New Haven dead and junk car sales

Section 18-40: the 30-day rule

The code covers two kinds of cars. An "Inoperable vehicle shall be a motor vehicle which is so vandalized, damaged, or in disrepair as to be unusable as a motor vehicle." The ban itself is aimed at landowners. No owner of land in the city may keep "any abandoned or unregistered vehicle on such land, for more then thirty (30) days, except in a completely enclosed and secured area". Auto repair businesses have an exception.

The violation "shall be deemed to have existed from the date of said notification". From there the owner has 30 days to fix it, and after that the daily fine starts, along with any penalties under state law.

The chief of police can send the city's listed towers to remove abandoned cars "to maintain and preserve the public health and welfare". The code sets the towing fee for an abandoned car under the state statute at "five dollars ($5.00) per abandoned vehicle". Towers may add storage at rates set by the DMV, and the city does not pay those storage fees.

The blight ordinance has a faster clock

Section 9-51, the anti-blight ordinance, names "the parking of inoperable vehicles (unless the premises is a legally licensed junkyard)" as a blight condition. Its notice is shorter. It directs removal "within ten (10) calendar days after receipt of the written notice". Miss that and "the City shall serve a written civil citation on the owner of the premises."

The notice also warns that unpaid fines can be "enforceable subsequently as a lien on the owner's property", can be converted into court judgments, or the city may remove the problem "at the expense of the owner". An unpaid assessment can be filed with the Superior Court's Housing Session at 121 Elm Street.

So one dead car in a New Haven backyard can trigger two separate notices on two clocks: 10 days under blight and 30 days under 18-40.

On the street: time limits and snow

• Posted limits add up. Section 29-33 bars parking beyond the posted time limit. Moving the car within "five hundred (500) feet" does not reset the clock; the time in each spot is "reckoned together".
• Snow emergencies. Section 29-85 lets the mayor call one "before, during or after a fall of snow, sleet or freezing rain" and announce it "at least two (2) hours prior to the time of becoming effective." Two hours is not enough to move a dead car. Section 29-92 lets public works open city-owned lots for free parking during the emergency, at the owner's own risk.
• Wharves. Section 15-17 bars leaving any vehicle on a public wharf, pier or bulkhead "for a period beyond twenty-four (24) hours".

What a tow costs here

Section 29-119 covers cars towed for illegal parking, unpaid tickets, or being "abandoned, inoperable or a traffic hazard". You pay the towing fee to the tower. Storage runs "twenty dollars ($20.00)" for each 24 hours, but "No storage fee shall be charged for the twenty-four (24) hours of the first day". "After the fifth day of storage", the daily rate rises to "twenty-four dollars". If a reviewer finds the ticket behind the tow was unfounded, the city refunds the towing fee. When storage on a dead car starts to add up, see towed or impounded.

Title work at the Hamden DMV

Connecticut issues titles through the state DMV, not City Hall. The DMV we picked for New Haven is right across the town line at 1985 State Street in Hamden. On a map that is about 2 miles northeast of downtown. Full-service hub offices handle all transactions, and limited-service and express partners handle a smaller set.

When selling in New Haven, sign the title's back and include a bill of sale, Form H-31 or your own. You won't need a notary under the DMV's seller checklist. Once a New Haven car is past 20 model years old it has no title, and a letter from the DMV proves it is exempt. A New Haven car that old is sold using Form Q-1 and its newest registration. A New Haven car stamped SALVAGE can't be driven until a salvage inspection clears it and a new title is issued. A SALVAGE PARTS ONLY car can't be rebuilt at all. Lost the title? Form H-6B gets a replacement for $25, mailed out within 20 business days.

Plates, insurance and the city tax bill

Hold on to the plates and cancel the registration. Doing it online takes about seven minutes, and the receipt is your proof, since Connecticut has no release-of-liability form. The city keeps charging property tax until the DMV cancels, so keep your insurance going until then. Should the New Haven assessor send one more bill, reply with that receipt and a copy of your bill of sale. See after you sell for more.

Getting an offer

New Haven owners can call (877) 421-6008 or send the offer form online. If a blight notice or an 18-40 letter has arrived, say which one. In New Haven we collect from the curb, a lot, or the shop it died at. West Haven, East Haven and Hamden each have their own page, and statewide rules are on the Connecticut page.