LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Commission has begun tagging and removing vehicles in the county and in the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake.

Officials offered the following details on what community members need to know about these activities.

When a vehicle is tagged for removal, the last registered owner is notified by mail at their last known address. They are granted a period of 10 days in which to remedy the related code violation and legally park the vehicle.

If, after 10 days, insufficient action has been taken by the owner, the vehicle will be towed.

Vehicle information is logged with the placement of each tag. If a vehicle is moved to a different location and dumped illegally, the jurisdictions will know where it came from.

Abandonment of any vehicle is presumed the responsibility of the last registered owner under the California Vehicle Code.

As of May 17:

• The county of Lake had tagged 59 vehicles, towed 10 and impounded two.
• The city of Lakeport had tagged three, towed two and had five more ready to be tagged.
• The city of Clearlake has now tagged greater than 160, and towed more than 35.

Efforts are ongoing to identify vehicles eligible for removal.

As a reminder, it can cost between $4,000 to $6,000 to remove an abandoned motorhome, and there are many environmental concerns associated with such a vehicle’s disposal.

Funds available through the Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program are limited, and one individual’s choice to abandon an RV could mean that multiple smaller vehicles will remain alongside Lake County roads.

For more information about abandoned vehicles in the county, contact Lake County Code Enforcement at 707-263-2309.

For abandoned vehicles within either of the city limits, please contact your city offices: city of Clearlake, 707-994-8201; city of Lakeport, 707-263-5615.