Wellington, FL Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 22-21, Code of Ordinances
- 24-hour trigger
- Unattended street vehicle presumed abandoned after 24 hrs
- Notice period
- 5 days to request a pre-taking hearing
- Reclaim window
- 2 months to pay and reclaim a stored vehicle
- Nonpayment fine
- $250.00 (Sec. 22-22(E))
- Private property
- Treated as public nuisance under Chapter 9
Summary
Village of Wellington Code of Ordinances § 22-21 authorizes Code Compliance Officers and Law Enforcement Officers to tow a vehicle off any street to the nearest garage or a facility maintained by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office or Wellington. A vehicle left unattended on a street continuously for more than 24 hours may be presumed abandoned, and an abandoned vehicle sitting on private property is a public nuisance abatable under Chapter 9.
Any Code Compliance Officer or Law Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to remove a vehicle from a street to the nearest garage or other place of safety, or a garage designated or maintained by the sheriff's department or by Wellington under the circumstances hereinafter enumerated and subject to the procedures set forth in this article:1.When a vehicle is left unattended upon any street where such vehicle constitutes an obstruction to traffic; ... 4.When a vehicle is left unattended upon a street continuously for more than 24 hours and may be presumed to be abandoned;
Full Breakdown
Section 22-21, 'Abandoned vehicles on public and private property,' opens Article III of Chapter 22 and lists six circumstances letting officers remove a vehicle from a street: obstructing traffic, an incapacitated driver, a vehicle in improper operating condition, one left unattended for more than 24 hours (subsection A.4), a driver taken into police custody, or an emergency such as fire, flood, or storm. On private property, subsection B treats an abandoned vehicle as a public nuisance to be abated under Chapter 9 rather than towed under this article.
Once removed under Sec. 22-22, the officer posts a notice on the vehicle giving the owner five days to request a pre-taking hearing before the Village Manager or a designee at 12300 Forest Hill Boulevard, and the owner has 48 hours after that hearing to comply before Wellington disposes of the vehicle by storage, destruction, sale, trade to another government, or donation. An owner who never removes the vehicle owes Wellington the full cost of removal and destruction, less salvage value, and faces a $250.00 fine under Sec.
22-22(E) for refusing to pay. Under Sec. 22-23, if the vehicle has enough value to justify storage, the owner can reclaim it within two months by paying removal, storage, and any fines; after that window plus 30 days, Wellington may destroy, trade, or sell it, with any leftover sale proceeds going to the general fund.
Violations & Fines
An owner who does not remove an abandoned vehicle after the five-day posted notice, or within 48 hours of a pre-taking hearing, forfeits it to removal and disposal under Sec. 22-22, and remains liable to Wellington for the removal and destruction costs, less salvage value. Refusing to pay that amount is itself a violation carrying a $250.00 fine under Sec. 22-22(E).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car sit on a Wellington street before it's towed as abandoned?
What happens after Wellington tows my abandoned vehicle?
Can I get my car back after it's been impounded as abandoned?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wellington
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Wellington to another location·View the Florida parking rules overview
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Palm Beach County handle abandoned vehicles.