Vehicle Auction
Public Auction of Unclaimed Impounded Vehicles
When: Every Other Monday
Viewing: 3 to 4 p.m.
Auction: 4 p.m.
Location: Claremont PD Impound Yard (enter at the gate at the end of Berkeley Ave. south of Bonita Ave., just west and south of the police station, 570 W. Bonita Ave., Claremont 91711)
Auction List: Posted in the Police Department lobby 10 days prior to the auction
Auction Rules
- Bidders must possess a valid driver license.
- No one under the age of 18 is permitted in the impound lot.
- No one shall enter the vehicles, open doors or otherwise physically handle any vehicles.
- Cash, Visa, Mastercard, & cashiers checks accepted.
- Payment and vehicle pickup required by 5 pm on the Thursday following the auction. Failure to do so will result in permanent exclusion from future auctions.
Background
In 1995 the State Legislature enacted the Safe Streets Act. Vehicle Code section 14602.6 was added to allow police officers to impound a vehicle being operated by any person driving without ever having been issued a license, or anyone driving with a suspended or revoked drivers license.
Based on Department of Motor Vehicle data, it is apparent that the growing number of persons operating vehicles illegally is a significant factor in the number of injury and fatal traffic collisions that occur annually in California.
- 4,000 persons are killed in traffic collisions in California annually, and another 330,000 persons suffer injury.
- Of all drivers involved in injury and fatal traffic collisions, more than 20% are not licensed to drive.
- A driver with a suspended license is four times as likely to be involved in a fatal accident as a properly licensed driver.
- DMV estimates that of the 20 million drivers licenses issued in California, 720,000 are suspended or revoked, and 1 million people are driving without ever having been issued a license.
In May of 1999, the Claremont Police Department implemented a Vehicle Impound Program (VIP) to address the increasing number of persons operating vehicles, who have never been licensed or whose driver license is suspended or revoked.
The vehicle of an unlicensed, suspended or revoked driver is impounded for a period of 30 days in addition to any court actions that may be taken against the driver. In order to secure the release of the vehicle once the 30 days is up, the registered owner or their agent must pay all fees associated with the impound and show a valid California drivers license. Vehicles unclaimed at the end of the 30 day impound are subsequently sold at auction to recover costs associated with the impound (per California Government Code sections 3071 & 3072).
