While growing up in the southeast, I’ve seen my fair share of abandoned cars on the street or in people’s yards. The rotting muscle car and or square-body truck gets reclaimed by nature as owners swear they’ll fix them up one day. However, one North Carolina town is tired of it. 

North Carolina town wants to get rid of abandoned cars on lawns 

I’ve seen more abandoned Jeep Wrangler SUVs, old-body-style trucks, and decrepit cars than I can count. Sometimes people park their beloved cars in their yard and let them slowly rust away. 

However, according to Now Habersham, the town of Mount Airy is sick of it. The town council is meeting to discuss abandoned cars. The county recently omitted the abandoned vehicle ordinance from its code of ordinances and will revisit it to consider an amendment. 

When recently reintroduced, the ordinance was met with opposition by residents. I see both sides of the argument here. The townsfolk don’t want to get rid of their Paw Paw’s truck or their cool uncle’s Transam. 

But on the other hand, come on. They know that those cars will continue to get neglected. They may look like junk. 

Many states and towns have various ordinances for abandoned or junked cars. For example, in town, a car on a resident’s property is considered abandoned if left for more than seven days. That’s if it’s without the owner’s consent and is not inoperable or a hazard. 

If the car is inoperable or a hazard, they have less time. Then the rules get more technical based on whether the vehicle is on public or private property. Also, if the vehicle is stored in a garage or an enclosed structure the rules vary.