Junk and dead cars in Enterprise

The five-day rule on private property

Section 11-33 binds anyone "in charge or control of any property, whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee, or otherwise." None of them may let "any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, junked, or discarded vehicle" remain longer than "five (5) days." The same sentence forbids leaving such a car on anyone else's property in the city for more than five days.

The zoning rule, and where a car may wait

Section 3.11.01 is about where a car sits, not just how long. On residentially zoned land, or land used as a home in another district, an unplated or disabled car may stay only "in an enclosed building or within the rear yard if fully screened from off-site view." A car on a driveway in plain sight does not qualify.

The test for "inoperable" is legal, not mechanical. A vehicle is "deemed inoperable or disabled if it is unable to operate on the streets and roadways of the State of Alabama in full compliance with the various provisions of the Code of Alabama, 1975." That means a car with a good engine still counts if its tag is invalid or it is not street-legal.

On the street

Section 11-31 bans abandoning a vehicle anywhere in the city or its police jurisdiction. A car left on a street or highway in the city "for a period of seventy-two (72) hours consecutively" is presumed abandoned. For wrecks, Section 11-32 goes further. Enterprise city streets allow no junked, wrecked, nonoperating or partially dismantled vehicle at all.

Downtown event days add one more rule. Section 19-22 covers council-approved road closures. No parking is allowed on those streets from one hour before the event to one hour after. The fine runs $100 to $500, and the owner pays for the tow.

If the city takes a car, Section 11-35 lets the owner redeem it "at any time prior to its sale" by paying the expense of taking it, its storage and "the cost of publication."

Title and plates

One office we checked is at 230 P North Court Ave. in Elba, phone 334-897-2211, about 14 miles northwest of the middle of Enterprise, as the crow flies. Part of the city lies in Dale County, and either county may have other offices.

Alabama skips the notary for a seller signing a title. In Alabama, the registered owner pulls the plate when the car is sold. You can use it on a later car. Enterprise families on military orders should note this. If you are late putting a valid plate on a car you just got, the penalty is $15 plus interest. The military deployment guide covers selling before you go.

Misplaced titles cost $15 to reissue on the Public Title Portal. Some cars need no title in the owner's name. An Enterprise dismantler or scrap recycler may buy a car worth $1,000 or less once it turns 12 model years, then send Notice form MVT 5-18 through SCRAP.

Nearby

Dothan is 26.7 miles away, Montgomery 74.9 miles and Prattville 85.3. Statewide rules are on the Alabama page.

Getting an offer

Reach us online or at (877) 421-6008. The offer form covers the details on your Enterprise car. We load it from its current spot. That could be a screened rear yard, a rental's driveway, or a shop near the courthouse.