Winter Park, FL Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Abandoned defined
- Left unattended for a period exceeding 48 hours (§ 98-186)
- Notice period
- Written notice, removal within ten days (§ 98-189)
- Appeal
- To the director of code enforcement within the ten calendar days
- Who is liable
- Property owner and vehicle owner, jointly and severally (§ 98-187)
- Immediate removal
- Obstruction of traffic, or on right-of-way over 48 hours
- Private property enforcer
- Code enforcement division, planning and community development
Summary
Winter Park treats a motor vehicle left unattended for more than 48 hours as abandoned. On private property, a disabled vehicle gets a written ten-day removal notice with an appeal to the director of code enforcement. On public streets and city property, the city can remove a vehicle immediately and place a lien for the cost.
Abandoned motor vehicle means any motor-driven vehicle, regardless of size, which is left unattended for a period exceeding 48 hours. ... (a) When a disabled motor vehicle is found to be in violation of this article, a code inspector or a police officer shall give the owner on whose property the disabled motor vehicle is located a notice that the vehicle is in violation of this article and must be removed within ten days. ... The city is authorized to provide for the immediate removal of any abandoned or disabled motor vehicle to a garage or other place of safety, the cost of such removal to be a lien against the motor vehicle, when the abandoned or disabled vehicle is found unattended upon a bridge or causeway or in any tunnel or on any public highway or street or public parking lot in the following instances: (a) Where such vehicle constitutes an obstruction of traffic; or (b) Where such vehicle has been parked or stored on the public right-of-way or city property for a period exceeding 48 hours.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 98, Article V of the Winter Park Code governs abandoned and disabled motor vehicles in the City of Winter Park, Orange County, Florida. Section 98-186 defines an abandoned motor vehicle as any motor-driven vehicle, regardless of size, left unattended for a period exceeding 48 hours. A disabled motor vehicle is one incapable of being self-propelled upon the public streets or one that does not meet the requirements for operation on them, including a current motor vehicle license. A vehicle is considered abandoned or disabled if it is in a state of evident disuse, neglect or abandonment, and the code lists evidence such as being wrecked or inoperative, partially dismantled, carrying no valid license tag, having vegetation underneath as high as the vehicle body or frame, or being used solely for storage.
Liability is joint. Section 98-187 makes both the property owner and the vehicle owner responsible and subject to the penalties, and both are jointly and severally liable to the city for unrecovered removal and disposition expenses. If those expenses are not paid on demand, a lien is placed on the property and the vehicle.
Section 98-188 splits enforcement. The police department enforces the article for vehicles in the public right-of-way or on public property, and the code enforcement division of the planning and community development department enforces the provisions on disabled vehicles on private property.
The notice process is in Section 98-189. A code inspector or police officer gives the property owner a written notice that the vehicle must be removed within ten days, stating the date the ten days expire. If the owner is not the occupant, the occupant or person in possession is served too. Within the ten-calendar-day period, the vehicle owner, property owner or an authorized agent can appeal to the director of code enforcement or a designee, who can extend the time for good cause, and no removal is required until the appeal is finally determined. With no appeal and no compliance, the city removes the vehicle to an approved storage facility and disposes of it under state law or city ordinance. Abandoned vehicles on public property are towed and disposed of under the notice, sale and disposition requirements of F.S. ch. 705.
Section 98-190 authorizes the city to enter private property to seize an abandoned or disabled vehicle, and Section 98-191 covers immediate removal.
Violations & Fines
Article V prints no fine of its own. Section 1-21(g) makes a violation of any city code or ordinance a civil infraction, and the Chapter 1 penalty scheme applies, with a $500.00 maximum per violation plus court costs and legislative assessments. The larger exposure is removal: the city removes the vehicle to storage, and the property owner and vehicle owner are jointly and severally liable for unrecovered costs, secured by a lien on the property and the vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before a parked car counts as abandoned in Winter Park?
What is a disabled vehicle under the code?
How much time do I get after a notice on my property?
Who is responsible if a neighbor's car sits on my lot?
Who enforces the rule on a public street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winter Park
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle abandoned vehicles.