You can’t keep, sell or haul away a car just because it showed up on your land and stayed. In Georgia the removal has to go through an authorized towing and storage firm, and that firm has to follow a notice process. Your job is to build a clean record first, then hand the car to someone who is allowed to move it.
Two situations get mixed up here. A car that arrived yesterday and is blocking your space is a same-day removal problem. A car that has quietly sat for weeks is an abandonment problem. The steps differ.
Step one: figure out which problem you have
Ask how long the car has been there and whether anyone could be using it. A tenant’s guest, a customer who walked to a nearby shop, or an employee on vacation can all explain a parked car.
If the car is in the way right now and was never given permission, that is a trespass tow. The lot owner or manager asks an operator to remove it, and the operator follows Georgia’s private-property rules, including posted signs. Our guide to how to tow a car from private property in Georgia covers that path.
If the car has simply been sitting, keep reading.
Step two: build the record
Do this before you call anyone. A dated record protects you if the owner turns up angry.
- Photograph the car from all four sides, with the plate and the dashboard VIN if you can see it.
- Note the date and time of each photo, and visit again a week later with a second set.
- Write down what you can tell: flat tires, a covered windshield, missing plates, a cracked window.
- Leave a dated note under the wiper with your phone number, and keep a copy.
- Ask your tenants, staff or neighbors whether the car belongs to anyone they know.
Don’t open the doors, go through the glovebox or start the car. Those small kindnesses can turn into a dispute about missing items.
Step three: check the 30-day rule
Georgia’s abandoned-vehicle law, O.C.G.A. § 40-11-1, names a 30-day clock in specific situations. One of them is a vehicle left unattended on private property for 30 days. The clock is a title and storage rule, so it does not make the car yours on day 31.
The Georgia Department of Revenue explains the process on its abandoned vehicles page. It says only towing and storage firms are authorized to remove vehicles from property at a property owner’s request, and that those businesses must notify owners and lienholders before claiming a lien.
Step four: bring in law enforcement or a firm
Two reasonable routes follow your record.
Call local law enforcement. Officers can sometimes run the plate and reach the registered owner, who may simply come get the car once someone calls. For a car on a public street in front of your property, this is the main route because the city or county controls the right of way.
Request removal through a licensed operator. The firm handles the notice and storage steps. Say plainly what you know and what you don’t. Quick Tow ATL is a referral line, so the operator we send is an independent licensed company, and the notice duties belong to that operator, not to us. A private property tow request is the usual starting point, and you can reach the line on (858) 925-5546.
What not to do
- Don’t change the locks, chain the wheels or block the car in. That invites a claim against you.
- Don’t sell it, give it away or scrap it. You don’t hold title.
- Don’t have a friend with a truck haul it off. The DOR says only authorized firms may remove it.
- Don’t assume a missing plate means abandonment. It’s a clue, not the legal test.
A business lot with a repeat problem
Shopping centers and apartment complexes see this often. Put clear tow-away signs at the entrance before the next case. Georgia’s rules set size, wording and placement for signs (see what the signs must say), and a lot without compliant signs can’t rely on them for removals.
If the car is a former tenant’s
A lease ending adds contract questions beyond this article, such as what your lease says about property left behind. Check the lease language before acting, and consider asking an attorney. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How long before I can have an abandoned car removed in Georgia?
For a car sitting unattended on private property, the statute uses 30 days. A car that is parked without permission and in your way is a different, same-day removal request.
Can I keep the car if no one claims it?
No. A title can’t be issued just because a car sits on your land. The notice and lien process exists for that reason.
Who pays for the removal?
It depends on the circumstances and any lien the operator holds. Ask the operator before they start work.
What if I want to buy the car as a junk car?
You’d need the owner’s paperwork. See how to junk a car in Georgia for what a clean sale requires.