The Decorah Police Department is cracking down on abandoned vehicles

The parking lot at the Decorah Police Department offices behind City Hall is looking like, well, a parking lot lately.

A dozen vehicles which have been towed from city streets due to the snow emergency have been taken to the parking lot.  The police say taking them to the parking lot behind City Hall saves the vehicle owners a daily storage fee.

However, the vehicles have not been getting picked up and police are saying late this week or early next week they will begin the process of disposing of the abandoned vehicles.  First they will send registered letters to the last known address of the owner.  If there is a lien on the vehicle, the lender also will be notified by registered mail.

If the vehicles still go unclaimed, police will dispose of them through either a future public auction or a future disposal to a dismantling company.

To prevent this from happening, vehicle owners need to claim the vehicle, pay the towing fee and make sure their vehicle registration is current.  Any other costs incurred will also be the responsibility of the vehicle owner.

For more information, contact the Decorah Police Department at (563) 382-3667.