What Happens to an Unclaimed Towed Car in Grand Rapids

In Grand Rapids, an unclaimed towed car can end up at a public auction. Michigan law treats a police-impounded car as abandoned if no one redeems it within 7 days. The Secretary of State then mails the owner a notice. You have 20 days from that notice to redeem the car or ask for a court hearing. After that, police can offer it for sale.

How long can my car sit before it counts as abandoned?

There are two clocks. Which one applies depends on how the car got to the lot.

• Police impound. The tow company waits 7 days. If no one redeems the car, it tells the police. The police then have one day to mark the car abandoned.
• Left on the street. A car parked on public property for 48 hours or more can be called abandoned. On a state trunk line highway, the limit is 18 hours if the car has a valid plate.
• Police hold. Some impounds need a police release first. If the car still isn't picked up, the abandoned steps start 20 to 30 days after that release.

For a street car, police first check that it isn't stolen. They may tape a notice to it. That notice gives the date and time the car can be towed and stored at your cost. If you see one on your windshield, move the car before that time.

What notice will I get in the mail?

Once the car is in custody as abandoned, things move on a schedule. Police have 24 hours to log it in the state police network. They also tell the Secretary of State, and they name the court for your case.

Within 7 days after that, the Secretary of State sends a notice. It goes by first-class mail or personal service. It goes to the last titled owner and to any lender on the title. Look for these items on it:

• Where the car was taken from, and on what date.
• The name and business address of the place storing it.
• How to redeem the car.
• How to fight the abandoned label or the fees.
• A form petition you can file with the court, in person or by mail.
• A warning about the 20-day deadline.

That warning matters most. Miss the 20 days, and the car may be sold. You also lose your rights to the car and to the sale money.

What if I moved and never got the letter?

The notice goes to the address on your title. If that address is old, the letter may never reach you. The state also posts abandoned cars on a public lookup website. It keeps each one up for 1 year, or until the car is sold. If your car vanished, search there and call the police too.

How do I stop the sale?

You have two paths. Both start the day you read the notice.

Path 1: Pay and pick it up

If you don't want a hearing, you can redeem the car. You pay a state abandoned vehicle fee plus the towing and storage fees that have built up. For a City of Grand Rapids impound, the car sits at the Vehicle Storage Facility at 1202 Market SW. The city says every fee is paid at police headquarters, 1 Monroe Center St NW. Call GRPD at 616-456-3400 for your total and the steps. The lot itself is open 24 hours a day, every day. Its impound desk is at 616-456-3403.

Storage fees grow each day. So the cheapest day to act is today.

Path 2: Ask a judge

Think the car was never abandoned? Think the towing or storage fees are too high? File the petition from your notice within 20 days. To file, you post a bond. It covers the state fee plus the towing and storage owed so far. You can also pay that amount to the court and take your car home while the case waits.

Be fair with your claim, though. If the court finds a fee challenge frivolous, it can make you pay the storage company's lawyer fees.

Which court handles my Grand Rapids case?

The court is the one that covers the spot where your car was picked up. Your notice names it. In Kent County, it's usually one of these district courts:

Where the car was taken	Court
City of Grand Rapids	61st District Court
City of Wyoming	62-A District Court
City of Kentwood	62-B District Court
City of Walker	59-2 District Court
City of Grandville	59-1 District Court
Rest of Kent County	63rd District Court

The 61st District Court is at 180 Ottawa NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Its phone is 616-632-5700. Its website has an address checker to see if a spot is inside its area.

What happens at the hearing?

The court must set a hearing within 30 days of your petition. A magistrate may hear it. You don't have to prove you're right. The police, the tow company or the storage lot must show it followed the law. The judge can rule a few ways:

• They followed the rules. You get 10 days from the decision to redeem the car.
• The car wasn't really abandoned. It gets released to you. The police cover the towing and storage costs.
• Police logged it late. If they took more than 24 hours, storage from before that entry comes back to you.
• The fees were too high. The court orders a cut or a refund.

How does the Grand Rapids auction work?

If no one redeems the car, the sale can come at least 20 days after the notice. With a hearing, the 20 days count from the decision. For a car found on public property, police run the sale. They can hand the auction to the storage lot or another company.

The sale must be open to the public. It can be live bidding or sealed bids. A notice must run in a newspaper in the county at least 5 days before. Sometimes the paper notice points to a website instead. Then that site must list each car's year, make, model and VIN for 5 days in a row.

The City of Grand Rapids says its auction news runs in the Grand Rapids Press. Its storage facility page also links a list of upcoming auction items. Sales are final and as is, with no warranty. Need ADA help at an auction? The city asks you to call 616-456-4665 two hours before it starts.

Can I still get my stuff out of the car?

Yes, and you should do it soon. State law lets the owner look at the car and remove personal things during regular business hours. Your first visit is free. Later visits may cost a fee. So bring a bag and get everything in one trip.

Do I still owe money after my car is sold?

You might. The sale money gets used in this order:

1. Towing and storage charges.
2. Costs the police or the lot paid.
3. The state abandoned vehicle fee.
4. Anything left goes to Michigan's unclaimed property division. Your lender gets paid first. Any remainder is mailed to the last titled owner.

If the sale brings in too little, the tow company can bill you for the rest. State law caps how much storage it can collect after a sale. That cap doesn't cover commercial vehicles or cars owned by a business.

Leaving a car to be sold can also earn you a civil infraction and a fine. The title owner is presumed responsible unless you can show a record that you sold it. If you sold the car and the buyer never moved the title, find that sale paper now.

If nobody bids, the car may go to the tow firm. The police can also take title, or hold a second sale.

My car is out, but it won't start. Now what?

A car that sat in the cold for weeks often comes back weak. Grand Rapids averages a January low near 19 degrees F. That drains old batteries fast. The city also says a car that isn't road safe has to leave the lot on a flatbed.

Sentinel does not do impounds, releases, auctions or private-property tows. You handle the fees and paperwork with the police or the court first. Once the car is yours again, we can help you move it. Book a flatbed car tow to your driveway or a repair shop. If the only problem is the battery, ask for a jump start at the lot.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We lock your price by text before anyone heads your way. Then we check on you by text until your driver shows up. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. See our Grand Rapids towing page for help on US 131, I-196 and 28th Street.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Grand Rapids Impound Auction Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: MCL 257.252a, MCL 257.252d, MCL 257.252e, MCL 257.252f, MCL 257.252g, MCL 257.252i, City of Grand Rapids: Vehicle Storage Facility, 61st District Court, Kent County district courts, NOAA climate normals.