A 3861: Increases the dollar value of abandoned vehicles which may be seized by a local authority.
The bill proposes to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law to establish a new procedure for handling abandoned vehicles. If an abandoned vehicle has no plates and is worth three thousand dollars or less, the local authority having jurisdiction will immediately take ownership of the vehicle and title will vest in accordance with applicable law. The local authority is not required to obtain title if the vehicle will be sold or destroyed as junk or salvage. This change aims to streamline the process of dealing with abandoned vehicles and ensure that they are disposed of in a responsible manner.
| Jan. 07, 2026 | referred to transportation |
| Jan. 30, 2025 | referred to transportation |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3861 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 30, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WILLIAMS -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to abandoned vehicles The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 1224 of the vehicle and traffic 2 law, as amended by chapter 540 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read 3 as follows: 4 2. If an abandoned vehicle, at the time of abandonment, has no number 5 plates affixed and is of a wholesale value, taking into consideration 6 the condition of the vehicle, of [one] three thousand [two hundred7fifty] dollars or less, ownership shall immediately vest in the local 8 authority having jurisdiction thereof and title to the vehicle shall 9 vest in accordance with applicable law and regulations of the commis- 10 sioner, provided however that a local authority shall not be required to 11 obtain title to an abandoned vehicle that is subject to the provisions 12 of this subdivision if the vehicle will be sold or otherwise disposed of 13 as junk or salvage, dismantled for use other than as a motor vehicle, or 14 otherwise destroyed. 15 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 16 it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD02985-01-5