National City: selling a junk, dead or long-unregistered car

The street: 72 hours, and no shuffling

Code 11.32.060 says no one "shall park such vehicle upon any street or alley for more than seventy-two consecutive hours." The next line closes the usual workaround: "It is unlawful for any person to re-park a vehicle under their control or in their custody within the same block face after the expiration of seventy-two consecutive hours." Police may then remove the car under the state's towing sections.

A dead work truck has a tighter limit. Under 11.32.360, a heavy-duty commercial vehicle, which includes anything 20 feet or longer, with more than two axles, or rated over ten thousand pounds, may not park more than three hours on a residential street. On National City Boulevard and anywhere east of it, it can't be parked on a street from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.

A removal notice, and who hears your side

Chapter 11.48 covers dead cars on private and public property. Under 11.48.090, a "ten-day notice of intention to abate and remove the vehicle" is mailed, registered or certified, to the National City parcel owner and separately to whoever owns the car. The copy sent to the parcel owner warns that if the car is not removed "within 10 days from the date of mailing of this notice," National City will tow it and bill that owner, "together with administrative costs."

During that time, the landowner or the car's owner can request a hearing. Under 11.48.100 the city council sits as the hearing body. A landowner who files a sworn denial of responsibility for the car gets a hearing without having to attend it.

If the car was towed

National City's contract impound yards work under Code 18.30.040, which says "no vehicle shall be retained in storage in excess of three months from the date of impoundment." The same section bars the yard from stripping or junking cars, apart from what has to come off to scrap them. Storage charges build while a car sits, so a towed car you do not plan to fix is worth dealing with early. Our towed or impounded guide has the steps.

How the DMV side lines up

Lapsed registration also costs money at the state level. Every year a National City car went unregistered is billed with penalties, unless REG 102, the Planned Non-Operation form, was on file for it.

Selling in National City means signing the California Certificate of Title. The DMV's seller instructions don't ask for a notary. The buyer reports the change of owner and pays the $15 transfer fee. National City sellers get 5 days to file REG 138. When the DMV logs it, tickets from after the sale belong to the new owner. In National City, regular plates usually stay on the car, and personalized ones can move to your next car for a fee. More is on the California page.

Nearby

In a straight line, Coronado is 3.4 miles away, Chula Vista 5.5, Lemon Grove 6.0 and Imperial Beach 7.0.

Getting an offer

Ring (877) 421-6008 or use the form. Use the form to describe your National City car and its title. A National City carport, side street or shop lot near the freeway are all places the truck can meet the car.