Craig Daily Press

Craig — Since 2004, the Craig Police Department has auctioned off abandoned and seized vehicles to bidders seeking a cheap vehicle, spare parts or scrap metal.

The number of unwanted, unclaimed and discarded vehicles sold has gone up each year since, according to Police Department records. The auctions began with two vehicles in 2004 and was topped by last year’s 77, police report.

Overall, 149 vehicles have been auctioned in four years, raising $19,151. Last year represented the highest total for not only vehicles seized, but also money raised for them — $12,441.

“That’s a lot of vehicles we’re running through every year,” Police Department Commander Bill Leonard said.

Towing abandoned or “junk” vehicles is a way to keep the city clean and remove potential health hazards, code enforcement officer Becky Otis said.

The auctions coincided with a renewed focus by the city on code enforcement, she said.

“If we wanted to clean the city up … the city was going to have to step up and do most of this,” Otis said.

The next Police Department auction is scheduled for Monday.

At 4 p.m., Otis and Leonard will open sealed bids for four vehicles — a 1970 Ford truck, 1991 Nissan Sentra, 1991 Buick LeSabre and 1991 Nissan Pathfinder.

The city and Police Depart­ment, Otis said, aren’t eager to tow away vehicles. The vehicle must first meet certain criteria, she said. Second, owners are given 35 to 45 days — depending on where the vehicle was towed from — to reclaim the automobile.

“I don’t just snatch them up and sell it out from under their nose,” she said.

Two types of vehicles are placed in the auction: those abandoned and unclaimed by owners and those seized in criminal investigations that have cleared.

According to city codes, a vehicle may be considered “junk” and towed away if it:

• Is incapable of “traveling under its own powers.”

• Does not have current registration, plates and insurance.

• Is inoperable or cannot be legally operated on the streets for 30 days or more.

As of Thursday afternoon, eight bids had been submitted to the Police Department for Monday’s auction, with each vehicle drawing at least one of those bids. Bids for vehicles to be driven must be at least $200; for other uses such as parts, bids can be less.

Money from vehicles sold at auction is used to recoup towing costs, Otis said.

But, getting rid of the vehicles isn’t always so easy.

During an auction last year, eight vehicles were left without bids. The city called a local junkyard and sold them for $10 each.

There also have been instances of vehicles that were sold at auction again being abandoned and towed back to the city impound.

And, though the number of abandoned vehicles outnumber those seized, vehicles from criminal cases can sit in the impound lot for years.

Otis recently released a seized vehicle that had been in the city’s possession for 2 1/2 years.

Leonard said a common problem the Police Department has with abandoned and seized vehicles is that a previous owner will come up as the vehicle’s owner because the plates weren’t changed upon sale of the vehicle. He encouraged residents who sell a vehicle to ensure the proper steps are taken to legally transfer ownership, thus preventing liability issues.

The impound lot, where abandoned, junk and seized vehicles are kept, currently has 19 automobiles inside a fenced-off lot at the Moffat County Public Safety Center.

Leonard said towing the “junk” vehicles away is an unfortunate necessity, but also a sign of the city and Police Department’s commitment to keeping the city up to code.

“I hope we reach a point where we get ahead of it,” Leonard said, “where we don’t have as many. But, we’ll see.”

Anyone who wants to bid on one of the four vehicles up for auction should call Otis at 826-2372 or Leonard at 826-2364. Bids will be accepted until 4 p.m. Monday.

Appointments also can be made to inspect the vehicles.

Joshua Roberts can be reached at 875-1791, or jroberts@craigdailypress.com.