Abandoned 03 Bugeye Subaru WRX
 

Hi Ecomodder.

A few months ago I stumbled upon what appears to be an abandoned car. I know it's been in the same spot for at least a year, and I suspect 2 years, thanks to satellite imagery. I posted a thread on reddit about it:

Found a sonic yellow bugeye WRX that appears to be abandoned. : subaru

Imgur album: Sonic Yellow WRX - Imgur

Quick summary:

I got a carfax on it. Here's the run down from that:

7 owners... totaled (2007, 45k miles), salvaged (2007 47k), junked (2007), rebuilt (2008 52k), totaled again (2009), oil, filter, and fluids changed 10/2012 @ 92,725 miles. Registration on the license place expired October 2012, that's also the last entry in the report at 92,725 miles. I'm guessing that's when it was abandoned.

After getting the news from the carfax back at the end of August, I decided to give it up. However, I think this would be a fun project car for me since I'll actually have a garage soon. And that little spoiler on the back could be the beginnings of a frame for a WRX kammback (probably would want to swap trunk lids with an STi to get the wing to really make it work). http://forum.ecomodder.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Anyway, how would you guys handle such a situation?

(Sorry if this needs to be in a separate forum.)

I say go for it. i wish i came accross an abandoned WRX. Subarus are fun to drive and reliable as dirt.

Yes they are! lol

Just wondering how to actually do the "go for it" part lol.

I say make your dream come true and snatch up that Rex!

But before you do, i googled AR abandoned Vehicle laws for you to read to make sure you dont "accidentally" steal it

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5c...ew?usp=sharing

Don't take my word for it, but just by quickly skimming through the law...you have to

1) make a good faith effort to locate the current owner and lienholder (if there is a loan on it)
2) notify the owner that you intend on "claiming" the vehicle
3) if there is no owner, you have to notify the local police department you intentions on "claiming" the vehicle
4) notify the owner of the property that the vehicle is located on of your intentions to "claim" the vehicle
5) get a replacement title

That would be extremely helpful were the car and I in AR! Unfortunately, I don't get back into AR until next week. In ND currently. I would not mind at all to drag this car back to AR with me.

Checking with the local PD would probably be the best option, I just wonder how it affects things that I'm not a ND resident. I guess I might have to find out!

The ND DOT website hasn't been very helpful, so that's why I'm asking here.

(I could just be a really bad searcher and googler :confused: )

let me google it :P

it seems like ND is less strict about abandoned vehicles.

since the rex is more than 7 hears old...the tags are expired...the vehicle can be removed immediately

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5c...ew?usp=sharing

Yep! I'm just bad at googling apparently lol

Nice find, man.

Hmmm, well, looks like I just need to make sure that it's indeed not owned by either of the abandoned looking properties flanking it. I think I'll check with the PD to make sure that I can indeed just load it up. Then I have to actually make sure I can physically get it rolling in order to load it.

Tow it to ND, put a lean against it for towing and wait for the owner to pay. When they dont, its YOURS!!!!!! :thumbup:

Looks like its abandoned right next to someones house. Maybe a knock on thr door and ask them about it? Maybe somene is deployed and they parked it out of the way? Maybe its a project car they haven't gotten to yet? I just cannot fathom how a car sitting I a sideyard of a residential area is "abandoned". I was expecting to see pics deep in a forest or something.

I do a bit more sleuthing than looking at Google before planning on making this car yours. Have it towed and put a lean on it, really? My winter beater sits in the side lot all summer. You tow it in hopes of making it yours and you can bet your ass I'm claiming it stolen, because that's exactly what it is.