What are Police Impound Auctions?

Ever wonder how cars end up at police impound auctions? One of the easiest ways is to break the law, have your car towed and impounded to the city lot and then not pay the fees to have it released. That’s what the phrase impounded means. Your next question may be – why would anyone do that? Well, if you’ve never had your car impounded, you may not realize how quickly the fees can accumulate. For example, in Los Angeles, California local police auctions start with a simple tow of your standard size vehicle that could cost a one hour minimum towing fee at $110, plus a $34 per day storage fee that goes to the tow company, and last but not least, a city release fee of $115 that the tow company pays straight to the city. That’s $259 that accumulated in the blink of an eye. It’s really no wonder that Los Angeles is one city of hundreds that holds weekly police impound auctions at multiple locations around their city.

 

All Vehicles in Police Auto Auctions Aren’t There for the Same Reason

Having your car towed isn’t the only way to have a vehicle end up at local police auctions. Many different items are impounded by state and federal agencies in addition to cars, vans, trucks and motorcycles. Vehicles can be impounded through criminal investigations, as well as people found driving impaired or with a suspended license just to name a couple of reasons. Many times, when cars are impounded for criminal reasons, they’re held for a minimum length of time, such as thirty days. Using the fees I mentioned above in Los Angeles, you can see this can get quite expensive for the owners and it explains how so many vehicles end up at police impound auctions when the investigations are over with.

 

Average Cost of Cars at Local Police Auctions

The average price for a car bought at police impound auctions can vary drastically, depending on everything from the type of car, the condition of the car, the area you’re in, and the number of participants bidding. That’s why it’s important to take advantage of any viewing hours for vehicles up for bid at police auto auctions, as well as doing your homework in regards to car values and repair costs. If you find a vehicle that you want but you know it needs new brakes, it’s important to know how much to spend so you can get the car repaired and still save money. Local police auctions can be an enjoyable place to be and you can get a really great deal on a new car, as long as it’s not your car that is up for auction.

Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed.