Sell a junk or dead car in Sebring

How Sebring defines an inoperative car

Section 9-66 calls an inoperative vehicle "any car, truck, trailer, recreational vehicle and the like which is not readily able to be driven or otherwise used or operated in its designated capacity." It includes junked, abandoned and discarded vehicles. The definition of vehicle is wide too: it names airplanes, motorcycles, tractors and "water vessel."

Plates come into it under Section 9-68. "The absence of a license plate for the current year and/or the absence of a current vehicle registration shall be prima facie evidence" that the car is abandoned, junked or discarded. The next line closes the loophole: "The presence of a current license plate or registration shall not in and of itself exempt any vehicle."

The exceptions

Section 9-68 lists a few places where inoperative vehicles are allowed:

• "in an enclosed building"
• a legally permitted junkyard, auto wrecking yard or sanitary landfill
• an accumulation set out for a regular garbage pickup that has not waited more than four weeks

If you miss the ten days

Section 9-70 says that when the person responsible fails or refuses to comply, or cannot be located, "the chief of police shall have the vehicle removed and lawfully stored." It will not come back "until all costs of removal and storage shall have been paid and arrangements have been made to repair the vehicle or to dispose of same."

Street parking and impounds

On city property, Section 22-127 bars parking in a city space, lot or street if the vehicle is not licensed under state law, shows an expired or altered tag, or has no valid tag. Nobody may leave a vehicle in the same public space "for over seven consecutive days" without a permit from the chief of police.

If the city impounds a car, Section 22-94 releases it after a hearing officer finds it was improperly impounded, or after payment of parking penalties, storage fees and towing charges. Section 22-95 sets the deadline: a car not released within 90 days of impoundment "may be sold at public auction." Our towed or impounded guide covers the trade-off.

The title office on Commerce Avenue

Sebring hosts the Highlands County FLHSMV center at 540 S. Commerce Ave. (phone (863) 402-6685). It is roughly 2 miles northeast of downtown as the crow flies.

Florida title and plate rules

• No notary stamp is needed. Under FLHSMV's TL-11, the seller just enters the price, date, mileage and the buyer's details in the seller's block on the title.
• Your plate is not part of the deal. Unscrew it and keep it. It goes back to a service center only on a move out of Florida or a cancelled policy.
• Tell the state about the sale within 30 days, as Statute 319.22 requires. That takes the car off your registration.
• Lost the paper title? Get a duplicate first. FLHSMV charges $75.25 for it.
• A titleless car can still go to a salvage dealer or scrap metal recycler on derelict certificate HSMV 82137, provided it books under $1,000 and dates back 10 model years or more. After that it cannot be titled again.

Engine gone? See blown engine.

Towns near Sebring

Bartow is 36.6 miles away in a straight line, Winter Haven 43.3, Haines City 45.5, Auburndale 48.9 and Lakeland 50.7. See the Florida page for state rules.

Getting an offer

Get started online or call (877) 421-6008. Say what the car is, its rough mileage, if it starts, and what the title situation is. If a notice is already on the windshield, mention it. The truck meets the car at the house, the shop, or wherever it was left.