Selling a dead or junk car in Wallingford

When a car becomes blight

Section 156-3 lists blighted conditions, and one of them is "Any abandoned, inoperable or unregistered motor vehicle on any property within the Town". There are two exceptions:

• keeping such cars "is permitted by law and the owner is in compliance with such law", or
• the car is stored "in an enclosed building."

The exception covers a car kept "in an enclosed building," so one parked in the open does not get it. The rule also names "unregistered motor vehicles," not just broken ones.

Notice, extensions and fines

The ordinance runs on written notice and "a reasonable opportunity to remediate". People who just arrived get more time. Under state law as the code repeats it, "a new owner or new occupant shall, upon request, be granted a thirty-day extension". A new owner is someone who took title within 30 days of the notice, and a new occupant is someone who moved in within 30 days of it. That helps anyone who bought a house, or inherited one, with a dead car already in the yard. Our inherited car guide covers the title side.

For willful housing blight after notice, the code says the violator can be fined by the State of Connecticut as much as two hundred fifty dollars for each day that daily inspections show the condition continuing.

Police have a separate route. "The Chief of Police, or his/her designee, may remove any abandoned, inoperable or unregistered motor vehicle within the Town limits" under the state abandoned-vehicle statutes, Sections 14-150 and 14-150a. Those statutes let police tag a car that seems abandoned or unregistered and tow it at the owner's cost once 24 hours pass.

Tickets, boots and the tow lot

Section 216-1 lets the traffic authority remove abandoned or unregistered cars from town roads, town property and state highways other than limited-access ones. A parking ticket allows "15 days" to pay by check or money order to the Wallingford Police Department, and tow and storage fees are extra. With "three or more previously issued municipal parking citations outstanding", police can boot the car or tow it.

To get it out, you show "evidence of his identity and ownership", sign a receipt, and pay towing and storage "for each day or portion of a day" past "the first 24 hours".

Title and the Hamden DMV

Connecticut's DMV issues all titles; Wallingford Town Hall does not. The office we looked up is in Hamden at 1985 State Street. In a straight line that is about 10 miles southwest.

A Wallingford seller signs the title on the back, hands over a bill of sale, and saves a copy of each. Nothing on the DMV seller checklist calls for a notary. An old car may have no title to sign. Anything past 20 model years changes hands on Form Q-1 plus its newest registration certificate. Selling several cars? Each needs its own paperwork; see several junk cars.

Take the plates off each car and cancel each registration. Until it is cancelled, each car stays on the town tax list, and the receipt is your proof. Keep insurance until the DMV cancels.

Getting an offer

Several cars in Wallingford? Call (877) 421-6008 or send one offer form per car. Meriden and North Haven are the nearest towns with pages; Connecticut covers state rules.