Selling a junk car in Pine Bluff

Pine Bluff's three definitions

Section 16-52 sorts dead cars into overlapping groups:

• Inoperable: a car "placed on blocks," without current valid plates, with a wheel removed, "in a state of disrepair" or "incapable of being moved under its own power."
• Junked: a car without "an unexpired license plate" whose condition is "wrecked, dismantled, partially-dismantled, inoperative, abandoned or discarded."
• Abandoned: any car whose owner has given up control, "and/or any motor vehicle which is inoperable."

The last line matters most. Under it, any inoperable car is also an abandoned one. A dead car that has lost its current plate can meet the junked test as well.

48 hours on the street

Section 26-31 lets the police remove a vehicle "left continuously and unattended upon any street for a period of more than forty-eight (48) hours." They can also tow one parked so that it is a hazard to traffic, or one in a signed no-parking area. When registration records name the owner, police send that person a written note saying the car was moved, why, and to which garage. With no owner found and the car still unclaimed after three days, police file a written report with the state.

Fences and screens

The zoning code pays attention to how wrecked cars look. For a repair garage, "any vehicle which is wrecked, inoperable or partially dismantled must be screened from view by an opaque fence." Section 29-63 requires salvage yards and junkyards to be screened from view, either by fencing high enough to hide every junked car or by plantings dense enough to do the same, with no stacking above the screen. The street right of way may never be used to store junk or junked vehicles.

Salvage brands in Arkansas

If an insurer was involved, check the title for a brand. The Arkansas DFA prints SALVAGE, REBUILT or PARTS ONLY on titles. A car becomes salvage when the damage reaches 70% or more of average retail value, or when water rose above the dashboard. Arkansas has no separate flood brand. Cars more than 7 model years old before the year of the damage are exempt from salvage branding. An owner can also ask for a PARTS ONLY title for a car worth only its parts; that car can never be registered for the road again. See salvage title.

Signing it over

Endorse the title to the buyer and hand it over, branded or not. Complete Form 10-313 together with the VIN, the odometer reading, the full price and a signature from each side; the state's seller instructions mention no notary. The Jefferson County Courthouse plays no part; DFA's State Revenue Offices and its MyDMV site handle titles. Unscrew the tag yourself. It is yours to keep, and DFA charges $1.00 to put it on another vehicle.

Nearby

Straight-line distances run 38.8 miles to Bryant and 40.5 to both Little Rock and Benton. See Arkansas for the state rules.

Getting an offer

Since 16-52 can presume a dead car abandoned, it helps to say where yours sits. Dial (877) 421-6008 or describe it in the offer box, title brand included. Behind a fence, on a Jefferson County driveway or in a repair garage, the tow truck goes to it.