Sandy-damaged cars removed from Speonk parcel

The last of about 75 Sandy-damaged cars temporarily stored on one of several contiguous parcels in Speonk were removed on Friday, subject to a court order, according to Southampton Town officials.

But thousands of other cars stored elsewhere on the site — four adjoining irregularly-shaped parcels including a sand mine off Old Country Road — are still in the process of being taken away, while the town awaits a court hearing on Jan. 31 on its request for an injunction which would lead to their immediate removal.

Town officials were able to get a restraining order, which mandated that the smaller car storage area be cleared, but were unsuccessful in getting a court ruling that would require Copart — a firm that works with insurance companies to auction off damaged vehicles — to remove thousands of vehicles before the town’s complaint can get a court hearing.

Still, the town attorney’s office said Friday that the court did order that no new automobiles be brought to the site, and that a substantial number of the vehicles, originally estimated at 3,500, had been taken away.

The number of cars on the site changes daily, and the town has no solid numbers on how many might be left. The area where the cars are stored is between Old Country Road and Speonk-Riverhead Road.