C​​AN I SELL THE CAR OR TRUCK THAT WAS ABANDONED ON MY PROPERTY?

In a word, NO.

If a car or truck was abandoned for more than 48 hours, you must have the original title signed by the current owner before you can legally sell it or have it moved off your property. Selling it without a title is considered theft. Track down the current owner through the DMV and ask him/her to sign the title over to you.

If it's been sitting more than 48 hours, you want the vehicle removed from your property and you can't find the owner or they won't cooperate, you'll have to move it out to the street ( City or Austin tow trucks will not remove vehicles from private property) and then call the police (311 in Austin) to have it towed off. Unfortunately, you can't sell it. Nor can you title it in your own name. The owner (whosever name is on the title currently) still owns the vehicle, regardless of its location. Unless you are the owner of a storage facility or garage where the vehicle was abandoned, you cannot collect storage fees.

SOLUTION

Call a local impound lot or wrecker service to negotiate a removal. Removal charges are typically based on the length of travel to your site and challenges in accessing the vehicle on your property. Sometimes a wrecker service will pick up your vehicles for free or even pay you a bit if they think the vehicles are valuable or really want them but don't expect much.

A vehicle storage facility (VSF) can get a storage lien and ultimately the legal right to title or sell. Without a VSF, you cannot legally own or sell an abandoned vehicle.