Selling a dead or junk car in Danbury

How Section 46-4 works

The City Council declared abandoned, inoperative or unregistered motor vehicles "a public nuisance and a hazard to the health and welfare of the citizens of the City of Danbury," citing state law. The rule it set targets one situation: "No person shall park, store or leave any motor vehicle of any kind which is abandoned, inoperative or unregistered upon property other than that owned by him without the consent of the owner thereof."

The steps, in order:

1. A Danbury police officer, or a member of the city's Unified Neighborhood Inspection Team (UNIT), puts a notification sticker on the car.
2. The Chief sends certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last registered owner and to whoever owns the land the car is on.
3. The notice is published twice in a local newspaper, and it explains the right to a hearing.
4. After the 30th day following publication, the Chief may remove and dispose of the car "upon such terms and conditions, including sale," as the city sees fit.

That means the city can sell a dead car left at a relative's home or in a friend's lot.

On your own land: blight

Your own driveway falls under the housing and blight rules in Section 6-141 instead. They list "the parking of inoperable, abandoned and/or unregistered motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, or other inoperable machinery, on the exterior premises or the public right-of-way." Parking allowed by zoning or by state or federal rules is the exception. The same section treats a car with no plates or invalid plates, or one that is "dismantled, partially dismantled, inoperative or unusable," as possibly abandoned.

Two hours when it snows

Section 46-124 is strict. Once the mayor declares a snow emergency and plows go out, "All such vehicles must be removed no later than two (2) hours after the start of a snow emergency." Police can tow any car that blocks snow or ice removal, and you pay the towing and storage costs. If a car won't start, only a tow can move it within two hours.

The DMV office on Lee Mac Avenue

Danbury has its own DMV office at 2 Lee Mac Avenue, about 2 miles east of downtown, measured direct. That's the one we checked, and most offices take appointments. In Connecticut the state handles titles, so bring title questions here and not to City Hall.

Most of a sale can be done without going there:

• Sign the reverse side of the title for the buyer and add a bill of sale. Form H-31 is the DMV's version. See bill of sale for what goes on it.
• Remove the plates; in Connecticut the seller keeps them.
• Cancel the registration online and keep the plate disposition receipt.
• Leave the insurance in place until the cancellation is done.

Past 20 model years, a Connecticut car has no title to sign. The DMV publishes a letter you can use as proof of the exemption, and Form Q-1 plus the most recent registration completes the sale.

Nearby

Bethel is 5.0 miles from Danbury, Ridgefield 5.7 and Newtown 9.5. Read the Connecticut page for state rules.

Getting an offer

Danbury owners can reach us online or by phone at (877) 421-6008 to get started. We can pick it up even from land you don't own, if that owner says yes.