Lake Worth Code Dept - cleaning up our streets of abandoned vehicles

City of Lake Worth red tagging program aims to clean up streets

One day a week is devoted to red-tagging.

Read about it and see the video at WPTV.

Abandoned vehicles on public property - Lake Worth

PRESS RELEASE
FOR RELEASE UPON RECEIPT
CITY OF LAKE WORTH
7 NORTH DIXIE HIGHWAY
LAKE WORTH, FL 33460
LAKEWORTH.ORG

June 5, 2017

Contact: Ben Kerr, Communications Specialist
Phone: 561.586.1631
Email: bkerr@lakeworth.org

Lake Worth – Red Tag Program Results
From May 3 to May 17, 2017 the City of Lake Worth Code Compliance Division, in conjunction with PBSO, undertook a targeted enforcement effort utilizing F.S. 705.103 to address the significant number of inoperable vehicles on public property. A total of 227 inoperable vehicles were red tagged as part of the effort, in comparison only 23 vehicles were tagged during May of 2016. The breakdown of results are as follows:

CASE BREAKDOWN BY ACTION – ENFORCEMENT ON 227 INOPERABLE VEHICLES RED TAGGED
CLOSED - REMOVED FROM PUBLIC PROPERTY BY OWNER 163
CLOSED - VEHICLE WAS MADE LEGAL – LEGAL TAG 14
CLOSED - TOWED BY CITY 28
CLOSED - MOVED TO PRIVATE PROPERTY – ENFORCMENT WILL PROCEED UNDER SEPARATE ORDINANCE (Sec. 15-39)
7 OPEN/ACTIVE – AS OF 06/02/17 15
TOTAL CASES - MAY 2017 227

As inspections return to normal, Community Code Officers have been instructed to make inoperable vehicles on both public and private property in their respective zones a top daily priority.

Please contact the City of Lake Worth Communications Specialist Ben Kerr with any questions or comments.

Located in central Palm Beach County, Lake Worth is a dynamic, multi-cultural city with an individualistic style. People are drawn to the City by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district.

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Ben Kerr Communications Specialist City of Lake Worth
7 North Dixie Highway Lake Worth, FL 33460
561.586.1631
bkerr@lakeworth.org City of Lake Worth

Cleaning up the blight, one little boot at a time

If you dare to park your vehicle illegally on our city streets, you will get the 'boot" literally.

The Lake Worth city Commission passed an Ordinance on First Reading on Tuesday night to include immobilization and impoundment of vehicles on city property. It will come back for the 2nd reading or final vote on June 6.

Read about it... and see the video.

Lake Worth getting tough on Junked/Abandoned Vehicles

The vehicle had 4 flat tires and abandoned on 3rd Avenue South

In the past, PBSO said that this is a city code problem and that the city has a relationship with towing companies...it is their responsibility to remove the car.

With more and more abandoned vehicles across Lake Worth, under New Business on Tuesday night's city commission meeting, the City will be addressing that problem. The new ordinance will make it less attractive for people to abandon vehicles on public streets and have unpaid fines and the city will finally have all the tools in its drawer to get rid of junked cars.

• A device will be attached to the car where it can't be moved.

• Once the fines are paid, the device will be removed.

• The vehicle can be towed or impounded if fines not paid

Abandoned vehicle finally gets cited

This car has been parked illegally along John Prince Park property on the shoulder of the road. For nearly two months, there was no license tag until a few days ago. Now they have one day to move it or it gets towed.

Cleaning up the neighborhood, one step at a time.

Abandoned car on Lake Osborne finally cited

We have been trying for close to two years to end the flagrant disobedience of county laws in regards to vehicles parked on the side of Lake Osborne on county park property. We even asked the park, and they complied, to erect signs forbidding parking from dusk to dawn so that these vehicle owners would be familiar with the law but certain people just decided to ignore the signs. Finally, this car was cited after six months.

Inundated with vagrants, people living in their cars, a crime uptick and prostitution, enforcing this law will help our neighborhood.

This owner has 48 hours from the citation to move this vehicle off of county property or until 8am on November 26th or it will be towed.

Abandoned Vehicles in Lake Worth - on WPEC channel 12 tonight

UPDATE: link to channel 12 video
Comment Up

Katie McGiveron, VP of ROLOH and
 Chair of Save Our Neighborhood, Inc.

Lauren Hills, reporter with WPEC Channel 12 News, is doing a segment tonight on abandoned vehicles in Lake Worth.

Tune in at 5pm.

Junks being junked in Lake Worth

Comment Up

We have talked before about this abandoned vehicle at 419 3rd Avenue South. The licensed tag is expired and it was dumped on our street last year. It was yellow tagged on January 28, 2014 after being featured on Lynn's little bit of Trivia on January 20. The owner had 72 hours to get it off the streets. The PBSO says that this is a city code problem and that the city has a relationship with towing companies...it is their responsibility to remove the car. This all might be true but please refer to the County and City codes below.

We have become a dumping ground for junk cars. The City has all the tools in its possession to now clean up the slum, the blight and the streets.

The vehicle has 4 flat tires.

Cited by the city on 1-28-14

COUNTY (f) Whenever any Law Enforcement Officer receives a report of or finds a vehicle that is without a current license tag or inspection sticker standing on the public right-of-way, the owner will be notified to remove the vehicle. After 24 hours the officer will treat it as an abandoned vehicle and remove it immediately. (Ord. No. 01-9, §§ 1, 2, 3-20-01)

CITY Inoperable motor vehicle. A vehicle which cannot be driven upon the public streets for reason including but not limited to being unlicensed, wrecked, abandoned, in a state of disrepair, or incapable of being moved under its own power. Motor vehicles. Except as provided for by Florida Statute or other City of Lake Worth ordinance, no inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicle shall be parked, kept, or stored on any premises. (Ord. No. 2009-27, § 2, 10-20-09; Ord. No. 2012-03, § 2, 1-3-12; Ord. No. 2013-04, § 3, 1-8-13)

Wrecked vehicle left on Lake Worth public street

Comment Up

Just one more thing to blight the neighborhood

Not only is it blighted property we have to deal with here in lake Worth that breeds crime, but junked cars parked on our city streets. We seem to be a dumping ground for just about everything.

Abandoned property, public, means all tangible personal property which does not have an identifiable owner and which has been disposed on public property in a wrecked, inoperative, or partially dismantled condition or which has no apparent intrinsic value to the rightful owner.  It's subjective. This car does have a tag.

Abandoned/inoperable vehicle is any vehicle which is located on public property, or private property and not within an enclosed building, and which has any of its wheels or tires dismantled or deflated, is missing any part or valid registration required by law for travel on public streets, or is in such condition as to render it incapable of normal operation under its own power, including being supported above existing grade level by such means as concrete blocks, jacks, hoists, or similar devices. Included in this definition is any wrecked, inoperative or partially dismantled motor vehicle.

The story is that the owner abandoned the vehicle and walked away some three weeks ago and the car has been in the exact same position ever since. 

Why doesn't the PBSO or someone in charge at city hall call Motor Vehicles, find out who the owner is, if this Toyota is registered to him and ask him about this car.