Town guide · California
Manhattan Beach junk cars and the neighbor's view
In Manhattan Beach, hiding a dead car from the street is not enough. Section 9.68.020 lists as a public nuisance "Inoperable, dismantled or wrecked motor vehicles, trailers or boats or parts thereof, which are visible from the public right-of-way or private property." On lots packed into 3.934 square miles, a car behind the house is often in plain view from next door. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.
Updated · 9 sources
Manhattan Beach, the short version
- Population
- 33,122 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025)
- County
- Los Angeles
- Land area
- 3.934 square miles
- Junk-vehicle rules
- Municipal Code 14.08.110 and 9.68.020
- Notice to abate
- Not less than 10 days
- Hearing request
- Chief of Police, 10 days from mailing
- Release of liability
- REG 138 within 5 days
How removal works under 14.08.110
Section 14.08.110 says "Every abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle or part thereof on private property or public property not including highways is hereby declared a nuisance." It then sets the steps for taking one away.
- Notice. The city gives "Not less than a 10-days notice" of its intention to remove the car.
- Hearing. You can ask for one, but "This request shall be made to the Chief of Police within ten (10) days after the mailing of notice."
- DMV. Within five days after removal, the city notifies the DMV and passes along any registration, title or plates.
The landowner won't be billed for removal if the hearing shows the car was left there without their consent and they never accepted it.
The rule has a business exception for a car kept lawfully on private property "in connection with the business of a licensed dismantler, licensed vehicle dealer, or a junk yard."
Driveways and garages
Where signs are posted, Section 14.40.160 bars parking in front of or across from a garage or carport, and a car left there may be removed. A dead car parked at the curb to free up the garage can run into that rule on a signed street.
Title and plates from the South Bay
For the title, a South Bay seller works with the California DMV rather than a county office. Put your signature in the seller spot on the title. If it lists a loan, the lienholder signs too. The buyer then submits the title and pays a $15 fee to transfer it. The DMV's seller steps leave out any notary. Title missing? Form REG 227 gets a replacement for $28.
File REG 138 with the DMV online or by mail within 5 days of the sale. After that, Vehicle Code 5602 puts any new tickets on the buyer. Regular plates usually go with the car. If it's sold for dismantling, you skip the Smog Check.
Nearby towns
As the crow flies, Redondo Beach is the closest at 3.7 miles, then Lawndale at 4.0, Hawthorne at 4.3 and Torrance at 6.1. The California page has the statewide rules.
Getting an offer
Reach us at (877) 421-6008 or on the form. The form asks a few quick things about your Manhattan Beach car. Mention a narrow alley or a tight garage so the right truck comes out.
Questions people ask
- My broken car is behind the house. Can the neighbors' view still matter?
- Yes. Under Section 9.68.020, a public nuisance includes any inoperable, dismantled or wrecked vehicle, trailer or boat that people can see from the public right-of-way or from private property.
- How do I contest a Manhattan Beach notice to remove a car?
- Ask for a hearing. Under Manhattan Beach Section 14.08.110, your request goes to the Chief of Police. You have ten days from the mailing of the notice of intention.
- Does the junk-car rule apply to a dealer or dismantler lot?
- It doesn't cover a car kept lawfully on private property as part of a licensed dismantler, licensed vehicle dealer or junk yard business. That exception does not cover nuisances defined by other laws.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.
- Manhattan Beach Municipal Code 14.08.110, Removal from private property or public property library.municode.com
- Manhattan Beach Municipal Code 9.68.020, Public nuisance; substandard or dangerous property conditions library.municode.com
- Manhattan Beach Municipal Code 14.40.160, Parking in front of garages and carports library.municode.com
- California DMV: Title transfers and changes dmv.ca.gov
- California DMV: Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) dmv.ca.gov
- California DMV: License plates dmv.ca.gov
- California DMV: Junking a vehicle (individual) dmv.ca.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau: City population estimates, 2020-2025 www2.census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2025 Gazetteer (land area) www2.census.gov