By: Anna Liza Villas-Alavaren
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is auctioning off at least 153 unclaimed vehicles stored in the agency’s impounding sites this month.
Through its Facebook page, the MMDA said a final notice was given to all owners of impounded and abandoned vehicles left unclaimed as early as 2007 up to 2012 at ULTRA in Pasig City and Tumana in Marikina City.
The post listed the vehicles’ brands and plate numbers.
Bong Nebrija, MMDA operations supervisor, said majority of the vehicles were impounded for violation of illegal parking, stalled, or “colorum” operations.
“These vehicles have been taking so much space at the impounding sites. We had an inventory of the vehicles before deciding to dispose the vehicles through auction,” said Nebrija.
Nebrija said owners of these vehicles opted not to pay fines and storage fee after their units were impounded while others failed to produce the necessary documents in redeeming their vehicles.
The public auction sale is set on August 29, 2017, 2 p.m., to be held at the MMDA headquarters in Makati.
Nebrija admitted that not all owners were informed of the auction since they have no way of locating their addresses.
“The list is posted on the MMDA’s page. Some owners did not bother to claim or abandoned their vehicles,” said Nebrija.
He said vehicle owners can claim their vehicles “up to the last minute” before the start of the auction but would have to pay P80 per day storage fee and penalty. Owners have to produce proof of ownership.
Based on calculation, a vehicle owner who wishes to claim his car impounded in 2007 have to pay P292,000 storage fee plus penalty.
“The maintenance and custody of the unclaimed vehicles have been causing unnecessary expenses to the agency,” said Nebrija.
The purpose of the auction, Nebrija said, is to clear up the already packed impounding sites.
Because of the number of vehicles that have been staying too long in the impounding areas, the agency is running out of impounding space in its crackdown on illegal parking and “colorum” vehicles.
The MMDA’s illegal parking operations tow at least seven to 10 vehicles per day.
Proceeds of the auction will go to the general funds of the MMDA.