Abandoned Motorcycle in Arizona Rental
Broker · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2015 · 351 posts · 273 votes
Does anyone know what the "Arizona" law is for an abandoned vehicle in a rental unit. Is it treated like any other personal item left? Do I need to turn it over to the police? Can I apply for a title for it?
My rental property was trashed and abandoned. There are still a lot of personal items leftover, including the bike. I also don't believe that it is stolen.
Thanks for any info.
Push it to the street and call the cops about an abandoned bike
You can try and get an abandoned title from DMV if there is any value in it, otherwise what Brian suggested
i'd just contact them directly - http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/VehicleServices/abandoned-vehicles/contact-us
If they owe you money, you should be able to put a lien against the title of the motorcycle. That might be a way to be able to take it, legally.
This is my thinking: sue them in court, if you haven't already. Get a legal judgment for what they owe you. Then, take the judgment to the DMV to put a lien against the title for the motorcycle.
How you then end up with the title in your name, I don't know.
This is all assuming you really want the motorcycle and it's worth the hassle. Otherwise, I'd push it to the curb, too.
Put it on Craigslist and let someone else push it to their truck in the street.
Push it to the street and call the cops about an abandoned bike
What a stupid answer. Aside from being a crime, why would you throw away a valuable item that you can most likely make a legal claim against?
The OP here is not looking to get rid of garbage. He wants to take possession of a valuable item in place of other money that is owed.
*sigh*
Sorry, I don't know the AZ laws but likely you can get a title to it if you can prove money owed. Or sometimes you are required to sell abandoned property, but can keep the proceeds.
Push it to the street and call the cops about an abandoned bike
What a stupid answer. Aside from being a crime, why would you throw away a valuable item that you can most likely make a legal claim against?
The OP here is not looking to get rid of garbage. He wants to take possession of a valuable item in place of other money that is owed.
*sigh*
Sorry, I don't know the AZ laws but likely you can get a title to it if you can prove money owed. Or sometimes you are required to sell abandoned property, but can keep the proceeds.
I guess that makes cops stupid. That is what they will tell you to do. Cheaper than storing it. Logically the bike is a piece of crap, otherwise the person would have taken it with them. So now you are going to spend all sorts of money on top of storing all their other crap, to get a title changed over to a bike that doesn't work and they pay more money to get this bike working. Sorry, that sounds stupid to me. But who am I to judge?
I guess that makes cops stupid. That is what they will tell you to do. Cheaper than storing it. Logically the bike is a piece of crap, otherwise the person would have taken it with them. So now you are going to spend all sorts of money on top of storing all their other crap, to get a title changed over to a bike that doesn't work and they pay more money to get this bike working. Sorry, that sounds stupid to me. But who am I to judge?
Another equally stupid post. No, the cops will not tell you to push it out into the street and abandon it. Do you really think that? What you described in your first stupid reply would be a crime, no cop would tell you to do that. If you call the cops and tell them somebody abandoned a motorcycle in your rental, they will tell you this is a civil issue and hang up. It's not their business at all.
Even if the bike is a "piece of crap", which is a completely made up assumption, it still has value. Anything made of steel always has value. Even a wrecked motorcycle can be worth thousands in parts. It also doesn't take anything to store a motorcycle, and it's clear from the original post that the OP wants to take possession of it.
You don't just throw away things with value when somebody owes you money. *sigh*
(This forum really needs some of those smiley icons that roll their eyes)
By the way, can you check the ownership on the title? With the VIN? I was just wondering if it's stolen and you couldn't take it anyway :-)
I guess that makes cops stupid. That is what they will tell you to do. Cheaper than storing it. Logically the bike is a piece of crap, otherwise the person would have taken it with them. So now you are going to spend all sorts of money on top of storing all their other crap, to get a title changed over to a bike that doesn't work and they pay more money to get this bike working. Sorry, that sounds stupid to me. But who am I to judge?
Another equally stupid post. No, the cops will not tell you to push it out into the street and abandon it. Do you really think that? What you described in your first stupid reply would be a crime, no cop would tell you to do that. If you call the cops and tell them somebody abandoned a motorcycle in your rental, they will tell you this is a civil issue and hang up. It's not their business at all.
Even if the bike is a "piece of crap", which is a completely made up assumption, it still has value. Anything made of steel always has value. Even a wrecked motorcycle can be worth thousands in parts. It also doesn't take anything to store a motorcycle, and it's clear from the original post that the OP wants to take possession of it.
