Sell a dead or junk car in Clearwater

Two ways a car becomes inoperative

Sections 8-102 and 30.055 use the same test. A car qualifies if it is "in a state of disrepair and incapable of being moved under its own power," or if it "is incapable of being operated lawfully on the streets of the state." The second half is where the tag comes in. The other trigger is parts: one or more parts needed to run the car that "are missing, were dismantled, are inoperative or are not attached to the vehicle as designed."

On private land, Section 3-1503 calls the outdoor storage of a dismantled, partly dismantled, inoperative or discarded vehicle a nuisance, "on any public or private property." The exception is a car at a lawful storage yard, or at a lawful repair shop while that shop is working on it. A car parked behind a shop that has stopped working on it is not covered.

Streets, city lots and impounds

• 24 hours on a street. Section 30.055: "It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, store, park, or allow to remain any inoperative vehicle on public property, including street right-of-way, longer than 24 hours."
• Removal. Section 3-1507 lets "a law enforcement officer, traffic enforcement officer or code enforcement inspector" remove or impound it, using the procedures in Florida Statutes chapter 705.
• City lots and garages. Section 30.096 bars leaving any vehicle on a city-run lot or garage "for a period longer than 72 hours without first making arrangements in advance with the parking division." A car with an expired or unreadable tag cannot park in a city space at all.
• Impound notices. Section 30.074 says the notice must warn "in prominent language" that not asking for a hearing "within five days after receipt of the notice" may waive the right, and may lead to a lien for towing and storage. Owners registered outside the city get it from the chief of police by certified mail, sent no later than 24 hours after the impound.

The title office is in town

Title work for Pinellas County happens at 29399 US Highway 19 N., Suite 100, phone (727) 464-7777. From the center of Clearwater it is roughly 4 miles to the northeast, measured as the crow flies.

Florida puts the seller's half right on the front of the certificate. In it you record who is buying and where they live, then the miles on the clock, what was paid, and when. Skip the notary. Electronic titles have no paper to sign, so both parties appear together at a service counter, each carrying photo ID, where the title is reassigned and the mileage disclosed.

Take the plate off. In Florida it goes with you, not the car. Next comes the HSMV 82050 Notice of Sale; Fla. Stat. 319.22 allows 30 days. The notice lists the car's VIN plus who bought it and their address, and it takes your registration off the car. After you sell walks through the rest.

Getting an offer

Online or at (877) 421-6008, describe the car: year, make, model, mileage, running or not, title in hand or not. Our truck comes to the car: a condo garage near the beach, a driveway off a side street, or a lot off US 19. If the car stalled out after years in one spot, see sitting for years. Neighbors Dunedin and Largo each sit within 5 miles. For rules across the state, see Florida.