Question: On our street in Halawa, there was a family who moved out last month. However, they left their inoperable vehicle parked on our street. It has been parked in the same spot since November 2019, with expired registration, safety check and missing license plates. Those of us who had this family as neighbors know that they own the inoperable vehicle. Multiple reports have been filed with the city’s abandoned-vehicles section. All they could do was post “abandoned” notice(s) on said vehicle for not being moved within a 24-hour period. In follow-up emails they said that since the registered owner removed the license plates, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Honolulu Police Department as a motor vehicle violation. Since the family no longer lives on our street, can HPD be contacted via a nonemergency 911 call to have the vehicle towed?
Answer: No, not in this case. “Unless a vehicle is posing a traffic or safety hazard, HPD generally does not tow a vehicle for motor vehicle violations, such as missing license plate. If the vehicle has missing plates and is suspected to be stolen, HPD could initiate an auto theft investigation. However, in this case the neighbors are saying that the vehicle’s owner is known to be their former neighbor,” said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu, so no theft has occurred.
For inquiries about abandoned vehicles on Oahu, she referred Kokua Line to Honolulu County’s Motor Vehicle Control Branch, which means that you had contacted the correct agency in the first place. You or others have already provided the vehicle’s description and location. So we followed up with the Department of Customer Services, which includes the Motor Vehicle Control Branch.
Department spokesperson Harold Nedd said Tuesday that an inspector has been assigned to check the location again. If the truck is still there (you said it was), a notice will be placed on the truck, and its tires will be marked to assess its movements. After 24 hours an inspector will check again, and the truck will be tagged for towing if it hasn’t been moved and it’s not full of stuff, Nedd said. Inspectors had checked after earlier complaints and found the vehicle ineligible for towing, he said.
Kokua Line is receiving numerous complaints about abandoned cars and trucks. Rather than leaving inoperable vehicles clogging up street parking, owners could junk them for free through the Department of Customer Services, Nedd said. The process is spelled out at 808ne.ws/junkveh and includes filling out a form, making an appointment at a satellite city hall and submitting the form, license plates, registration and title at the appointment.
Oahu residents who want to report an abandoned vehicle can do so by calling 808-768-2530 or by submitting a form online at www11.honolulu.gov/csdavcomplaints. Actually getting rid of the vehicle once it’s been reported can be a frustrating process, as this reader described.
Q: When is the federal income tax filing deadline this year?
A: April 18. Taxpayers who need more time can request an automatic six-month extension. The extension is only for filing the tax return, not for paying any taxes due.
Mahalo
A big mahalo to Battery Bill’s manager. I am a 73-year-old quadriplegic who depends on a battery-powered wheelchair for mobility. My chair is my legs. Last week my battery-charger unexpectedly blew up and left me with a very low battery charge. I bought a new charger over the phone but was terrified I didn’t have enough power left to go to the store in Mapunapuna to get the new one. So the manager (whose name I didn’t learn) offered to deliver it to me in Kailua for no charge (pun intended). Now that’s good customer service! — Lunsford Phillips
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
