ONE of the nation’s largest “car graveyards” is set to grow as drivers were issued a 28-day deadline to claim their vehicles back.
The site has been extended twice as more and more cars were abandoned, auctioned off or scrapped.
Washington DC hosts one of the busiest impound lots in the US, boasting a vast stable of rotting relics with hefty fines due on them.
The city used to have just one lot, but this has swelled to three as officials try to keep a handle on the number of vehicles coming in.
Some have thousands of dollars in unpaid penalties attached to them when they are seized.
Over $1 billion in collective fines are still owed to the city, with most of these reportedly sent to drivers from out-of-state.
But in a test-run using automated license plate reading tech this year, tow trucks seized 300 vehicles with a whopping $2 million in fines between them.
A further 2,000 were slapped with boots in return for $6 million in penalty charges.
The programme has since been launched across all eight wards of the city, with similar results predicted.
Now, drivers have just 28 days to pay their fines and reclaim their cars or they risk seeing them sold off or even junked.
Antwon Temoney, who has worked on the lots for 20 years, told NBC News: “They have 28 days to claim these vehicles.
“If they don’t claim the vehicles, then they’re auctioned or scrapped.
“Just pay your fines.
“That’s it. Just pay your fines.”
However, officials expect the majority to remain unclaimed and sent off to scrapyards.
It comes after a new law was introduced to help hundreds of drivers get their licences back after being banned under an unusual 15-year rule.
What makes a car a lemon?
Each law has different parameters on what defines a lemon, but generally, a car is lemon when it’s in the shop for longer than it’s on the road.
Progressive Auto Insurance describes a lemon as a car with “a significant defect or malfunction that makes it unsafe to drive,” though exact parameters vary by state. All 50 states have lemon laws covering new vehicles, but only seven have lemon laws to protect used car buyers.
Federally, however, consumers are protected under U.S. Code Chapter 50 covering consumer product warranties. In layman’s terms, the law dictates that consumers be compensated by the manufacturer when “multiple attempts to repair a vehicle under warranty fail.”
What to do if you think you bought a lemon:
- Research your state’s lemon laws and their exact parameters.
- Contact the dealership, especially if it’s still under factory warranty.
- If the dealership refuses to repair the issue, contact the Automotive Consumer Action Program or the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- Send a certified letter to the manufacturer with an explanation of the issue, with documentation and proof that you’ve contacted a dealership.
- Depending on the outcome, you can report the dealership to the DMV for selling a car that needs immediate repairs.
- Consider small claims court.
- Consult an attorney specializing in lemon law through the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Source: Progressive Auto Insurance
