Foley junk cars: the rules and the way out

When a car becomes junk in Foley

Section 9-30 lists two kinds of junked or abandoned vehicle. The first is one "left on a public street, alley, way or on public property for a period in excess of twenty-four (24) hours in the same or substantially the same location." The second is one "legally and physically incapable of being operated," which the code spells out as dismantled, "lacking essential parts," or without "a current license plate."

People get tripped up by that final clause. Under 9-30, a car with an expired tag is junk even if it would start tomorrow.

Open storage and the five-day order

Section 9-31 bans keeping "a dismantled, unserviceable, junked or abandoned vehicle" in the open on any property, public or private. "Open" means anything short of "completely enclosed in a building," so a carport or a tarp does not help. Licensed junk dealers, body shops and car dealers are exempt.

Once ordered, the property owner or occupant, or the car's owner if known, has five days to remove it. If nobody can be identified, the city may post "a written notice on the vehicle." On public property there is no notice at all: the car "may be removed immediately for impoundment."

A vacant lot gets its own rule. Section 4-203 bars an owner from letting an empty lot be used for "the open storage of any abandoned or junked motor vehicle," and makes clearing it the owner's duty once code enforcement gives notice.

Section 15-37 limits street parking in the city's business zone to two consecutive hours.

If Foley already towed it

Removed cars go to a lot the city provides, towed and stored by an independent contractor. To get one back, Section 9-32 has you apply to the city within 90 days and pay $25 to the city plus "the reasonable costs of removal and storage." See towed or impounded for selling a car that is already on a lot.

Title and plates for a Foley sale

We have not listed a Baldwin County title office for Foley here. The Department of Revenue issues Alabama titles. County license-issuing offices handle plates. Alabama leaves the seller's assignment unnotarized. The mileage you write must match the buyer's application exactly, and the names must match the title.

Take the plate off at sale. Foley owners can move that plate to a later car. A replacement title is $15 on the Public Title Portal. Alabama titles are required only for vehicles 35 model years old or newer. Older cars fall under the exemptions listed on the ADOR page.

Nearby

Fairhope is 15.2 miles away, Daphne 20.0 and Mobile 32.2. Statewide rules are on the Alabama page.

Getting an offer

Got a dead car in Foley? Ring (877) 421-6008 or fill in the offer form. We pick it up right where it is: a driveway off Alabama 59, an empty lot, or a shop on U.S. 98.