Cant do that here.
Cops have to have a legal reason to run a Vin. I used to find cars sitting on the street and call a friend to run the Vin when on duty, to find who owned it. He told me can't do it anymore . I have to give a reason why.
State has an abandoned vehicle process... but not for private citizens
ONLY WV TOWING COMPANIES, WV DEALERS, WV REPAIR FACILITIES, WV AUTO AUCTIONS, & WV SALVAGE YARDS ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR ABANDONED VEHICLES (NO TAX-ONLY TITLE FEE).
On public property over 5 days
Any motor vehicle, or major part thereof, which is unattended, discarded, deserted and unlicensed and is not in an enclosed building, a licensed salvage yard or the actual possession of a demolisher
(4) “Abandoned antique motor vehicle” means a vehicle that qualifies as both an abandoned motor vehicle and an antique motor vehicle.