[PART I. VEHICLES ABANDONED ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY

GENERALLY]

     §290-1  Disposition by counties of certain abandoned vehicles.  (a)  The counties shall cause vehicles that have been abandoned to be taken into custody within ten business days of abandonment.  For the purposes of this subsection, a vehicle is "abandoned" if it is defined to be abandoned by an ordinance of the county in which the vehicle is located; provided that the ordinance shall provide a minimum distance and timeframe in which a vehicle must be moved after the initial inspection in order to not be classified as being abandoned.  If the vehicle has not moved the minimum distance within the specified timeframe as required by the county ordinance after the initial inspection, the agency designated to carry out the functions and requirements of this section shall provide notice that the vehicle must be moved the minimum distance within the specified timeframe or the vehicle shall be classified as abandoned and subject to removal as provided by this chapter.  In the absence of such an ordinance, a vehicle is "abandoned" if it is left unattended for a continuous period of more than twenty-four hours and it is unlawfully parked on any public highway or other public property or private lands defined as a setback, shoulder, easement, or right of way that is adjacent to or part of a public highway.  The mayors of the several counties may designate an agency within their counties to carry out the functions and requirements of this section.  For the purposes of this subsection, "agency" means any office, department, or other governmental unit of the county.

     (b)  The Hawaii public housing authority may cause vehicles that have been abandoned on any public housing property owned, managed, or administered by the Hawaii public housing authority to be taken into custody and disposed of.  For the purposes of this subsection, a vehicle is "abandoned" if it is left unattended for a continuous period of more than twenty-four hours after a notice is conspicuously posted on the vehicle that the vehicle is subject to disposal pursuant to this subsection.

     (c)  At the request of the landowner, a county may cause vehicles to be taken into custody and disposed of that have been abandoned on roads for which dedication to the State or county is pending.  For purposes of this subsection, a vehicle is deemed abandoned if it is left unattended for a continuous period of more than twenty-four hours after a notice is conspicuously posted on the vehicle stating that the vehicle is subject to disposal pursuant to this subsection. [L 1949, c 194, pt of §1; RL 1955, pt of §138-32; am L 1967, c 267, pt of §1; HRS §290-1; am L 1984, c 261, §1; am L 1992, c 238, §1; am L 1997, c 350, §14; am L 2005, c 162, §1 and c 196, §26; am L 2006, c 180, §16; am L 2009, c 193, §§1, 4; am L 2018, c 48, §2; am L 2022, c 228, §2]