Fountain Valley's junk car rules, and selling yours

Five days, then a misdemeanor

The five-day clock in 10.76.150 is separate from the city's removal process. It is a crime on its own, written into the same chapter the council adopted under Vehicle Code 22660. The council's findings say a stored wreck tends "to reduce the value of private property," invites plundering and creates fire hazards. That covers parts too, so a stripped shell or a pile of body panels can count.

When the letter comes

Under 10.76.080, the chief of police can start removal once a wrecked or broken-down car turns up anywhere in Fountain Valley, on a home lot or on public ground. The steps:

1. A ten-day notice. Fountain Valley sends it by registered mail, one copy for the parcel's owner and one for the car's. Only a car too far gone to read its identification numbers skips this.
2. Ten days to act. The notice tells the landowner to remove the car "within 10 days from the date of mailing," or Fountain Valley does the job itself and bills that owner, "together with administrative costs."
3. A hearing on request. Within that window, either owner may request one from the City Clerk. The Fountain Valley city council hears it.
4. Five days after the order. Once a nuisance order is adopted, the car "may be disposed of by removal to a scrapyard or automobile dismantler's yard."

The California paperwork

Fountain Valley sellers deal with the state DMV, not Orange County. Hand the buyer a signed California title, with a lender's signature beside yours if a loan is recorded. Your Fountain Valley buyer pays the $15 transfer fee when filing. Notaries do not appear in the DMV's guidance for sellers.

Smog is where a junk car is different. Normally the seller provides a passing Smog Check before the sale. California drops that duty when the car changes hands to be junked or taken apart, which is what makes a failed emissions car easy to let go. More in failed inspection or rust.

Once the sale is done, the REG 138 release goes to the DMV inside 5 days, on the web or on paper. Once recorded, citations from after the sale date are the buyer's problem, not yours. Regular plates normally stay mounted for the next owner. Statewide details are on the California page.

Towns next to Fountain Valley

Nearby pages: Huntington Beach, 3.2 miles; Westminster and Costa Mesa, 3.8 miles each; Santa Ana, 4.3 miles.

Getting an offer

Start online or call (877) 421-6008. Send your Fountain Valley car through the form. With free pickup anywhere in the US, our truck meets it on a side street near the 405, in a garage, or at a shop. If it will not start at all, see car doesn't run.