Wellington junk cars: street rules, parks and a whole-car sale

When Wellington can move a car

Section 22-21 lists the cases. An officer may remove a vehicle from a street when:

• it is left unattended and blocks traffic
• the person in charge of it is too badly hurt to arrange its removal
• it has been left alone at the curb past the 24-hour mark
• the driver is taken into custody and the car would be left alone

The section then turns to driveways and yards: "An abandoned vehicle on private property constitutes a public nuisance and may be abated in accordance with Chapter 9 of this Code."

Parks are not parking

Leaving the car at a park lot to buy time does not work. Section 14-28 says no one may park "in any area of a Wellington park in excess of 18 consecutive hours or continuously from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m." A car parked in violation may be removed to a garage Wellington or the sheriff uses, "at the owner's expense."

Wellington's land code also defines a commercial parking lot as a place for "operable motor vehicles" only. A paid lot is not built to hold a car that does not run.

If it is already at a tow yard

State law limits how far a non-consent tow from private property can take a car: storage has to be inside a 10-mile radius where a county has 500,000 or more residents, 15 miles elsewhere. Once a tow yard claims a lien, Florida makes it send certified letters to the registered owner, that owner's insurer and every lienholder. Our towed or impounded guide covers getting the paperwork straight.

Title office from Wellington

One Palm Beach County title counter is a 14-mile trip due east as the crow flies, to West Palm Beach, where the office is upstairs (3rd Floor) in 301 North Olive Avenue. Phone ahead at (561) 355-2264.

Florida title and plate steps

Sign the seller's block on the title's face; FLHSMV wants no notary seal. Unscrew the plate as the car is loaded, since a Florida tag belongs to the person, not the vehicle. Your last chore is the Notice of Sale. State law makes it mandatory, the 30-day window is firm, and once filed your registration no longer sits on that car.

Title missing entirely? HSMV 82137 is the derelict route. For age, year one is the model year, and the car needs ten of them; its value must sit below $1,000. Only two kinds of buyer can take it: salvage dealers holding a license, and secondary metals recyclers holding a registration. The car ends up crushed or dismantled, with no title ever again.

Getting an offer

Go online or dial (877) 421-6008. We need the car's age, brand, model, rough mileage and whether it cranks. Our truck comes to the car: your home, a friend's place, or the spot where it gave out. Nearby: Royal Palm Beach, Greenacres and West Palm Beach. The Florida page has the statewide rules.