MMDA to Auction Off Unclaimed Impounded, Abandoned Vehicles

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has issued a final warning to vehicle owners whose vehicles have been impounded and abandoned at either its ULTRA Impounding Area in Pasig City or its Tumana Impounding Area in Marikina City that it will auction off all unclaimed vehicles at a one-day Public Auction Sale scheduled on August 29, 2017 at 2 p.m. in the Manila City Room on the second floor of the MMDA Building at the corner of EDSA and Orense Street in Guadalupe, Makati City.

If a vehicle owner wishes to claim his or her vehicle, the necessary charges applicable to the said vehicle must first be paid "at any time before the disposal of the foregoing property/ies" before the agency will release the unit/s.

As for those who are interested to participate in the auction, they are to first submit a letter of intent "and other requirements" from August 4 to 9, with bid documents being issued to qualified bidders from August 7 to 9 upon payment of a non-refundable P1,000 fee. A pre-bid conference will then be held on August 16 at 2 p.m. in the Manila City Room on the second floor of the MMDA Building, with the sealed bid proposals to be submitted on August 29 at 2 p.m. in the same venue.

The MMDA is also pointing out to interested bidders that the vehicles to be auctioned are on an "as-is, where-is" basis and that its auction committee "reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, to waive formalities therein, and to accept such bids as it may find most advantageous to the government." Unfortunately, the agency failed to state if the impounded vehicles can be inspected prior to a bid being placed for them.

As testament to its popularity once, the Toyota Corolla comprises most of the vehicles in the agency's impounded and abandoned list with 57 units accounting for the total number of 153 vehicles on the list. Also on the list are 22 public utility jeepneys, 10 taxi units, a Volkswagen Polo, and a Mercedes-Benz.

The list also includes the vehicles' license plates so if you'd like to check a particular unit's status with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), you just need to type "LTO Vehicle [Vehicle's Plate Number>"--"LTO Vehicle PEH283" for example--on your phone's SMS messaging service and send it to 2600. In the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz's case, an online check with the LTO revealed that it's a 1983-model 200G that was last registered with the agency in 2002. You can find the complete list of vehicles here.

The MMDA's one-day auction might be a good place for you to find a car, provided the ones on the list are still working or can still be fixed at least. It could also be a good place for you to source a 'parts car' or a donor car with parts you'll salvage to use on your project car.