You don't just throw away things with value when somebody owes you money. *sigh*
(This forum really needs some of those smiley icons that roll their eyes)
Funny I didn't see you standing behind me when 1 cop told me to my face he couldn't do anything with it, but to push it to the street after he left and they'd take care of it on a buddy of mine's rental when I helped him push the car to the street. Or the other 2 that I spoke to on the phone about it on some rentals we were clearing that had junk cars left behind. Will they admit to telling you that? Nope, but they will tell you unofficially what to do. I'm not sure who would leave a functional motorcycle behind unless its stolen . The value of scrap on the bike is less than $100. I sold a mini van a year ago and it's scrap value was exactly $400. Yes you can part it out and sell it for a little bit more. But thousands is certainly a stretch. Who has the time or inclination to do that? If the dude is so desperate for money he has to resort to parting out a motorcycle. He has no business owning a rental. Maybe he can collect the beer cans the guy left behind as well for some additional money.
First of all, suggesting something illegal is both stupid and against the rules here. I do not believe the police suggested you do something illegal. Either you are a liar or the police are incredibly corrupt in your town. Police are frequently bothered by civil situations like this - people call thinking some crime has been committed and they need police help immediately, the police roll their eyes and say "that is a civil matter" and hang up. It's one of their pet peaves. That's how police all across the United States handle any sort of landlord/tenant situation other than threats to life.
Secondly, you are making a lot of really ignorant assumptions. You know nothing about this motorcycle or why it is there. It is obvious from the first post the OP wants to take possession of it. Doesn't matter why, he's not asking your opinion if he should, he's asking if he can. Even if it is "only" worth $100 you would be an idiot to throw away $100.
Maybe the previous owner left it because it didn't run due to a simple, easily fixable problem, but since he was in such a hurry to leave did not have time to either fix the motorcycle or find somebody with a truck and a trailer to tow it for him? I can come up with just as many fake scenarios as you can that suggest the bike could be worth a lot of money. And yes, even if it is stolen, it's possible the rightful owner has posted a reward for the return of the bike. My buddy offered $5000 reward when his bike got stolen, as it wasn't insured.
Have you ever heard the phrase, when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging? You're wrong, just stop talking.
Wow! In four days I went from being a real estate broker/investor to being so broke that I'm selling stolen motorcycle parts, and collecting aluminum cans.
This is why I quit BP and other forums awhile ago, and only recently thought I would try again. I don't know what it is about the Internet, where you take normal, polite people, put them in front of a keyboard, and they suddenly become rude, world class delta bravo's. Unfortunately these trolls hijack forum's, and everyone else is afraid to participate.
I asked the simple question if anybody knew the Arizona law for how to handle an abandoned vehicle. The answers I received were speculation, that decended into name calling. Do you realize how unprofessional this appears to everyone.
For clarity, the motorcycle is a Honda CBR. I don't know if it runs. It looks in decent shape, has 4800 miles, but has scapes in the plastic on one side where it looks like it was dropped. I also have reasons to beleive that it is not stolen.
Do I want the bike? If it runs, sure, it would be perfect for my midlife crisis. But really, I just want it, and the other stuff, to go away, and my damages to be paid.
Now for those who are interested in the actual law, I spoke with the Arizona DMV Abandoned Vehicle Department:
If you push it out in the street, you may be sued by the owner. Similar to other personal property, the landlord is responsible for it.
No tow company or charity will take it without a title. You pretty much have to file for an abandoned vehicle title.
After abandenment is filed, the owner is notified that they have 30 days to claim the vehicle.
If your going to move the vehicle to storage, do it before submitting for abandenment. Because once filed, it can't be moved.
You can not charge storage fees.
Here's a tip. When someone really torks me off on the internt, I write a scathing reply, and get my anger out, but I don't post it. I sleep on it, and reread it in the morning. Most times I don't post it, and sometimes I think "Was I really going to post something that stupid?".
Wow! In four days I went from being a real estate broker/investor to being so broke that I'm selling stolen motorcycle parts, and collecting aluminum cans.
This is why I quit BP and other forums awhile ago, and only recently thought I would try again. I don't know what it is about the Internet, where you take normal, polite people, put them in front of a keyboard, and they suddenly become rude, world class delta bravo's. Unfortunately these trolls hijack forum's, and everyone else is afraid to participate.
