parking (including the maneuvering lane)" on any lot in Rochester Hills, whether the property is a residential driveway, a commercial lot, or an apartment parking area. Because Section 138-11.100 governs required parking in every zoning district, the ban follows the vehicle wherever it sits on a paved parking surface, not just on public streets.

Planning and Economic Development, which administers zoning, and the city's code enforcement staff issue citations for violations, which are processed as municipal civil infractions rather than criminal misdemeanors. The Sec. 66-37 schedule of civil fines lists code section "138-7 Zoning" at $70.00 for a first violation, $150.00 for a first repeat violation, and $500.00 for a second or subsequent repeat violation. Vehicles abandoned on a public city street are handled differently: Sec. 98-108, the winter weather emergency ordinance, makes it unlawful for a person to "abandon or leave their vehicle in a city street" once the mayor declares a winter weather emergency and the street parking prohibition takes effect, and any vehicle left on the street in violation may be towed and impounded, with the owner paying removal and storage costs before the vehicle is released.

Outside a declared emergency, ordinary street parking limits under the Michigan Vehicle Code, adopted by reference at Sec. 98-61, govern how long a vehicle may sit on a city street. A resident with a wrecked or junked car sitting in a yard or driveway should expect a compliance notice from code enforcement before a civil infraction citation issues.