Unclaimed vehicles await their fate in Argentina

As many as 40,000 vehicles—predominantly motorcycles and scooters—may soon face a salvage and scrap process, according to police officials in Gran Mendoza, Argentina, and nearby towns.

An online report by the Los Andes website indicates some 30,000 vehicles are parked in open lots in the Gran Mendoza and San Agustín districts of Argentina, with another 11,000 vehicles in storage facilities.

As many as 80 percent of the vehicles have been stolen, and a high number of them go unclaimed by their original owners even after criminals have abandoned them.

Authorities charged with clearing up the status of the vehicles indicate that many of them were stolen, the process for the victims to reclaim them can be costly and difficult.

In same cases, they complain, owners are essentially expected to pay costs that can equate to half or even the entire value of the vehicle. They also say a combination of dealership and buyer complicity can make ownership status unclear.

Meanwhile, storage costs accumulate that no one wants to pay. The article’s authors did not include any information as to when the vehicles may be cleared for auction, salvage or scrapping.