Legal Question in Traffic Law in New Jersey

Good afternoon, my name is Dotty. My question is regarding the legality in which my car was towed. (1997 Saab) I moved to a new apartment in February, with street parking. In January I hit a deer and driver's side headlight was obviously damaged, but left the car drivable. I moved the car to my new place at the end of February. Since then, it hasn't been moved often and I've started it occasionally, requiring a jump to start the battery. The car has tags, is registered to me, and was insured until the middle of April. I am on disability and have been working to repair the car myself (buying parts, etc.). In March I had an officer knock and told me to move it off of the road for the plows to come by, which we did. This past Saturday my car was towed, and the officer told my daughter it was because it was abandoned. She tried to explain the situation, including having asked our landlord to park it in the backyard. (Our landlord agreed, only saying he needed to cut our grass before we did. So we waited.) While they talked, the officer insisted it was inoperable and obviously not moved in months, telling her it was �abandoned�. I never received notification about the possibility of it being towed, or that it was a public hindrance. I am unfamiliar with the abandonment laws. Could my car have been considered abandoned? What is the usual process to tow an abandoned vehicle? What are the steps to get my car back? We're they legally allowed to remove it in the first place? Thank you so much for your time!

2 Answers from Attorneys

Related Questions & Answers

More Traffic Law questions and answers in New Jersey

Looking for something else?