Selling a junk or dead car in Windsor

A closed garage is the safe place

The one exemption for a home is a building. Under Section 8-3-10, no vehicle counts as abandoned or inoperable "if said motor vehicle or trailer is stored in a fully enclosed garage or similar structure on private property." A carport, a fence or a tarp is not named. Anywhere else outside the zoned areas, Section 8-3-20 says inoperable vehicles "may be towed and impounded in accordance with the provisions of state law and this Code."

Getting the plates current again has a cost of its own. Colorado charges $25 a month, up to $100, once the one-month grace period after expiry ends.

Abandoned: 24 hours, with one exception

Section 8-3-10 sets two clocks:

• Private property. A car or trailer left "for a period of twenty-four (24) hours or longer without the consent of the owner or lessee" is abandoned.
• Public property. The same 24 hours applies, unless the owner left "a dated notice" on it, or told the police, that it will be moved "within seventy-two (72) hours."

If the police impound it

Section 8-3-50 has the Police Department notify the registered owner of the impound and of "the owner's opportunity to request a hearing." The hearing covers one question, whether the impound was legal. Skipping it is "conclusive of the validity of the impoundment." If the Municipal Judge finds the impound invalid, the Town pays for the towing and storage.

Section 8-3-40 hands storage and disposal to state law. That means a certified letter from the tow yard by day 10, then a 30-to-60-day hold before any sale. Appraised at $350 or less, a Windsor car can go only to a buyer who scraps or parts it out, with no title attached.

Two counties, so check yours

Windsor straddles Larimer and Weld counties, and for most services Colorado sends owners to their own county's office. Windsor homes on the Larimer County side go to 200 W. Oak Street in Fort Collins, the clerk's motor vehicle office. Call (970) 498-7000. That's roughly 11 miles northwest of downtown Windsor in a straight line. Weld-side owners go to Weld County instead, where hours, local taxes and fees differ.

Whichever county you file in, the Windsor seller's part of the title reads the same. Put your signature and printed name in its Seller box, matching the front word for word, and get a signature from each co-owner shown there. Record the selling price and the date; 2011-and-newer models also record mileage until age 20. Colorado's list of seller steps contains no notary. A DR 2173, or any bill of sale like it, is wise, and it becomes a must when the title lacks a price. Remember that a car Colorado classifies as junk never gets a title again.

Plates and the release report

Hold on to your plates; Colorado treats them as the owner's property. Within 5 days, tell the state about the sale through "Report Release of Liability," on myDMV or at your county office. Have the plate and VIN ready, or the registration card code instead. Ordinary plates may be surrendered to the county or left with a metal recycler. After you sell walks through the rest.

Getting an offer

Windsor owners can ring (877) 421-6008 or fill in our form to start. The tow truck travels to wherever the car is parked, in a garage off 5th Street or a lot near Greeley or Loveland. We offer free pickup anywhere in the US.