Junk and unregistered cars in Belmont

From notice to removal

Belmont runs its process through the city manager. Section 27-4 covers a junk car on private or public property, "not including highways." When the city manager learns of one, he "shall give not less than ten (10) days' notice of intention to abate and remove." That notice also explains the property owner's right to a hearing. The owner "may appear in person at a hearing or may present a sworn written statement denying responsibility" instead of showing up.

After the notice period, or the hearing if one is held, Section 27-8 has the city manager remove the car. It may go "to any scrap yard, automobile dismantler's yard, or any suitable site operated by the city for processing as scrap."

Where a car may sit in a small city

Belmont covers just 4.63 square miles. Its property maintenance code, Section 7-401, lists as nuisances both "inoperative or unregistered for operation motor vehicles" and vehicles parked "on areas which are not, by permit, expressly paved and/or otherwise surfaced to allow parking." So pulling a dead car onto the gravel beside the house trades one violation for another. A trailer parked on the street has to be hooked to a motor vehicle (Section 14-14). Hauling a dead car home on one and leaving it there will not get around the rule.

The fees an unregistered car carries

Years off the road without registration are not free. The California DMV charges fees and penalties for every one of them. For a Belmont car, filing Planned Non-Operation on REG 102 is the single exit. That record stays with the car. See registration hold before you list it.

Title, brand and plates

A Belmont seller signs the Certificate of Title, and so does a lienholder if there is one. DMV's seller steps don't ask for a notary. In Belmont, the state DMV keeps title records, not the county, and deals with them at field offices or by mail.

If the car was ever a total loss, check the title for a brand. The state puts cars hurt in a wreck, a flood or by vandals, plus cars once dismantled, under Salvaged. It has no brand of its own for rebuilt or flood cars. See salvage title.

Send in REG 138 to report the sale, no later than 5 days after. Standard plates generally stay with the car. Belmont sellers skip the Smog Check if the buyer is wrecking or dismantling the car.

Next door

San Carlos is 1.8 miles away as the crow flies, San Mateo 3.3, Foster City 4.2 and Redwood City 4.4. See California for statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Get in touch at (877) 421-6008 or on the form, and note whether the registration has lapsed. We offer free pickup anywhere in the US, and we can load the car from a driveway, a curb or a garage.