What Happens To Abandoned Cars That Don’t Get Sold For Scrap?

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Everyone has heard the expression at one time or another that it might be time to “junk” their car. This might be after a major accident or simply from a car being too old to remain on the road in any safe condition. People usually do have their car removed and sold for scrap, but there are also people who decide that having their car towed away to a junkyard is just too expensive and keep it on their property. So, what happens to their cars once they’re left to sit there?

Quite a bit and none of it good! For one thing, a car left to rot on a person’s lot becomes an eyesore. There are some municipalities who have banned this practice, but many don’t have that sort of bylaws on the books. The truth is that it does affect what people think of a neighborhood, though, and can even lower the value of someone’s home. If it gets bad enough, an entire street can find their house values go down because of its effect on the neighborhood.

Scrap cars left on a lot can also be a hazard for kids in the area. It always seems that kids can’t resist imitating their parents by jumping into an abandoned car and taking it for an imaginary drive! The problem with this is a junk car is falling apart gradually as the elements take their toll. It doesn’t take more than a couple of years before any kids playing in that car are in danger of getting tetanus among other things. That can actually mean lawsuits, which is one reason why a person might want to get rid of such a car.

As the years pass, the rain and wind take a toll on a vehicle, making it difficult to move after a certain period of time. So, yes, it’s true that the longer someone leaves a car in their front yard, the more difficult it gets to remove it and the more likely one is going to have that car as a permanent feature in their yard! This should also be the most troubling. Eventually, one really can end up with a pile of rust and chemicals in their front yard, which isn’t very appealing.

That leads to the issue of the environment and personal danger. As the metal in a car breaks down, so do parts like the gas tank and other parts of the car that hold various chemicals that are likely to be left in the vehicle. Once the metal degrades to a certain point, those chemicals will leak out and pour out onto the ground.

This can be really dangerous as this can lead to ground contamination. Plants in the area, including the grass can be killed and if there are wells in the area, those water tables can be affected as well.

So, cars left abandoned can have quite an effect on their surroundings, which is why it really is best to have them removed and sold for scrap!