Thursday 11 September
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
New Road To Ease Escazú
- San José Traffic
Congestion
6.600 Vehicles
Confiscated By Tránsito Police Abandoned
And Rusting
Government's Goal
Is For Costa Rica Soon To Become
Bilingual
Costa Rican President
Views Russia-Venezuela's
Exercises As Natural
Costa Rica, US, Mexico
Remain Unbeaten
USAID
Provides Flood Assistance to Costa Rica
5.6 Quake Hits
Southern Costa Rica
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6.600 Vehicles
Confiscated By Tránsito
Police Abandoned And
Rusting
The "patios" of the
Policía de Tránsito are
home to 2.982 vehicles
and 3.630 motorcycles,
waiting for their owners
to claim them, according
to Germán Marín,
director de la Policía
de Tránsito.
The majority of the
vehicles were
confiscated by the
Tránsito following a
collision or from drunk
drivers or drivers
driving without a
license and other
traffic offence like
speeding.
Marín assures that there
is no quick legal
mechanism to allow the
Policía de Tránsito to
dispose of the vehicles,
thus they remain sitting
and rusting in abandon.
While some owners of the
vehicles aren't aware
that their vehicle is in
the hands of the
authorities, while for
others it is too costly
to claim them, for all
fines, court costs, the
marchamo (annual
circulation permit) in
some cases and towing
costs, must all be paid
before the vehicle can
be released. In some
cases the total payment
due is much higher than
the value of the
vehicle.
Only the registered
owner of the vehicle can
make a claim for the
confiscated vehicle.
Thus a number of
vehicles cannot be
claimed by their current
owners because the
registration of
ownership was never
changed at the time of
the purchase, one reason
being to avoid the
payment of the transfer
and registry taxes.
In some cases the
registered owner of the
vehicle does not live in
the country or has died
or cannot be found, the
process of claiming a
confiscated vehicle
becomes a nightmare.
Viviana Martín,
viceministra de
Transportes, explains
that if the reforms to
the Ley de Tránsito is
ever approved, article
143 would grant
authorities to right to
dispose of the vehicles
and use the proceeds to
benefit social programs.
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