Someone Abandoned a Vehicle on Your Property on Guam. Now What?
It happens all over the island: a tenant moves out and leaves a dead car behind, a 'friend' parks a project truck in your yard and disappears, or a vehicle simply shows up on your lot one morning. The instinct is to haul it off or scrap it. Do not - not yet. A vehicle you do not own is still someone else's property, and disposing of it without process can put you on the wrong side of the law even though it is sitting on your land.
What the process looks like
Guam law provides paths for dealing with vehicles left on private property, but every path runs through verification: confirming the registered owner and any lienholder through DRT Motor Vehicle Division, providing proper notice, and waiting out required periods before the vehicle can be lawfully disposed of or sold. Skip the verification step and you risk disposing of a vehicle that has a lien on it - and the lienholder's problem becomes yours. This article is general information, not legal advice; the specifics depend on your situation.
What not to do
Do not strip it for parts. Do not sell it to a scrapper for cash. Do not push it onto the public roadway to make it the government's problem - that can create its own violation. Every one of those shortcuts converts an annoyance into liability.
How Auto Worx handles these
We run a documented abandoned-vehicle process built around the DRT verification gate: owner and lien check first, notice and holding requirements observed, photographs and a paper trail at every step, and disposal only after the vehicle is legally clear. If you have a vehicle stranded on your property, call us before you touch it - the phone call is free, and it is a lot cheaper than unwinding a wrongful disposal.
FAQ
How long before an abandoned car can be removed on Guam?
It depends on the circumstances and the notice process - there is no single universal number. The safe answer: verify ownership through DRT first and follow the required process. We can walk you through it.
Can I charge the owner storage?
Storage and lien claims exist under Guam law but must be done correctly to be enforceable. Documentation from day one matters.
The car has no plates or VIN visible. Now what?
A VIN is usually recoverable from the chassis. That is exactly the kind of case that must go through verification before anyone touches it.
Vehicle stranded on your property? Call Auto Worx at (671) 989-2979 before you move it. We will run the process the legal way.