I asked the simple question if anybody knew the Arizona law for how to handle an abandoned vehicle. The answers I received were speculation, that decended into name calling. Do you realize how unprofessional this appears to everyone.
For clarity, the motorcycle is a Honda CBR. I don't know if it runs. It looks in decent shape, has 4800 miles, but has scapes in the plastic on one side where it looks like it was dropped. I also have reasons to beleive that it is not stolen.
Do I want the bike? If it runs, sure, it would be perfect for my midlife crisis. But really, I just want it, and the other stuff, to go away, and my damages to be paid.
Now for those who are interested in the actual law, I spoke with the Arizona DMV Abandoned Vehicle Department:
If you push it out in the street, you may be sued by the owner. Similar to other personal property, the landlord is responsible for it.
No tow company or charity will take it without a title. You pretty much have to file for an abandoned vehicle title.
After abandenment is filed, the owner is notified that they have 30 days to claim the vehicle.
If your going to move the vehicle to storage, do it before submitting for abandenment. Because once filed, it can't be moved.
You can not charge storage fees.
Here's a tip. When someone really torks me off on the internt, I write a scathing reply, and get my anger out, but I don't post it. I sleep on it, and reread it in the morning. Most times I don't post it, and sometimes I think "Was I really going to post something that stupid?".
I'm guilty of it. I caught myself last night after I got trolled. I almost shot back but then remember the old saying best to keep your mouth shut and let them think your ignorant rather than open it and remove all doubt. Regardless of what was said. I've had the situation 3 times where a vehicle was left. The cops told me to push it in the street and play dumb basically. I had a buddy that had a rental, we waited for the cops. They said what you said in regards to the bike, but off the record said to push it to the street. I had it happen 2 other times as we used to do trashouts and cleanups in a company I used to own. Cops said the "official" line then not in so many words to get it out off the property and they'd handle it. You can call the cops irresponsible or law breakers or whatever you'd like. But they're people as well and understand the situation and really want to help out.
Thank you for the follow up! I'm glad that you took the time to do so. I'd consider you lucky to have been left such a gift. I hear that the "gifts" are not always as nice! You can sell or keep both would be beneficial.
Also, thank you for setting those guys straight. I'm new to BP and have never participated in anything as such previously due to these situations. Very unprofessional indeed. To think I've been running around town telling everyone I know about this awesome site.
PS> I have a 2014 BMW S1000RR Look it up/ If a tenant ever left any type of motor vehicle I'd be thrilled!
Depending on the year/model, a CBR can be worth a few thousand dollars, even in the condition you described. Sounds like a reasonable process to get rid of it, hopefully the guy just disappears and leaves you with the bike after filing for the new title... then you can throw it on Craigslist and get some money for damages out of it.
Best of luck
I asked the simple question if anybody knew the Arizona law for how to handle an abandoned vehicle. The answers I received were speculation, that decended into name calling. Do you realize how unprofessional this appears to everyone.
I notice in your original post you don't bother to explain what type of motorcycle it is, or the condition. (The possible value is a very important part of your story that you left out) Then, while many questions were left in the air, you didn't bother to respond for 4 days. That is why the rest of this post ensued, entirely as a result of what you chose to post. It's not our fault nobody knows the exact Arizona law you need, we aren't here to do your homework. Google would have been a better place to start. If you want the forum to help you then you need to actively participate, not just sit there and expect us to do all the work digging up laws for you!
As for being "unprofessional", nothing about any forum is professional. It's probably THE most unprofessional place you could get advice. Most of the people posting here are newbies and spare time landlords who can't figure things out on their own, but still love to give advice. If somebody posts something stupid I call them out. The fact is bad, illegal advice was posted, as is common. That was stupid. There is no other way to say it. Sorry I don't sugar coat things, call me an ******* if you want. Makes no difference to me. If you don't like it I don't care. I'm not here to work with anybody on a "professional" basis. None of you are my customers or coworkers, and never will be.
I am not a junk collector and I am not a storage facility.
I find it funny when landlords say stuff like this. If you have more than a couple properties, you very much should have a storage facility somewhere. It doesn't cost much for a cheap metal warehouse. It's just another tool needed as part of your business. You should have spare parts on hand for your rentals, like appliances, paint, etc, and a place to store any extra items you collect, because you WILL collect them. It's not uncommon to have to store things for at least a short time while you get things sorted out, if you dispose of property too early you can be sued, even if you just consider it trash.
