Backpacker car dumping before fleeing country causes $600,000 parking, towing fees

This article was in the Daily Telegraph on the 10th of March.

MORE than $600,000 in parking fees and towing costs is owed on the dozens of cars that have been dumped at Sydney Airport.

But payment is unlikely to be made as those who abandoned the vehicles are usually backpackers who have tried to sell the car and then left it at the airport – where it can be unnoticed for months – as they leave the country.

About 60 vehicles are locked in a compound near the airport’s long-term car park. And the price to reclaim them is growing by the day.

Some cars have racked up fees of close to $20,000, including a Toyota van on which $19,111 is owed and a Mitsubishi sedan with $18,873 in outstanding fees.

Most of the cars seen in the compound by The Daily Telegraph yesterday were dishevelled-looking 1980s or ’90s models.

Most of them are now also unregistered and carry licence plates from across Australia.

If no claim is made or payment received for any of these 60 vehicles by April 1, they will be sold at auction.

All proceeds — less moving, storage and selling costs – will go to the Federal Government. It is estimated that between 30 and 40 cars are abandoned at Sydney Airport each year.

Under airport regulations, Sydney Airport is only allowed to dispose of a vehicle left in the car park if it is left unclaimed for three months.

A police and registration check is also made on each abandoned car to check whether it has been reported as stolen.

“These cars have been typically abandoned by tourists who have departed Australia,” Sydney Airports Corporation spokesman Michael Samaras said.

“They’re not in great condition – many of them could have been driven to Alice Springs or Queensland and back.

“We have 33 million passengers a year and unfortunately a small percentage do this.

“It’s definitely not a cost exercise for us. We usually end up behind when you take in things like towing fees, advertising the abandoned vehicles and auctioneer fees.

“We are careful before moving the cars because some people may have parked the car legitimately, gone overseas for a few months and are quite happy to pay the fee.”

DON’T BUY YOUR CAR WITHOUT GUARANTEED BUYBACK – YOU MIGHT END UP WITHOUT ANY BUYERS FOR YOUR VEHICLE….