Selling a junk or dead car in Kissimmee

The rule and its definition

Section 9-285 is short: "no abandoned, inoperative, wrecked, dismantled, or discarded motor vehicle or recreational equipment shall be parked, kept, or stored on any premises or right-of-way."

Beyond the tag test, Section 9-277 calls a vehicle abandoned when it shows "an evident state of extended disuse or neglect." The clues it names: plants reaching the body or frame, junk heaped on or under it, a car used only as a storage box, or a hulk with no engine, no transmission, or some other major piece plainly gone. When the evidence is mixed, the designated official decides under "the totality of the circumstances."

Fixing it in the driveway has limits too. Beyond minor work, repairs must happen inside "a totally enclosed building," and only on a car owned by someone who lives on the lot and has "current state license plates."

How the notice works

The city posts a written notice on the vehicle. The two clocks differ by where the car sits:

• Private property: ten days after posting. If the car is still there and the cited rule is still broken, the city can take it away, get rid of it, and keep whatever salvage it brings.
• Public property: "within five days from date of this notice." After that, the city may remove it, store it at least ten days, and dispose of it.

On the street, Section 42-19 bars parking a vehicle "without a valid license plate affixed" in a residential district. Section 42-72 lets police remove a car from a public garage if it is unregistered or its plate expired "more than six months" ago. Towing and storage are the owner's bill, and an impounded car stays put until they are paid.

Title offices within reach

Kissimmee residents usually head north. FLHSMV lists these service centers, with straight-line distances:

• 301 S. Rosalind Ave., Orlando, (407) 434-0312, about 16 miles due north as the crow flies
• 1101 E. First St., Sanford, (407) 665-1000, about 36 miles north, as the crow flies
• 430 East Main Street, Bartow, (863) 534-4700, about 38 miles southwest, as the crow flies

With the paper title in hand, most people never make that drive. Without it, Florida wants a replacement in place before the sale. Form HSMV 82101 handles it, at $75.25 (Fast Title is another $10.00), and a mail-lost title is replaced at no charge within 180 days of issue. Our no-title guide has more.

Your plate and the 30-day filing

Keep your plate. In Florida it belongs to the person selling, who can bolt it onto a new or replacement car. Then report the sale on HSMV 82050. Statute 319.22 sets a 30-day deadline, and the filing is what cuts your liability.

Getting an offer

Selling a car in Kissimmee? Ring (877) 421-6008 or use our offer form. Our truck goes to the car, at a repair bay, an apartment complex or a house on a side street. Neighbors in St. Cloud and Orlando have their own pages, and the Florida page covers statewide rules.