COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bargain hunters will get a shot at nearly 150 vehicles Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Columbus Division of Police holds a public auction of impounded cars and trucks at the city’s impound lot, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
The auction begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at 2700 Impound Lot Road, off Haul Road just south of State Route 104, the Dispatch reported. Admission is free, and the public may view the vehicles from 8 to 10 a.m. before bidding opens.
All of the vehicles were impounded because they were forfeited, abandoned, or involved in crimes or a crash, according to the police division as reported by The Columbus Dispatch. They are sold “as-is,” and most are sold with salvage titles, the division told the Dispatch.
Bidders must be 18 or older and must register and provide identification before the auction begins, the Dispatch reported. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the impound lot.
Payment rules are strict. The division prefers cash, according to The Columbus Dispatch, but buyers may pay by check if they provide a signed letter from their bank stating they have sufficient funds. Payment is due by 1 p.m. Saturday for all winning bids.
Winning bidders then have until noon on Wednesday, Nov. 4, to remove their purchased vehicles from the impound lot, the Dispatch reported.
Saturday’s sale is the second-to-last vehicle auction the police division will hold this year, according to The Columbus Dispatch. The next and final auction is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 12.
For Columbus-area buyers willing to do their homework — and possibly their own repairs, given the salvage titles — Saturday’s auction is a rare chance to bid on city vehicles at public-sale prices, with the full lot open for inspection two hours before the first bid.
City auctions like Saturday’s are how Columbus clears vehicles that were never claimed or were surrendered through court cases, returning them to the road under new owners while freeing space at the impound lot. Because the vehicles are sold as-is with mostly salvage titles, experienced buyers typically use the two-hour viewing window to check engines, tires and interiors before deciding how high to bid.
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