Selling a dead or junk car in Port Orange

How the inspector reaches a verdict

The section opens with the city's reasoning. On residential and agricultural land, the sight of wrecked, dismantled, disabled or "severely rusted vehicles" is "an unpleasant sight to a reasonable person with average sensibilities." Before calling your car disabled or abandoned, the code inspector must find it "has been disabled or abandoned for at least 15 consecutive calendar days," or that it meets one of the visible tests, like the weeds.

Port Orange and the car cover

Few Florida towns care this much about covers. On a home lot, "No disabled or abandoned vehicle parked on residentially-zoned or agriculturally-zoned private property shall be covered by material other than a standard vehicle cover in good repair unless such vehicle is parked inside a completely enclosed garage." The code defines that cover as "a nontransparent cover which is designed, manufactured and intended to be used exclusively" for that type of vehicle. A blue tarp fails. A fitted cover on a car in a carport can pass, as long as any part left showing is not "in a state of disrepair."

The land development code is blunter: "Unlicensed/unregistered, disabled, abandoned, or inoperable motor vehicles shall not be stored outside." Even repair shops in Port Orange get a cap of 28 consecutive days for a licensed car that will not run.

On Port Orange streets

Section 70-34 counts "any motor vehicle remaining in one position more than 24 hours in an otherwise unrestricted area" as illegally parked. In a posted towaway zone, a company from the city's rotation list can take it, and the car "will be released only upon payment of all towing and storage charges by the owner."

A car that dies in traffic falls under Section 70-6. Police can have it removed when it blocks the road, but the officer must first explain the other options. You may sign a form electing to leave it in place, if that is lawful. For cars towed and unclaimed after 72 hours, the police department tries to find the legal owner and say where the car went.

Titles from Port Orange

Volusia's title counter is in DeLand; the street address is 123 W Indiana Ave., and the window is Room 103. Port Orange drivers face about 18 miles heading west to reach it, measured in a straight line. Phone: (386) 254-4610.

The buyer does not have to sign the Notice of Sale. If a loan is still open, see still owe on the loan.

Nearby

New Smyrna Beach is 6.8 miles off and Daytona Beach 7.4. Edgewater is a little farther south. For statewide rules, see Florida.

Getting an offer

Start online or call (877) 421-6008. Describe the car, its mileage, whether it still runs, and whether the title is free of a loan. If it has sat long enough for the weeds to reach the bumper, sitting for years covers what to expect.