Selling a junk car in Menlo Park

Who starts it

The chief of police holds the authority, under Section 11.60.060, to order removal of "an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle, or parts thereof, on private property or public property within the city." Section 11.60.010's nuisance finding applies to such cars "on private or public property, not including highways." Curbside parking falls under separate traffic sections.

The letter

Section 11.60.070 demands "not less than a ten-day notice of intention to abate and remove the vehicle," mailed "by registered mail or certified mail to the owner of the land and to the owner of the vehicle." The code prints the wording. The landowner's version says:

Fail to act and the city removes the car, with "the costs thereof, together with administrative costs, assessed to you as owner of the land." The vehicle owner's copy offers the same 10 days to request a hearing from the Chief of Police of Menlo Park.

The disposal clocks

Three different clocks lead to the scrap yard, depending on what happens after the letter:

Each clock starts from a different event, so keep the date on any letter or decision notice.

At the curb

Section 11.04.010 bars parking "within any parkway or on a sidewalk," at a red curb, or at yellow, white or green curbs against posted rules.

Plates and paperwork

Plate questions come up often here. A regular-issue California plate transfers with the vehicle. Vanity plates work another way. You can pay a fee and move personalized, environmental, special-recognition and special-interest plates over to another vehicle.

California's DMV does title work in field offices and by post. Per its private-sale instructions, the seller signs, any lienholder signs, and nothing in them calls for a notary. File REG 138 inside five days. The buyer, for their part, must report the ownership change to DMV within 10 days. More in after you sell.

Getting an offer

Phone (877) 421-6008 or use the form, and include the notice date if a letter has come. We also need the vehicle's model year and name, about how far it has been driven, a word on whether the engine starts, and title status. You sell the whole car as it sits. East Palo Alto is 1.2 miles away and Redwood City 4.4; see California for state rules.