SELINSGROVE — A Middleburg man has been cleared of charges he faced in December for towing a vehicle without permission from the Walmart parking lot and selling it for scrap.
Nicholas Panarese, 49, of 812 Whitetop Road, received permission from the department store manager to remove a 1987 Volkswagen Jetta from the parking lot on Dec. 17, according to a letter from Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch.
The car belonged to Paul W. Wolfe, a local man who has faced charges of disorderly conduct and making terroristic threats over the past few years. According to an employee at the office of District Judge Edward Mihalik Jr., in Selinsgrove, Wolfe had jumped around to different residences over the years, and never had a permanent address.
Panarese sold Wolfe's vehicle to Jeff's Recycling Center, Snydertown Road, Paxinos, where it was scrapped, and Panarese was paid $168, state police at Selinsgrove said.
It was originally reported by police that Panarese did not contact Wolfe, Walmart or law enforcement about removing the vehicle.
While Panarese claims to have seen the car sitting in the parking lot for several weeks, the Walmart manager on Thursday declined to comment because the case is ongoing.
Panarese's attorney, Jim Best, of Sunbury, also declined to comment, but said he had been told that Wolfe's car had been scrapped.
Contents questioned
Panarese faces charges related to failure to inventory, secure or return the personal property in the car, which Wolfe originally told police was valued at more than $5,000. The items, police said, included compact discs, a radio, a coffee maker and numerous autographed photos.
Jeff Kurtz, owner of the recycling center, said all he remembers seeing inside the vehicle was garbage.
"I didn't see anything of value," he said.
He also said that when a car is brought for scrapping, it should be accompanied by a title, but Panarese never provided one.
Hobby, not business
Panarese told The Daily Item he picks up cars and other scrap as a hobby, and does not need a permit to operate.
According to Danielle Klinger, community relations coordinator for Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, there are salvors who are authorized by PennDOT to tow abandoned vehicles when declared abandoned by law enforcement. There are also salvage yards that acquire and dismantle used, wrecked, damaged, abandoned or salvage vehicles for the purpose of selling the usable parts and selling the remaining vehicle bulk materials for recycling or processing.
PennDOT does not license, insure or issue tax certificates to these salvage yards. Klinger said this is typically handled by local authorities per local ordinances.
John Bickhart, Selinsgrove borough manager, said when abandoned vehicles are found, "We would make diligent effort to find the owner."
Also, when property owners complain of abandoned vehicles on their land, they typically call the police department, which then calls to have the vehicle towed or taken to a junkyard.
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