Victor DeLovreiro came all the way from Elizabeth to look at the cars to be auctioned at the Jersey City Incinerator Authority on Route 440.
DeLovreiro was one of 50 people who attended the monthly auction by the Authority of impounded and seized automobiles. The auctions are generally start at 11 a.m. on the third Tuesday of the week.
"I’m looking for a new car," explained DeLovreiro. "The old one just went on me. My father showed me an ad in the newspaper, so I decided to give it a try."
Both DeLovreiro and his girlfriend Gabriella scanned the published list of cars on the auction block and speculated on the possibility of bidding on a BMW.
"I think I’ll go for something domestic maybe," DeLovreiro decided. "A Pontiac might be nice."
William Rooney, purchasing agent for the Authority, appeared in the garage of the Incinerator Authority just before the auction was scheduled to begin. Accompanied by members of the Authority’s accounting staff to handle any money transactions, and a police officer, Rooney informed the assembled bidders of the rules of the auction process.
"To bid on and purchase a motor vehicle at this auction, the buyer must be at least 18 years of age and hold a valid driver’s license," Rooney informed the crowd in front of his table, which increased as more potential bidders filed into the garage. "The minimum bid will start at $75 for cars being auctioned individually that do not have a preset price."
Speaking before the auction got started, Rooney said the Incinerator Authority’s monthly car auctions are attended both by regulars and first-time buyers.
"We get people from Jersey City and outside the city, too," Rooney explained. "A lot of people are looking for an inexpensive car, and some are junk dealers."
In fact, a good portion of the cars the Incinerator Authority auctions at any given time are purchased in bulk by junk dealers. The balance of the motor vehicles are mostly cars sold to the bidders.
Oren Dabney, chief executive officer of the Incinerator Authority, says he earns between $950,000 and $1 million in revenues a year from the car auctions.
"The cars come in from the police department," said Dabney. "Most of them were either abandoned or seized by police during arrests."
Before the automobiles are put up for auction, according to Dabney, the Authority has to check for ownership titles with the Division of Motor Vehicles in Trenton.
"It takes a while, so the cars don’t immediately go up for auction," Dabney explained. "When we do find a title, we send out at least three notice letters before putting the car up for bid."
In some cases, the letters aren’t answered. The Authority was able, in once instance Dabney recalled, to reunite a lost car with its owner.
"We had a car which had a California registry in the lot," Dabney explained. "We sent out the letters, and a little while later the person contacted us. He came all the way from California to Jersey City to pick up his car."
Dabney noted that many of the cars the police collect and send to the Authority’s lot for auction are stolen, but there are some exceptions.
"Some people just abandon the cars,’ Dabney stated. "When we do lot cleaning in the warmer months, there are a lot of cars dumped by owners. We also auction them."
The Incinerator Authority’s lot for auctioned cars is located at the intersection of Communipaw Avenue and Phillips Street. On the Monday before the monthly auction, potential buyers can inspect the autos up for auction from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"You get the buyers themselves or their mechanics coming in to look over the cars," said Rooney. "They’re a pretty observant bunch."
Looking over the cars
Jersey City resident Maureen Cronin, a veteran of the auto auctions, inspected the cars the day before the auction and was impressed with what she saw.
"Most of the cars are late 1980s or early 1990s," said Cronin. "They looked in good shape."
Cronin said she loved going to all kinds of auctions, keeping an eye out for antiques that others might not see.
"I love auctions, they’re so exciting," Cronin stated. "Cars have to be over 25 years old to be antique, but you can’t be sure what will show up."
The auction lasts about an hour, with the cars on the block eventually being sold. Closing up for the day, Rooney commented on the auction process itself.
"This can be a lot of fun a lot of the time," said Rooney.