Government House announced on Thursday that the St. Thomas/Water Island Administrator's Office, in collaboration with the V.I. Housing Authority and the V.I. Police Department, initiated an operation at the Bovoni Housing Community to address a longstanding issue with abandoned vehicles.

The joint effort involved tagging vehicles deemed abandoned and notifying owners that they must remove them to avoid further penalties.

According to the release, VIHA had previously informed residents of the need to address vehicles left on the premises. Following these warnings, the task force carried out the operation, marking cars throughout the residential area as abandoned and in need of removal.

Authorities said any vehicles still on the premises by Monday, October 28, 2024, would be removed and taken to the landfill. The last registered owner of each vehicle will face a lien placed against their driver's license and any future vehicle registrations, in addition to a $1,000 fine. The lien must be resolved before the owner can regain vehicle registration privileges.

The vehicles tagged as abandoned were found across multiple areas within the Bovoni community, with cars located in front of various buildings and scattered throughout the property. The list included various makes and models, with some vehicles displaying license plates while others did not. Specific vehicles identified in front of Building A included a White Toyota Corolla, a White Honda Passport, and a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, among others. In front of Building B, vehicles such as a Chevy Cobalt and a 2014 Ford were marked, while locations near other buildings saw a mix of sedans, SUVs, and trucks also tagged for removal.

The operation comes as part of an effort to improve the safety and appearance of the Bovoni Housing Community. Residents are encouraged to take immediate action if their vehicles are listed.