The Island of Abandoned Cars

From Auto Evolution, October, 2021 (excerpt)

… Hawaii might not sink that soon due to tidal waves, but it might be clogged with unwanted vehicles, which authorities are trying to sell with little success…

Aloha and... goodbye

Hawaii is known for its abandoned cars, given its remote location and the cost of getting cars on and off site. Thus, its beautiful scenery is often littered with abandoned vehicles, which the authorities can barely handle. For example, in November 2020, they had to move almost 400 cars and 700 tires from Makuu, in Puna District. Yet, despite all these problems, the Hawaii government won't issue a title on your name for an abandoned car, boat, motorcycle, or plane, even if it's on your property.

The local authorities will come and remove the vehicle only after posting a sign on it and waiting for more than 24 hours for someone to claim it. This is the reason why you don't see that many abandoned vehicles on the Hawaiian roads. 

While Hawaii might seem like the Paradise on Earth, that does not apply to abandoned vehicles' laws. A vehicle (or a boat) is considered abandoned if it sits unattended in a public place for more than 48 hours, or 24 hours on private property without the owner's consent. These can be reported to the authorities at 935-3311, and they will come, inspect, and tow that vehicle. Since the penalty for abandoning a vehicle is between $150 and $500, which is less than half of shipping costs to California, it is understandable why they just leave them there to rust.

The authorities are selling those relics to auctions, but it looks like they have very little success with that. Usually, they only find old, beaten-up vehicles that barely run, if even. So, if you find a nice '67 Camaro rotting around in Hawaii, bear in mind that even if it is free, you'll still have to pay a lot to get it to the mainland….

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Meanwhile: Hundreds of abandoned vehicles at toxic junkyard in Wahiawa set to be removed