What is the procedure in Pennsylvania to do about a vehicle abandoned?
Full Question:
My ex-girlfriend died about a year ago she left a car at my house in my possession and I have the title but my name is not on it. Can I claim the car since it's been in my possession for over a year? if not how do I go about getting it I paid for the car but didn't have a license at the time and we put it in her name. I have the bill of sale with my name on it is the sufficient?
05/18/2017 |
Category: Abandoned Pr... ยป Vehicles |
State: Pennsylvania |
#37382
Answer:
Statutes in this regard are given below:
75 Pa.C.S. § 7311.1
Reports by private property owners of abandoned vehicles.
(a) Removal of abandoned vehicles. --
(1) A person on whose private property is located a vehicle which has remained on the property without the consent of the property owner or his agent for more than 24 hours may authorize the removal or processing of the vehicle.
(2) Prior to removal or processing of the vehicle, that person shall file a report, on a multipart form prescribed by the department, with the local police department declaring that an unauthorized vehicle has been left unattended and on private property for at least 24 hours. One part of such report shall be retained by that person, and the other part shall be filed with the police department.
(3) The police department shall, within five business days, process the vehicle as abandoned under this chapter and attach a copy of the report to the abandoned vehicle information report.
(b) Salvors. --
(1) An unauthorized vehicle that has been left unattended and on private property includes a vehicle towed to a salvor's property that has remained on the salvor's property for a period of 20 days.
75 Pa.C.S. § 7311.2
Salvors to remove abandoned vehicles in good faith.
When requested to remove an abandoned vehicle, no salvor shall relocate and subsequently abandon the vehicle. The salvor shall move the vehicle to a facility for the purpose of storage of abandoned vehicles or another place as directed by the police or approved by the department.
75 Pa.C.S. § 1162
Transfer to vehicle salvage dealer.
(a) General rule. --
Any owner who transfers a vehicle or a salvage vehicle to a vehicle salvage dealer, as defined in section 1337(c)(2) (relating to use of "Miscellaneous Motor Vehicle Business" registration plates), shall assign the certificate of title or salvage certificate to the vehicle salvage dealer. A certificate of title or salvage certificate for a vehicle transferred to a vehicle salvage dealer is exempt from the requirements of notarization and verification by a corporate officer.
(b) Certificate of title. --
Upon transfer of a certificate of title to a salvage vehicle dealer, the salvage vehicle dealer shall immediately send to the department or an authorized agent of the department either of the following:
(1) The assigned certificate of title attached to a form prescribed by the department indicating that the vehicle is to be designated as a nonrepairable vehicle. A copy of the form shall be retained for record in accordance with section 6308(d) (relating to investigation by police officers). The vehicle shall not be rebuilt, retitled or issued a certificate of any kind.
(2) The assigned certificate of title with an application for a certificate of salvage upon a form prescribed by the department. The certificate of salvage, when issued to the vehicle salvage dealer, shall have the same effect as provided in section 1161(c) (relating to certificate of salvage required).
(c) Vehicles with defective or lost title. --
Any person on whose property is located a vehicle which is a salvage vehicle and which has a faulty, lost or destroyed title may transfer the vehicle to a salvor or to a salvage program operated by a political subdivision for removal to a suitable place of storage or for scrapping, provided the salvor or salvage program complies with the requirements of this section, except that the report to the department that the vehicle is a salvage vehicle shall be verified by the transferor of the vehicle instead of the police department.