Selling a dead or junk car in Colton

The Colton notice, step by step

Chapter 8.08 starts from a finding. Section 8.08.010 declares "the presence of Abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative Vehicles or Parts thereof, on private or Public Property not including Highways" to be "a Public Nuisance which May be abated."

Section 8.08.080 gives the job to the City Manager or a designee, who "Shall have the authority to cause the abatement and removal" once such a car is found.

Section 8.08.090 sets the clock: "A twenty-day notice of intention to abate and remove the vehicle, or parts thereof, as a public nuisance shall be personally served or mailed by registered mail to the owner of the land and to the owner of the vehicle." The form wording in the code tells the reader to remove the car "within 20 days from the date of mailing of this Notice and Order." Miss that date and Colton does the removal itself, with "the costs thereof, together with administrative costs" landing on the reader, "assessed to you as owner of the land."

Two things follow from that wording:

• The landowner gets the bill, even if the car belongs to a tenant or relative.
• The appeal runs on the same 20 days. Both the landowner and the registered owner can ask for an appeal hearing within 20 days after mailing. Without a request, the City Manager or designee may go ahead.

Streets are state ground

Highways sit outside Colton's chapter, so a stalled car at the curb answers to Sacramento instead. Park against a local ordinance for 72 hours running and Vehicle Code 22651 lets the car be towed. Leaving a car on a Colton road is against state law. It also bans leaving one on private land unless the owner agreed. A caught Colton owner faces a $100 minimum fine plus proof the removal bill was settled. A report of sale already on file shields you from that liability if a buyer later walks away from the car.

Signing it over

Titles here go through the California DMV, the same as anywhere in the state. For a private sale in Colton, the Certificate of Title gets your signature and any lienholder's. The Colton buyer handles DMV next and pays the $15 transfer fee.

You finish with REG 138, California's release-of-liability notice, due 5 days after the sale, online or by post. When the DMV records it, tickets, traffic violations and lawsuits dated after the sale attach to the buyer instead of you (Vehicle Code 5602).

Lost the title? REG 227 handles a replacement or a transfer, and a replacement title costs $28; see junk car with no title. Regular plates normally remain on a sold car. Personalized and special plates are different: their owner may move them to another vehicle for a fee. After you sell has the remaining steps.

Around Colton

As the crow flies, Loma Linda lies 4.6 miles from Colton, Rialto 5.7 and San Bernardino 6.2. Redlands sits 8.8 miles out. For state rules in one place, see California. If the car has already been towed, read towed or impounded.

Getting an offer

Phone (877) 421-6008 or fill out the form. Selling a Colton car? Our short form covers it. Colton pickups work from a driveway or the back of a repair shop.