Lander County adopts ordinance to clear abandoned vehicles; towing logistics and storage raised by local operators

The Lander County Board of Commissioners on May 8 adopted Ordinance No. 2025-03, updating Lander County Code Title 12, chapter 12.08 to clarify prohibitions on obstructing streets, set procedures for removal of abandoned or disabled vehicles, and add penalties for violations. The board voted to make the ordinance effective June 1, following discussion of several technical changes and operational concerns.

The ordinance replaces prior language and inserts specific notice and timing requirements, including a 72-hour notice period for suspected abandoned vehicles. "We have changed that from 3 days to, reflect 72 hours," Michael Donald, deputy district attorney, told the commission while reading proposed edits. The board adopted the findings and the amended language during the public hearing and later approved the ordinance by motion.

Why it matters: the ordinance gives county and law-enforcement officials a clearer legal path to remove vehicles that obstruct public rights-of-way or appear abandoned, while also creating practical questions about who will perform removals and where removed vehicles will be stored. Local towing operators and the sheriff's office urged the county to resolve those operational details before the ordinance takes effect.

What commissioners heard: Adda Peterson, speaking for Direct Towing and Recovery, raised capacity and cost questions and asked who would be responsible for initiating removal and paying for it. "If we were, chosen to do some of these calls, who would be calling us? Would it be Lander County? ... is there something set aside to pay for the cost of the removal of these units?" she asked. Robert Quick of the sheriff's office said the office had discussed the ordinance with tow providers during drafting and that, if the ordinance passes, the sheriff's office and county would then set up procedures for payment, storage location and a rotation for tow calls.

The sheriff's office described current practice: deputies place an orange sticker as notice, wait the required time, then call the tow rotation. Quick also said the county dispatch/records system keeps an abandoned vehicle record with the sticker time, the tow company called and notes about the removal.

Towing and storage details discussed on the record: county staff and tow operators described the common process for abandoned vehicles. The sheriff's office said it sends certified mail to the registered owner within 21 days and then pursues a lien/title process; statute and local practice limit storage charges and timelines (dispatch and records will document stickering and tow actions). Tow companies and the sheriff said storage capacity and disposal are real constraints in rural Lander County; one operator noted she cannot store large volumes of junk vehicles and often cannot recoup costs.

Procedure, timing and notice: the ordinance's edited language requires notice placed on the vehicle and sets the removal threshold at 72 hours for vehicles left in violation. The deputy district attorney also asked that the ordinance text expressly refer to Lander County Code chapter 12.08 when describing the vehicles subject to the notice procedure.

Vote and next steps: the commission voted to adopt Ordinance No. 2025-03, with the board setting an effective date of June 1 to allow county staff and the sheriff's office to finalize operational procedures for towing, storage and billing. Commissioners and staff said they will work with local tow operators to finalize a rotation, clarify where vehicles will be stored and how costs will be billed or recovered before the ordinance takes effect.

What remains unresolved: the ordinance creates the legal framework but not the full operational plan. Tow operators asked the county to specify who will make calls to tow firms, what compensation or billing process will be used, and where removed vehicles will be housed. The sheriff's office said those logistics will be addressed after the ordinance is final and before it becomes effective.

Ending: County attorneys and the sheriff's office said they will prepare implementation steps and publish the final ordinance as required so the June 1 effective date can be met, while staff will work with local towers to address capacity and payment concerns raised during the hearing.