Towing of abandoned, illegally parked vehicles will commence Nov. 11 Published Nov. 2, 2011 By Laura Levering Northwest Guardian JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- The installation provost marshal has a stern, but fair warning to the community regarding illegally-parked vehicles. All trailers, boats, RVs and non functioning vehicles illegally parked on Joint Base Lewis-McChord will be towed, starting Nov. 11, at the owner's expense. That is the final day of the installation's week long "Fall Cleanup," part of a biannual crackdown on illegal dumping. "By the 11th of November, most folks will have had ample opportunity to know this was coming and had plenty of time to make other arrangements," said Lt. Col. Ted Solonar, Joint Base Lewis-McChord provost marshal. Army Regulation 190-5 states that all trailers, boats and RVs must be kept in a storage lot or elsewhere off of the installation. The same applies to abandoned and non-functioning, privately owned vehicles. Military police mark illegally parked vehicles with a highly visible tag in an effort to notify its owner. If the vehicle remains unmoved, it will be towed 72 hours later at the owner's expense. After the vehicle is towed, the towing company sends out a notification letter to the registered owner in an attempt to make contact and have the owner retrieve their vehicle. Fees associated with retrieving a towed vehicle are costly. The towing fee itself is about $125, plus an additional $25 per day. If the company does not hear back from the owner, the company legally assumes ownership of the vehicle -- to include everything inside of the vehicle -- and can legally auction it off after having possession for 45 days. "It can get real expensive real fast," Solonar said. "Basically, once the towing company latches onto it, it's theirs." One of the main problems authorities are having is that owners whose vehicles have been tagged are simply relocating their vehicle on the installation rather than parking or storing it legally. Tim Durga, abandoned vehicles section officer, estimates his section has been chasing and tracking more than 100 such vehicles around the installation. "We tag an item, then we come back, see it's gone, then four or five days later we find it again, just in a different parking lot," Solonar said. "We're really not getting ahead of the problem. We're just pushing it around post." Authorities track and keep record of every vehicle they tag to ensure they give the owner ample warning before a towing company responds. They also make several attempts to reach the owner, to include contacting their unit's chain of command when applicable. "We want to make sure we go the extra mile," said Lt. Tom Martin, Traffic Investigations police supervisor. "We want to make sure we can withstand (the Inspector General), congressional and any type of possible scrutiny." There are multiple reasons for clearing JBLM of illegally parked vehicles. Solonar said he remembers a time in the mid-90s when the laws were not as rigid as they are now, and the installation became "unsightly." "It doesn't take long for this installation to become a dumping ground or just open storage for all kinds of different things," he said. "At some point it presents a safety issue as these things begin to accumulate." "They also attract crime," Durga said. "They get broken into, and people start dumping other trash and things like that at the site." With parking lots already at max capacity on most days, illegally parked vehicles take up space that should be used for parking cars that need it. If a person cannot move their vehicle for any reason, they should communicate their issue to authorities to prevent towing. "If the owner is communicating, there's obviously some leeway there," Martin said. "He's either working towards waiting until payday, the unit's first sergeant is involved and aware of it -- that all plays into whether or not the vehicle is towed." Solonar reiterated that he would much rather assist vehicle owners with getting their vehicle moved without incurring the tow than to have the alternative happen. "I will be a very happy guy if on the 11th of November I don't have to tow a single vehicle," he said. "But on the 11th of November, whether it is tagged or not, if it is illegally sitting on this installation, we are going to remove it." There are currently five storage lots to choose from on JBLM, plus others in surrounding communities. To find out more about your options, call 967-8282/7744. If you would like to report an abandoned or illegally parked vehicle, call the Abandoned Vehicle section at 966-6970 or the military police at 867-3107.