Wauwatosa, WI Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Abandonment threshold
- Over 72 hours in one place
- Enforcement
- Police chief removes and impounds vehicle
- Legal authority
- Wis. Stat. § 342.40
- Private-property removal
- Written request to police department
- Unclaimed hold
- 30 days before public auction sale
- Sale notice
- Published weekly for 3 consecutive weeks
Summary
Wauwatosa treats any vehicle left standing on a street, alley, or public or private place for more than seventy-two hours as abandoned, and the police chief can have it towed and impounded under Wauwatosa Municipal Code §§ 11.44.070 and 11.44.090.
No person shall abandon any vehicle within the city, and no person shall leave any vehicle within the city for such time and under such circumstances as to cause such vehicle reasonably to appear to have been abandoned. Whenever any vehicle has been allowed to remain standing on any street, alley or public or private place in the city for more than seventy-two hours, the same shall be deemed to have been left or abandoned within the meaning of this section. ... As authorized by Wisconsin Statutes 342.40 the chief of police or any member of his department designated by him is authorized to remove or have removed any motor vehicle left at any place within the city which reasonably appears to be in violation of Section 11.44.070 or which reasonably appears to be lost, stolen or unclaimed. Such motor vehicle shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of in accordance with Section 11.44.100.
Full Breakdown
070 makes it unlawful to abandon a vehicle anywhere in the city, and it also bars leaving one under circumstances that make it reasonably appear abandoned. The code sets a bright-line test: any vehicle left standing on a street, alley, or public or private place for more than seventy-two hours is deemed abandoned regardless of the owner's intent. 090 authorizes the chief of police, acting under Wis. 080. 075 identifying the vehicle by make, model, color and license number, stating how long it has sat on the premises, and granting permission to enter the property to remove it.
100, if a vehicle sits unclaimed for thirty days or more, the police department can sell it at public auction after publishing notice in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for three consecutive weeks, with sale proceeds, after towing and storage costs, going into the police pension fund. 44, which caps outdoor storage of an inoperable, unregistered vehicle on private property at ten days per calendar year.
Violations & Fines
The code does not print a stand-alone forfeiture for § 11.44.070 itself; enforcement runs through impoundment and towing under § 11.44.090, with the vehicle held a minimum of thirty days before the police department may sell it at public auction to recover towing and storage costs under § 11.44.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a vehicle sit on a Wauwatosa street before it counts as abandoned?
Can I ask the city to remove an abandoned car from my own property?
What happens to an abandoned vehicle after Wauwatosa police impound it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wauwatosa
Compare Wauwatosa to another location·View the Wisconsin parking rules overview
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle abandoned vehicles.