A year-old state law that gave counties more authority to tow junked cars seems to be having an impact, with the number of cars hauled away last year in Honolulu rising 24 percent, to the highest level in at least five years.

Meanwhile, the number of official complaints has decreased by 16 percent, and people are noticing a difference.

"It does seem lately like it's getting better," said Kathleen Pahinui, chairwoman of the North Shore Neighborhood Board, who lives along a stretch of O'ahu previously plagued with discarded wrecks. "I haven't seen that many abandoned vehicles in my area, and they seem to go quickly, which is good."

Hawai'i has faced a perennial battle to rid its public roadways of junked cars. The eyesores raise alarm in a location famed for its natural beauty.

A year ago Gov. Linda Lingle signed a law expanding the power of state and county authorities to work together to deal with the problem in rural areas.

The law isn't helping everywhere. On Maui — hit especially hard by the abandoned vehicle problem — the state law has been stifled by a lack of space for towed vehicles and a high towing bill that's charged to the owners.

"Even now the island is littered with abandoned vehicles," said Jan Dapitan, who heads the Maui Community Work Day Program.

But on O'ahu, the state law combined with a new city ordinance seems to be having a noticeable effect. Ordinance 06-13, which went into effect in March, promises to give authorities even more power to get clunkers off public roadways.

Honolulu licensing administrator Dennis Kamimura says the ordinance should curb one of the favored methods used by violators to get around having their wrecks dragged off public roads: moving the things a few inches after authorities have placed notification tags on them and marked the tires.

POLICE CITE, THEN TOW

In the past a violator could merely budge his jalopy to take advantage of laws requiring authorities to investigate and notify an owner before a vehicle could be declared abandoned and removed.

The new law allows the removal of a longstanding car or truck that doesn't have a valid registration emblem, current safety inspection sticker or license tags.

"If a vehicle has a complaint on it and we find that it has an expired registration and safety check, we try to notify the owner and get the vehicle moved off public streets, or bring it into compliance," Kamimura said.

Even though police have the authority to remove such a vehicle then and there, Kamimura said standard procedure is to contact the owner to give him or her a chance to move it first.

"We cite the car, but we don't tow it," he said.

However, he said if police return and the offending castoff is still there, they will cite it again, tow it away or both — regardless of whether it has moved or not.

The laws give authorities a fighting chance to control the problem, said Kamimura.

State Rep. Kymberly Pine, R-43rd ('Ewa Beach, Pu'uloa, Iroquois Point), says it has been "like pulling teeth" to get abandoned vehicles removed from 'Ewa Beach. But if it works, the new city ordinance will be "the greatest bill ever passed," she said.

Already she credits it with taking care of what she dubbed "the scourge of 'Ewa Beach — a little blue Toyota that we'd complain about over and over and it would move an inch and police would say, 'We can't tow it away.' "

HARDER TO EVADE LAW

Kamimura said the new law ought to effectively deal with scofflaws who "are playing games" with the city.

"They try to use the city streets as their own parking lot or garage for fixing their vehicles," he said. "That's why the City Council passed the bill."

But because of its limited staff, the city won't go looking for culprits, he said. Someone must first make a complaint before authorities take action.

"It's not a perfect system," he said. "Some of these people are very resourceful."

For months, a blue 1970s model Chevrolet El Camino with flat tires and no license plates has been parked on Haleakala Avenue in Nanakuli next to a tan Nissan pickup with flat tires and a missing engine.

Anthony Telekane, who lives in the house across from the vehicles, said they belong to his nephew.

"When his brother comes back from the Mainland he's going to fix that one (the El Camino)," said Telekane. "The other one they'll use for parts."

Telekane said that no complaints had been filed regarding either vehicle and neither had been tagged by police.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS

Less than a quarter-mile up the road, a gray 1992 Buick Century with flat tires and no license plates has been parked on the road for weeks.

Tim Terlep, who owns the car, keeps another 1992 Buick Century — this one pristine — parked in his carport. The Buick on the street still runs, he said, but it's on its last legs, having passed the 210,000-mile mark.

"It's not abandoned," he said. "I just use it for spare parts."

Like Telekane, Terlep said neither neighbors nor local authorities had griped about the car. Sometimes, though, a higher force will succeed where police and public outrage fail.

"My wife wants me to move it," he said. "So, within two weeks that's what I'll do."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.