LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Wednesday, LMPD hosted its first in-person vehicle auction since the pandemic started. It was part of an ongoing effort to clear space in the city's often overcrowded tow lot on Frankfort Avenue.
LMPD reported 260 bidders participated, and all 60 cars for sale sold.
A spokesperson for the department said six bidders didn't take their vehicles and those cars would be put back up for auction online.
All of the cars on the auction block had been at the tow lot for more than 45 days. They were in various conditions and ranged in model years from 1990-to 2021.
Buyers were responsible for having the cars towed off of the lots themselves because they aren't currently registered to anyone.
Despite bad weather Wednesday, the crowds came out in droves. Some buyers told WHAS11 they were there to purchase personal vehicles, others were business owners looking for inoperable cars to scrap.
“I thought about going to a car lot, but I’m really looking to buy a car out so I don’t have to make payments," Rhonda Burres said.
Burres bid on a 2013 Ford Equinox, but it went above her budget, selling for around $7,000.
Scott Rose owns a junk business and was in the market for lower-priced cars, around $100 or $200.
“See what they have out here today see if I can make some money on it," he said. “I thought I would haul it out on a trailer or something, but you have to buy low to make money.”
LMPD said most of the other cars on the lot aren't eligible to be sold at auction.
As of Tuesday, around 500 were being held in connection to criminal cases. Many others have not reached the 45-day threshold to be turned over to the city.
They hope to have more auctions in the future as more cars become available to sell.
Tuesday, LMPD told WHAS11 there are other efforts in place to clear the lot.
These include city-approved amnesty periods for vehicle owners to escape fines, working with insurance companies to pick up totaled cars, expanding the contract with tow company Suburban and releasing more cars from criminal holds when the cases have lapsed.
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