ABANDONED VEHICLE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
Iowa Code defines a vehicle that has been unlawfully parked on private property or placed on private property without the consent of the owner or person in control of the property for more than 24 hours as an abandoned vehicle.
If I have an abandoned vehicle on my property, can I get an “Abandoned” title for it?
No, Iowa code does not provide for an “abandoned” title. Additionally, Iowa Code does not provide for property owners to take ownership of a vehicle abandoned on their property.
The only ways for the private property owner to get the title for the abandoned vehicle are:
- Successful OPTION 1 (contact the owner or lien holder)
- Buy the vehicle from the towing company or police authority involved in OPTION 2 at a public auction.
Can I get a bonded title for a vehicle abandoned on my property?
No, you cannot get a bonded title for an abandoned vehicle. If you have a vehicle that is not considered abandoned and your vehicle cannot be titled or registered by a county treasurer because you do not have the proper title documents, you may be able to file a bond as a condition of obtaining a title and registration plates. Get more information about bonded titles.
There are 3 Options for private property owners trying to have an abandoned vehicle removed from their property:
OPTION 1: Contact owners and/or lienholders
The property owner may complete Form 411401 Request for Vehicle Lienholder Identification, to apply to the county treasurer in order to get the contact information of all parties with security interests or liens against the vehicle.
For a fee of $3 per vehicle, the county treasurer will furnish a certified copy of any security interests.
The property owner may then contact the appropriate parties to inform them that the abandoned vehicle is on their property and make the desired request. (Example: The property owner may want to buy the vehicle or gain the title to the vehicle, or they may want to call a tow company or demolisher to haul it away.) This method of contact may compel the owner and any security interests to act on removing or transferring the vehicle.
This option is strictly for direct contact between the private property owner and the lienholders. Other than the lienholders provided by the county treasurer, there are no provisions for this process in Iowa Code.
OPTION 2: Contact towing and/or police authority to remove the vehicle and initiate the abandoned vehicle process
The property owner may contact a towing company or local law enforcement to remove the vehicle. They should explain to the towing company or law enforcement that they have an abandoned vehicle on their property and wish to have it removed pursuant to the abandoned vehicle process defined by law (Iowa Code 321.89).
Note that neither the towing company nor the police are required to move the vehicle by law.
OPTION 3: Apply to police for authority to demolish
The property owner may complete Form 411104 Application for Authority to Transfer a Vehicle to a Demolisher to apply to local law enforcement for the authority to sell, give away, or otherwise dispose of the vehicle to a demolisher.
If the application is approved and there are no objections from lienholders, the police authority will give the applicant a certificate of authority, allowing the applicant to obtain a junking certificate for the vehicle within 30 days of receiving the certificate of authority
Note that neither the towing company nor the police are required to move the vehicle by law.