Wausau, WI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

08, bars leaving any vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or mobile home unattended on a public highway or on public or private property for such time and under such circumstances that it reasonably appears abandoned. The Code sets a bright line: once such a vehicle has sat unattended for more than 48 hours anywhere in the City without the property owner's permission, it is deemed abandoned as a matter of law and constitutes a public nuisance in its own right. From that point the vehicle is dealt with under Wis.

Stat. 40, the state abandoned-vehicle disposal statute, which lets the City take custody and eventually dispose of or sell the vehicle to recover costs. The rule reaches vehicles left on someone else's private property just as much as those left on streets or in public lots, so a car abandoned in a neighbor's yard or an empty commercial lot without permission triggers the same 48-hour clock as one left on a City street. Property owners, tenants and vehicle owners alike can be cited. Wausau Police handle enforcement, and the ordinance traces back to Ordinance No. 61-4723 in 1990, most recently amended by Ordinance No. 61-5596 in 2013.