Selling a junk car in Palmetto Bay

How the village fines a violation

Under Section 2-205, breaking any applicable law "shall constitute a civil offense punishable by civil penalty in the amount prescribed in the schedule of fines". That schedule gives these cars a row of their own.

What turns one fine into many is the daily rule: "For each day of continued violation after the time period for correction has run, an additional penalty in the same amount as the fine for the original violation shall be added." There are caps. A fine may run no higher than $250 a day for a first violation or $500 a day for a repeat, and costs and attorney fees can be added on top.

Two more details from the same section:

• If the village offers a reduced fine and it goes unpaid for 20 days, "the original fine shall be reinstated".
• Ignoring the officer or a special master's order can lead the village, with council approval, to go to court for an order to abate a nuisance.

What counts as junk here

The village sections we read set out fines and procedures, not a definition. So Florida's applies: junk is a former motor vehicle that is inoperable and whose highest value is as scrap metal or parts. The village may have its own definition that we did not find. On public land, state law also has an officer post a 5-day removal notice on a broken-down car nobody can trace to an owner.

Category 3 trucks are banned outright

If the dead vehicle is big, a different rule applies. Palmetto Bay's Section 30-70.14 reads: "Parking or storage of Category 3 vehicles is prohibited in all residentially zoned districts." A home may keep one Category 2 vehicle if it's garaged or sits behind the front building line, hidden by a six-foot opaque fence, wall or plantings.

Title work from Palmetto Bay

One Miami-Dade office we found is at 200 NW 2nd Ave, Miami. Its number is (305) 375-5448. From the village center that is some 13 miles northeast as the crow flies, and it may not be the county's only counter.

A lost title is the usual snag with an old car. Florida wants a duplicate before you sell. To get a duplicate, file HSMV 82101 at a service center. Replacing a lost title in Palmetto Bay costs $75.25, plus $10.00 if you want Fast Title. Lost in the mail? Apply within 180 days of the last issue date and the new one is free. More options are in selling with no title.

With the title in hand, a Palmetto Bay seller completes the seller section on the front: buyer details, miles, price and date. You don't need a notary. Within 30 days, a Palmetto Bay seller files the "Notice of Sale", HSMV 82050. Keep the plate: unbolt it for your next car, or hand it back at a service center when you drop the policy that covers it.

Getting an offer

For a Palmetto Bay car, call (877) 421-6008 or send us the short form. Palmetto Bay sellers can start on our offer form. Junk car removal explains how the pickup works. Cutler Bay is 3.3 miles away and Coral Gables 5.5. The Florida page has the statewide rules.