Unposted parking limits

[y_p_w]

Just curious what it is around the US - maybe even outside.

Absent there being a sign, it's almost universally 72 hours around here and neighboring counties, whether or not it's unincorporated (subject to county ordinance) or by city ordinance. I remember waiting in line for something at a police station relating to my stolen vehicle, and the woman ahead of me was looking to get her car back.

It's not necessarily that well enforced. I looked at what some of the local jurisdictions do, and it typically requires someone making a request, at which point there will be a courtesy notice placed with the time it was placed, and the clock starts from that point. I've seen a few of these notices on cars in front of my house. There may also be abandoned car abatement programs, where they might look at signs that a car was abandoned including excessive dust or indications that nobody has even entered.

Heck - once I remembered one car parked in a prime spot in front of my kid's elementary school. That car was still there after weeks and had obviously never moved. Dust everywhere and there were pine needles all over. I mentioned it to someone at the school and they said they'd find out more about it. The school has local police watching over as kids are dropped off and picked up, so they might have run a check on the owner. I think it might have been there for 3 months before it was gone although I'm not sure if it was towed or the owner finally moved it.

I was looking into doing a backpacking trip once in Yosemite, and they allowed parking for a while, but might have required a parking permit. When I did it, I parked in a specific parking lot that was designated for backpackers, although it was generally open to anyone to park, although they'd put up a "lot full" notice if it was close to being full. A ranger told me to just park anyways and leave my permit on the dash.

 

[vavavroom]

The most common solution to long-term parked cars is to squirt a small amount of gasoline on the road under the tank area and to report a gasoline-leaking vehicle to the fire department. It will be towed. I'm not advocating this practice but I know people do it.

 

[Jetronic]

Parking can be done indefinitely here, as long as it's insured, tagged and got an inspection on it. When parking is time limited it's typically anywhere between 30 minutes and 11 hours, most common is 2 hours. That's always posted.

 

[CarLuver]

72 hours here also. but it takes a week or two after the report for them to come out. then they put a notice on them and wait a week or so before they come back. car could have been there for a month already

 

[atikovi]

As long as it's parked on your property, it should be indefinite, unless of course it's an eyesore with busted glass or put on cinder blocks when in public view.

 

[y_p_w]

I looked it up and it’s in state law that the period is 72 hours, but still requires a local ordinance.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=22651.

22651. ​

A peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or a regularly employed and salaried employee, who is engaged in directing traffic or enforcing parking laws and regulations, of a city, county, or jurisdiction of a state agency in which a vehicle is located, may remove a vehicle located within the territorial limits in which the officer or employee may act, under the following circumstances:

(k) If a vehicle is parked or left standing upon a highway for 72 or more consecutive hours in violation of a local ordinance authorizing removal.

 

[SevenBizzos]

Not feasible in a city, but most suburbs prohibit any street parking overnight. It's used to make sure cars don't get left on the street and for the municipality to do it's cleaning unobstructed.
As for private property, your results may very wildly.

 

[y_p_w]

Not feasible in a city, but most suburbs prohibit any street parking overnight. It's used to make sure cars don't get left on the street and for the municipality to do it's cleaning unobstructed.
As for private property, your results may very wildly.

I was thinking absent a sign or where it's in addition to posted restrictions. Around here it's almost universally 72 hours. Street sweeping is usually posted as something like this:

This one has a residential parking permit requirement or (I think) a two hour limit for certain times. But if someone with a residential permit parked more than 72 hours, it could be subject to tow-away.

I've seen plenty of "overnight parking prohibited" signs, but there's really no excuse to violate it when the sign is right there. The 72 hour limit isn't posted and it's assumed that anyone parking should know. And to be sure almost every parking/police agency will place a courtesy notice that should be very obvious.

I was curious about some more rural areas. I mentioned Yosemite before, and that's partially in Mariposa County, where quite a few people might consider parking on the street and maybe just taking public transportation in to not deal with driving. I once went with someone who left a car there for a half day where there were no signs. But I later found out that that was in an area (the entire county is unincorporated) with a 48 hour parking limit. I don't know if there's a part of the county that isn't subject to specific unposted timed parking limits other than for a determination of an abandoned/inoperable vehicle. But they apparently have a county ordinance that states "camping" on a public street is subject to a 48 limit. I think it means that it's legal to sleep overnight in an RV but it has to be moved after 48 hours.

 

[John105]

The most common solution to long-term parked cars is to squirt a small amount of gasoline on the road under the tank area and to report a gasoline-leaking vehicle to the fire department. It will be towed. I'm not advocating this practice but I know people do it.

There’s a general meanness and lack of respect for others in our society today. I saw this yesterday. Someone’s E46 got concrete all over it. And there’s something on the windshield about parking. Why not tow the car rather than do that? I can’t imagine if I came back to my car and it was trashed. Oh wait, a church got red paint all over my wife’s car and denied it. She was parked legally.

 

[Aredeeem]

Like everything else, violation notices such as those pictured, are the result of people not being able to exercise the ability to police themselves. The blue line, easy to disparage, priceless when YOU need it.

 

[vavavroom]

There’s a general meanness and lack of respect for others in our society today. I saw this yesterday. Someone’s E46 got concrete all over it. And there’s something on the windshield about parking. Why not tow the car rather than do that? I can’t imagine if I came back to my car and it was trashed. Oh wait, a church got red paint all over my wife’s car and denied it. She was parked legally.

View attachment 154561

Yup, vandalism happens all over the place. If someone doesn't like what they see, they may find a way to express their feelings. You'd think people would at least try leaving a note on the windshield if they feel bothered.

 

[brianl703]

In Virginia, a vehicle with dead tags or dead inspection sticker parked on the street won't even be dealt with unless someone calls the cops and complains.

Years go when I used to commute to work on VA-28, that 6-lane portion which has a 55MPH speed limit would occasionally get a vehicle parked (more like abandoned) on the shoulder and it'd sit there for 3 or 4 weeks until I called the Fairfax County PD and told them to get it removed because I'm sick of seeing it every day. Then it'd be gone in 3 days or less.

Proactive and diligent are not adjectives I'd use to describe the prevailing work ethic around here.