Selling a junk car in Porterville

Porterville's ten-day limit

Section 17-17 declares it "unlawful and a misdemeanor" to keep "any licensed vehicle or part thereof" in an "abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative condition" on Porterville land, public or private, past "ten (10) days," unless an exception applies. Highways are excluded. Section 17-17.2 gives Porterville's reasons for treating such cars as nuisances: they "invite plundering," "create fire hazards," among other harms.

From letter to council hearing

Section 17-17.8 has Porterville mail its notice of intention to the parcel owner and to the car's registered or legal owner. Each copy directs removal "within 10 days from the date of mailing of this notice." If the parcel owner does nothing, Porterville removes the car, and its costs plus administrative costs are "assessed to you as the owner of the land."

Contesting means getting a request to the City Manager inside those 10 days. Section 17-17.9 then sends the matter to a public hearing before the city council, announced by registered mail ten or more days beforehand. A parcel owner's sworn denial of responsibility works as a request "which does not require his presence." With no request, "the locally designated officer" may remove the car with no hearing.

When the hearing ends, Section 17-17.10 says "the chief of police or fire chief may find" a nuisance and order removal. They "may delay the time for the removal" if circumstances warrant. A landowner who never consented, and has not "subsequently acquiesced in its presence," cannot be charged. Got the letter already? Read notice to remove a car.

Why Porterville's DMV report is not enough

Porterville's post-removal notice to DMV is the city's filing, not a report of sale. In Porterville, REG 138, the "Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability," is due within five days. File it by mail or at dmv.ca.gov/nrl. Once DMV records the sale, later parking and traffic problems in Porterville become the buyer's. A filed report of sale also spares you a lien-sale shortfall if some later buyer abandons the car (Vehicle Code 22523).

A car sitting long enough to draw Porterville's notice often owes registration as well. California charges for each lapsed year unless REG 102, the Planned Non-Operation, covered it. See sitting for years.

Title and plates

Tulare County issues no titles; California's DMV does. In Porterville the title gets your signature plus any lienholder's, and the buyer pays DMV's transfer fee. There is no notary in California DMV's seller steps. If the title is lost, file REG 227 before anything else. Standard plates generally stay put. More on the California page.

Towns near Porterville

Straight-line from Porterville: Tulare 19.5 miles, Delano 24.2, Visalia 24.6, Corcoran 29.5, Wasco 37.5 and Dinuba 39.0.

Getting an offer

Reach us at (877) 421-6008 or by the form. Fill in the form about your Porterville car. Our truck collects Porterville cars where they died, from driveways and back lots to shops that gave up.