I know what you're going to say, "I don't want to pay for that!"
If you're a good investor you won't have to. You can "hack" a warehouse the same as a house. The 5,000 square feet I use for storage pays me several thousand dollars a month from the renters that use the other portions of the building....
The most important thing to remember here is that the laws for this are different in EVERY state.
I asked the simple question if anybody knew the Arizona law for how to handle an abandoned vehicle. The answers I received were speculation, that decended into name calling. Do you realize how unprofessional this appears to everyone.
I notice in your original post you don't bother to explain what type of motorcycle it is, or the condition. (The possible value is a very important part of your story that you left out) Then, while many questions were left in the air, you didn't bother to respond for 4 days. That is why the rest of this post ensued, entirely as a result of what you chose to post. It's not our fault nobody knows the exact Arizona law you need, we aren't here to do your homework. Google would have been a better place to start. If you want the forum to help you then you need to actively participate, not just sit there and expect us to do all the work digging up laws for you!
As for being "unprofessional", nothing about any forum is professional. It's probably THE most unprofessional place you could get advice. Most of the people posting here are newbies and spare time landlords who can't figure things out on their own, but still love to give advice. If somebody posts something stupid I call them out. The fact is bad, illegal advice was posted, as is common. That was stupid. There is no other way to say it. Sorry I don't sugar coat things, call me an ******* if you want. Makes no difference to me. If you don't like it I don't care. I'm not here to work with anybody on a "professional" basis. None of you are my customers or coworkers, and never will be.
Ryan,
The type of motorcycle is irrelevant. The procedure is the same for a Harley or a moped. All I asked was if anyone knew what the Arizona law was to handle abandoned vehicles. That's it.
Yes, I could have spent the time going through the maze of government departments to find the answer, as I did. But I thought someone here might know. Isn't that what BP is for? If you didn't know the answer, just don't respond. I don't understand why people feel the need to participate in every form post.
I couldn't get back to the post for awhile, because I'm busy running a real estate business. Last week I had CE hours due for my brokers license, an abandoned property to secure/inventory, a flip to list, and had to help a client with an encroachment problem. I just don't have the time to be on forums all day. Also, I really was just expecting someone who had been through the process to post something, or that there would be no responses, little did I know it would turn into a troll war.
But I do have to thank you for reminding me why I don't take part in forums. I wish you luck with your "solo" career. So troll on! But I won't be responding.
https://youtu.be/Kt6rRNANSgI
So in other words you wanted us to do all the homework for you because you were too busy? It's clear from your original post that you didn't even bother to do a cursory google search. We are not here to serve you. This is not an Arizona specific forum, the chances of somebody knowing the exact answer you need are slim. The only answer you were going to get is "check your local laws". And yes, the approximate value of the item is relevant to how you should proceed.
Just because you made a post doesn't mean you own it. We can post whatever we like here. I have just as much a right to post my reply as you do yours. If you don't like it, I think I make it obvious that I do not care what you think about me. I guarantee nobody is going to miss your posts here.
Yeah, we had an abandoned vehicle left in the driveway. Didn't belong to the tenant but a friend of, who decided to leave it there after his mate had left the house.
We called and called, still sat there. "I'll move it tomorrow". Three weeks later it was still there.
Read the law, that seemed like a ball ache from start to end, so spoke to a local cop.
Simple answer - push it out onto the street, and it would be towed for being abandoned.
Which is exactly what happened.
Now, the friend wasn't exactly pleased but screw that.
@Account Closed suggested assuming the vehicle has little value. Dealing with storing large items like motorcycles or cars and trying to take possession is a major hassle. If the vehicle is abandoned in the street, it will be towed to an impound lot. The owner still retains legal rights to the vehicle (assuming it is titled) and they can get it back. Each state varies but usually there is a process to contact the owner and time period before the title can be taken on the abandoned vehicle. If Matt doesn't want to deal with that, an impound lot will.
I had a friend in a similar situation with an old Fiat left in his rental. It didn't have a title. He ended up giving it away and the guy who hauled it away sold the parts off it and got several thousand dollars.
First step is I would determine value and then decide how best to handle it. Each state has laws for how to deal with abandoned vehicles, so follow accordingly.
I hope you won't be discouraged by a minority of posters here that take liberties you wouldn't in their responses. In general, I've found this forum to be full of respectful, helpful advice.
To other posters: I am in no way putting down your posts or criticizing your responses.