Troy, NY Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Chapter 275 of the Troy City Code, titled Vehicles, Junked, was adopted by the Troy City Council in Rensselaer County. Section 275-1 records the Council's finding that abandoned, junked, discarded, dismantled (in whole or in part) or inoperable motor vehicles on private property accessible from the public street are extraordinary hazards to children. The section points to gasoline tanks, flammable grease and oil, batteries with acids, and sharp metal or glass edges, and it declares these vehicles a public nuisance under § 240.45(1) of the Penal Law.

Section 275-3 sets the removal clock. The owner, lessee or occupant of vacant land holding an abandoned or junked vehicle must remove it within 48 hours of a notice and warning from the Commissioner of Public Works or the Commissioner's authorized representative. The same section says a motor vehicle, unless registered and insured, can never be stored on private property unless it is kept in a garage with a certificate of occupancy, on a City-approved driveway, or on an approved private or public parking area within the City right-of-way. If the vehicle is still there after the 48 hours, the Commissioner can direct a City employee or an authorized agent to remove it. All removal and storage costs are added to the fine under Chapter 1 of the City Code, and the City will also relevy any unpaid costs against the tax bill of the property.

Section 275-11 is the penalty provision quoted above. Either the property owner or the vehicle owner can be charged for each vehicle, every twenty-four-hour period after the notice expires counts as a separate violation, and the code presumes, subject to rebuttal, that the owner of the vehicle, licensed or not, caused it to be stored on the property. "Owner" is defined by § 1224(7)(e) of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law and "vehicle" by § 125 of the same law. Section 275-2 separately makes it a violation to place a motor vehicle on another person's real property without the owner's permission.

Public streets have their own limit. Section 270-13(N) makes it unlawful to park or stand any inoperable vehicle on any public property or City street for more than 24 hours, and a vehicle is inoperable when it is incapable of being moved under its own power. If it is thereafter left unattended for more than 48 hours, it is deemed abandoned under § 1224, Subdivision 1(c), of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. Abandoned vehicles impounded by the Police Department can be sold at public auction by the City Purchasing Agent under § 275-19, and § 275-20 sells them "as is" for cash plus the cost of the advertisement.