Abandoned Luxury Vehicle That's Been Stinking Up Brooklyn Neighborhood On The Move
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A neighborhood nuisance in Brooklyn is on the move: A beat-up old limo filled with smelly trash. Locals say a man has been living in it.
CBS2's cameras caught up with it Wednesday morning, parked a few blocks away from its usual spot, along with the man inside.
He's been dodging sanitation workers and police, but CBS2's cameras managed to track down the driver of the rundown vehicle early this morning in Greenpoint.
Soon after, a Department of Sanitation supervisor spotted him too.
"If you don't have any plates on this vehicle, we are gonna tow this vehicle," the supervisor said.
CBS2 first told you about the old luxury vehicle Tuesday. Neighbors had been complaining about the hideous limo parked on their block. Its broken windows were covered in plastic and seats were filled with garbage and food, giving off a stench they say can be smelled about a block away.
Neighbors claim a man has been living out of the car.
"That's a disgrace… To leave something like that, it's spoiling this whole wonderful neighborhood," a woman said.
"It's ugly, it's unsightly, and it shouldn't be here," a man said.
CBS2 brought it to the attention of police and officials at the Department of Sanitation, who said when they first started getting complaints the vehicle had Pennsylvania plates on it.
Sanitation workers are apparently unable to tow a car that has license plates on it, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported. After CBS2's calls, they returned Tuesday and the plates were gone, so they tagged the vehicle, planning to tow it today.
Wednesday morning, the vehicle was parked six blocks from its usual location.
"There's rotten food in there. You can smell it from out there," the supervisor said.
"You do whatever it is that you've got to do. We're going to tow it. It has to be taken off the street," the supervisor said. "There's no plates on it. If you reported it stolen and you have a police report for stolen plates, then show us the police report or call the precinct, whatever you need to do. But if you did not report it stolen, we're going to tow it."
The man was able to produce registration for the vehicle, and soon after he drove off again. The car's back on the streets with both an eyesore and a stink for for those around it.
A Sanitation Department spokesperson says that because the man was able to provide registration, the case has now been turned back over to police, who have been instructed to scour the area in search of the vehicle.
Neighbors previously complained to police at the nearby 94th Precinct.
The Department of Sanitation says New Yorkers can report abandoned vehicles left on public property for at least 48 hours by calling 311.