Free Mat-Su junk car removal available now -- until funding runs out

Update: This program is now full, according to a borough release posted to social media May 6.

What you need to know:

• Property owners in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough can dispose of up to five junk vehicles for free each year — three through free pickup and two by self-hauling them to a designated drop-off site.
• The pickup service is available through the end of June or until funding runs out. The self-haul drop-off option remains available with no deadline.
• The program is part of a broader borough effort to remove junk from private properties.

PALMER - Property owners in Mat-Su can access free junk vehicle disposal for up to five vehicles through a program funded and managed by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The service pays for a contractor to remove up to three junk vehicles from borough private properties each fiscal year. Residents can also haul and drop off up to two additional vehicles for free, borough officials said.

The junk vehicle pickup program currently has $20,000 in dedicated funding, which will cover the removal of 100 vehicles, according to borough contracting officials. The program will run through the end of June or until that money runs out, whichever comes first.

The self-haul option does not have an end date.

Borough property taxes pay for the program. It serves properties throughout the borough, with no location restrictions.

Borough contractor Debach Auto Salvage operates the service. Residents can call 907-414-1440 to request vehicle removal or transport vehicles to Debach's yard in Meadow Lakes. Drop-offs are accepted on Saturday afternoons only, according to a borough news release.

Qualifying vehicles include passenger cars and pickup trucks weighing less than 15,000 pounds, according to the release. Vehicles must be free of trash and debris.

Free pickups are limited to three vehicles per property parcel each fiscal year, which runs from July to June, officials said. Free drop-offs are limited to two vehicles per household per year, they said.

A pair of similar borough programs removed about 600 vehicles from private properties between 2023 and early 2024, officials said. The current program leverages leftover funding from last year's effort. The program is expected to resume with new funding after July.

The vehicle removal program is part of a broader borough property cleanup initiative aimed at improving neighborhoods.

-- Contact Amy Bushatz at contact@matsusentinel.com