UAE: Impounded cars sold for as little as $545 at public auctions

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) said on Thursday that it organised these car auctions at the Al Mafraq vehicle impound area over the past three months, where the cars sold at competitive prices yielded a total of Dh18.6 million.

The five car auctions generated a high influx of bidders, whose number exceeded 1,200, in a context of strong competition for the cars on sale, and the value of which was paid for by bank cards and bank transfers.

The judicial department facilitated the purchasing procedures by allowing the bidders to obtain the purchased vehicles immediately after the closing of the sale, allowing pre-sale inspection of the cars one day before the event, completing the procedures and delivering the vehicles to their new owners on the same day, while guaranteeing the rights of all parties.

The auctions were entirely organised by the specialised staff of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, as part of the efforts made to ensure a maximum of transparency, clarity and impartiality, while providing sufficient guarantees to safeguard the rights of the stakeholders.

Most of the auctioned cars had been impounded by authorities after owners abandoned them on the streets and public squares for a long time but failed to claim them after the given grace period.

Leaving cars on roadsides and public squares is a violation punishable by a fine of Dh3,000, in addition to vehicle impoundment.

Daily inspections of streets and car parks are conducted by municipality inspectors. If a violation is spotted, the vehicle is monitored for two weeks. At the end of the 14-day period, a notice is placed on the vehicle, requesting the owner to remove it as soon as possible. After 24 hours, the car will be towed.