Selling a dead or junk car in Hayward

The 10-day letter

To remove a car, Hayward's section 4-1.34 says the city mails "a ten-day notice of intention to abate and remove" by registered or certified mail, with one copy to the property owner and one to the car owner. The letter is skipped when both have signed releases that authorize removal and give up any interest in the car.

Section 4-1.35 sets the reply window. A hearing request has to reach the Enforcement Officer within ten (10) days of the mailing. A property owner who did not put the car there can send a sworn written statement instead, and it counts as a request that does not need the owner to attend. Any hearing date is mailed out ten or more days in advance. With no request, "the City shall have the authority to abate and remove the vehicle" without a hearing.

When no letter comes at all

One kind of car can go with no notice. To qualify, the Hayward car must be "inoperable due to the absence of a motor, transmission, or wheels and incapable of being towed." Someone listed in Vehicle Code 22855 must put its value below $200. The City Council must also declare it a public nuisance that endangers public health or safety right now. That $200 is a legal test, not a price. If parts have already been pulled from your car, see missing parts.

Two more lines in the same Hayward section

Section 5-7.20 also lists cars "displayed for sale on any parking lot or unimproved property, except for authorized vehicle dealer sales lots." A For Sale sign on a car parked at a shopping-center lot is out. Even working boats and trailers in a front yard have to sit on the designated paved driveway that leads to the garage.

Streets fall under state law

Hayward's abatement findings in section 4-1.20 cover private or public property "not including highways," which leaves the street to Sacramento. Vehicle Code 22651 lets Hayward tow a car left 72 hours in violation of a local ordinance. Section 22669 is the quicker route for a Hayward wreck at the curb missing its doors, glass, tires, wheels, engine or transmission. That car can go immediately. Section 22851.3 adds extra steps when an abandoned Hayward car is worth $500 or under. Hayward puts a warning on the car 72 hours before it gets towed. A letter reaches the owner by mail within 48 hours afterward, and disposal waits 15 days from that letter.

Title, plates and smog for a Hayward seller

Hand over a California title carrying your signature, plus the lienholder's if one exists; the state's seller instructions skip any notary. Reporting the change is the buyer's job, within 10 days. You have half that, 5 days, to get REG 138 in, either online or on paper to the DMV's Sacramento release box, 942859. Everyday plates usually ride along with the car.

Smog certification is waived on a car headed for the crusher. Even one that falls short of California Air Resources Board rules may lawfully change hands if it is going to be legally taken apart.

Getting an offer

Phone (877) 421-6008 or fill in the short form for your Hayward car. Our offer form covers the details on your Hayward car. Pickup is wherever it sits in Hayward, from a closed garage to a repair shop's lot. Nearby pages cover Union City, San Leandro and Newark, and the California page has the statewide picture.