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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72914</law_id><section_number>46.2-1203</section_number><catch_line>Sale of vehicle at public auction by locality; disposition of proceeds</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>46.2-1603.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Operation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="12">Abandoned, Immobilized, Unattended and Trespassing Vehicles; Parking</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Abandoned Vehicles</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If an abandoned vehicle in the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of a locality or an authorized <span class="dictionary">agent</span> is not reclaimed as provided for in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Search for owner and secured party; notice" href="/46.2-1202/">46.2-1202</a>, the locality or its authorized <span class="dictionary">agent</span> shall, notwithstanding the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Sale of vehicle without certificate of title" href="/46.2-617/">46.2-617</a>, sell it at public auction. For the purposes of this article, &#x201C;public auction,&#x201D; when conducted by any county, city, or town, shall include an Internet sale by auction. The purchaser of the vehicle shall take title to the vehicle free of all <span class="dictionary">liens</span> and claims of ownership of others, shall receive a sales receipt from the sale, and shall be entitled to apply to and receive from the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> a certificate of title and registration card for the vehicle upon submission of the sales receipt, the completed <span class="dictionary">Vehicle Removal Certificate</span>, and the receipt produced by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Search for owner and secured party; notice" href="/46.2-1202/">46.2-1202</a>. The sales receipt from the sale shall be sufficient title only for purposes of transferring the vehicle to a demolisher for demolition, wrecking, or dismantling, and in that case no further titling of the vehicle shall be necessary; however, such demolisher shall provide the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> acceptable documentation indicating that the vehicle has been demolished. From the proceeds of the sale of an abandoned vehicle the locality or its authorized <span class="dictionary">agent</span> shall reimburse itself for the expenses of the auction, the cost of towing, preserving, and storing the vehicle which resulted from placing the abandoned vehicle in <span class="dictionary">custody</span>, and all costs, if any, incurred pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Search for owner and secured party; notice" href="/46.2-1202/">46.2-1202</a>. Any remainder from the proceeds of a sale shall be held for the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> of the abandoned vehicle or any person having security interests in the vehicle, as their interests may appear, for 60 days, and then be deposited into the treasury of the locality in which the abandoned vehicle was abandoned.</p></section></text><history>1968, c. 421, &#xA7; 46.1-555.5; 1989, c. 727; 2004, c. 369; 2013, c. 241; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 374.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
