Rothschild, WI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Village Code § 520-1 defines an abandoned motor vehicle as any vehicle left unattended for more than 48 hours on any public street or grounds, or more than 30 days on private property; once the Police Department has given notice, that vehicle is a public nuisance. A 2023 amendment adds that a vehicle out of public view on private property, kept there with the owner's or lessee's permission, isn't deemed abandoned. Section 520-2A separately bars leaving any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or travel trailer unattended under circumstances that make it reasonably appear abandoned, whether on a Village street or on public or private property.

Once a police officer finds an abandoned vehicle, § 520-2C requires it to be towed to a place of impoundment, and the owner is responsible for all towing, storage, and disposal costs; unrecovered costs can be pursued against the owner in a civil action. A vehicle worth more than $100 stays in storage for 14 days after certified mail notice goes to the owner and any lienholders, giving them a chance to reclaim it before the Village sells it at public auction with a published Class 2 notice.

A vehicle worth less than $100 can go straight to a licensed salvage dealer once the Village confirms it isn't reported stolen. Separately, a disassembled, inoperable, unlicensed, junked, or wrecked vehicle can't sit on public property more than 48 hours, or private property more than 14 days, under § 520-3, even if it was never technically abandoned.