Guess How Much It Costs to Unload Abandoned Cars in SJC?

If you had to guess how much it costs San Juan Capistrano to get rid of abandoned cars left throughout the city in a year, what would you say?

If we told you 33 cars were “abated,” would that help?

Would you have guessed $17,835?

The city actually received more than double that amount, but spent the smaller amount last fiscal year to rid the area of abandoned cars, according to a report in the City Council’s Tuesday packet.

Lt. John Meyer, chief of police services in San Juan Capistrano, said 33 cars were removed in all.

The money, coming from vehicle registration fees and administrated by the Orange County Transportation Authority, is spent helping to pay for a community services officer’s time spent on dealing with abandoned cars, the report says.

The council received an audit of how the program worked in 2011-12, which found the city lacking in its paperwork.

“The auditor’s reported a finding in their report because the city could not support the [community services officer’s] time spent on the abandoned vehicle abatement program with either the CSO’s timesheets specifying this activity or separate invoices from the [Orange county Sheriff’s Department] billing the city for this activity,” the report to City Council said.

City staff is looking for ways to bolster the record-keeping efforts.

The council received and filed the report at its Tuesday meeting.

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