§ 1224 Abandoned vehicles
VTL § 1224
1.A motor vehicle shall be deemed to be an abandoned vehicle if left unattended
(a)with no number plates affixed thereto, for more than six hours on any highway or other public place;
(b)for more than twenty-four hours on any highway or other public place, except a portion of a highway or public place on which parking is legally permitted;
(c)for more than forty-eight hours, after the parking of such vehicle shall have become illegal, if left on a portion of a highway or public place on which parking is legally permitted;
(d)for more than ninety-six hours on property of another if left without permission of the owner.
2.If an abandoned vehicle, at the time of abandonment, has no number plates affixed and is of a wholesale value, taking into consideration the condition of the vehicle, of two thousand two hundred fifty dollars or less, ownership shall immediately vest in the local authority having jurisdiction thereof and title to the vehicle shall vest in accordance with applicable law and regulations of the commissioner, provided however that a local authority shall not be required to obtain title to an abandoned vehicle that is subject to the provisions of this subdivision if the vehicle will be sold or otherwise disposed of as junk or salvage, dismantled for use other than as a motor vehicle, or otherwise destroyed.
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(i)abandoned vehicle with number plates affixed--to the jurisdiction which issued such number plates;
(ii)abandoned vehicle with no number plates affixed--the department of motor vehicles.
4.For the purposes of this section, a local authority entitled to custody of an abandoned vehicle shall be the town in which the vehicle was abandoned, or if abandoned in a city or village, the city or village in which the vehicle was abandoned, except that if a vehicle is abandoned on property of the New York state thruway authority or property under the jurisdiction of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation, the department of transportation, or a public authority or commission, such authority, office, department or commission shall be entitled to the custody of such vehicle. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the office of general services shall be entitled to the custody of any vehicle abandoned on state property subsequent to its sale by such office. The commissioner may, by regulation, provide that a county may act as the agent for a local authority for the purpose of removing and disposing of abandoned vehicles.
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(e)For purposes of this subdivision only, the term "owner" means any person, corporation, partnership, firm, agency, association, lessor or organization who at the time of the issuance of a notice of violation for a violation of this subdivision:
(iii)is the registrant or co-registrant of such vehicle registered with the department of motor vehicles of this state or any other state, territory, district, province, nation or other jurisdiction; or
(iv)uses such vehicle in its renting and/or leasing business; or
(v)is an owner of such vehicle as defined by section one hundred twenty-eight of this chapter or subdivision (a) of section twenty-one hundred one of this chapter.
9.The last owner of an abandoned vehicle shall be liable to such local authority for the costs of removal and storage of such vehicle.
10.The commissioner shall prescribe by regulation such forms and procedures necessary or desirable to effectuate the provisions of this section. Such regulations may include procedures for the removal and disposition of vehicle identification numbers of abandoned vehicles and forms for local records for abandoned vehicles and inquiries relating to ownership of such vehicles.
