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Why An Abandoned Car Sat For 6 Weeks In Front Of A South Sacramento Elementary School

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Why has an abandoned car been sitting in front of a south Sacramento elementary school for six weeks?

Neighbors have filed complaints with the city, but nothing's been done.

This car has been in front of Barbara Comstock Morse Elementary for weeks, collecting dust.

Nearby neighbor, Dean Dal Ben, has called south Sacramento home for almost 30 years. "I was born and raised in Sacramento," he said.

He says he's filed multiple code complaints to the city about the abandoned car. He walks by all the time, but nothing's been done.

"I saw this car parked just on the correct side of the no-parking sign. I noticed the bumper torn-off, the windshield broken, and the car was just sitting there," he said.

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He says it's just one of many cars that sit dismantled on city streets, broken down and waiting for someone to do something.

"It's a bad thing. This is parked directly in front of an elementary school that is seen by children Monday through Friday and nothing is done," he said.

Sacramento city code says you can't park on the street in the same location for more than 72 hours.

CBS13 asked the city, how has this car managed to stay in front of the school for six weeks? The city says, the car was moved after the owner was notified, so it is in compliance.

"We closed the case five days after we received it because it moved, it's in compliance," said Jose Méndez, a Code Enforcement Manager with City Code Enforcement.

Méndez says the car is registered to the neighborhood, and it's in use. He said the owner moved the car and then moved it back. But, he says the city can't just tow every car, sometimes they are a person's lifeline.

"It's a balance because the vehicle has a car seat in it, so obviously it belongs to someone. It's a car that they just don't use regularly. It's that balance of ensuring we are responding to complaints, but not taking cars that are ultimately used," Méndez said.

City Code Enforcement says this isn't a hazard to the community, so there is not an immediate need to remove the car.

Méndez also says the city is ramping up its vehicle abatement program. They've recently added more staff, so they are hoping to be more proactive in getting abandoned cars off the road.

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