(QCOSTARICA) The owners of cars seized cars by police for would have only three months to get their vehicles from the impound before they are put up for auction.
Legislators are rushing the approval of a bill that aims to reform the Traffic Law so that there is a deadline for the reclaiming impounded vehicles.
The change intends is to decongest the impound lots of vehicles abandoned by their owners.
Two of the reasons vehicles become abandoned is that the fines in some cases are higher than the value of the vehicle and/or the registered owner differs from the owner of the vehicle. The latter happens when a buyer does not file a transfer of ownership to avoid paying the transfer fees and taxes. Only the registered owner can reclaim an impounded vehicle.
At the end of 2019, the Ministry of Transport (MOPT) reported 44,707 vehicles in impound lots across the country, some for years.
In the Ministry of Public Security, reported more than 5,000 vehicles (to August 2019) in impound lots or police stations.
According to the authorities, maintaining these vehicles costs the State more a ¢1 billion colones a near, for expenses such maintenance of the impound lots, security and protection of assets.
