HIGH POINT, N.C. -- The City of High Point is cracking down on the removal of junked cars from homes and properties as part of an ongoing clean up effort.

• High Point is cracking down on junked cars.
• It is a part of an ongoing clean up effort.
• The city will give you a notice that you're in violation if you have a junked car on your property. 

If you have a junked car on your property, the city will give you a notice that you're in violation, and give you a chance to remove the car yourself. If you don't listen to the first notice, the city could ultimately impound the vehicle. If you choose to claim the impounded vehicle, the towing and storage fees would be your responsibility.

Officials say areas with minimum housing and public nuisance issues are where most of the vehicles are, but they are spread across the city. They say even a few junked cars on one single street can affect the way the neighborhood is perceived, and the enforcement of this ordinance is meant to continue the general beautification of the whole city.

They've been working on this enforcement for a couple years, after several neighbor complaints.

"It started a couple years ago when city council upped the number of inspectors from two that were enforcing local codes throughout the city to six. So we had to implement things along the way, we had to hire the inspectors, and then had to do some training so we've done the minimum housing, the public nuisance, and then kind of the last piece to that right now is the vehicles and fitting that in and helping to improve the neighborhoods,” said Lori Loosemore, code enforcement manager.

The City of High Point hopes to have a contract in place with a towing company by the first of the year.