Waterloo, IA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Section 4-4-7(B) declares the unlawful storage of a junk motor vehicle, defined as an unlicensed vehicle that has become vermin habitat, lacks an engine, wheels or other parts needed to move under its own power, or is otherwise a threat to health or safety, a nuisance on either public or private property, making both the vehicle's owner and the property owner liable. Subsection (C) requires the code enforcement officer to notify the vehicle owner, any lienholders and the property owner, by personal service, certified mail or first-class mail plus posting at the property, describing the vehicle and warning that it will be removed and impounded at the owner's expense if not corrected within ten days.

Under subsection (D), if the vehicle is not removed or repaired in that time, code enforcement abates the nuisance itself, and the towing, storage and abatement costs are charged to the vehicle owner and the property owner. Subsection (E) gives the owner thirty days after impoundment to reclaim the vehicle on proof of ownership and payment of the impoundment fee plus towing and storage charges; after thirty days with no claim, the vehicle is deemed abandoned. Subsection (G) exempts licensed salvage yards, vehicles fully enclosed in a building, and antique vehicles from 1972 or earlier that are being actively restored and screened behind a six-foot solid fence. Anyone notified can request a hearing before a city council committee under subsection (H), which suspends the removal duty until a written decision issues.