Selling a junk car in Algonquin

What state law lets a village do

Under 65 ILCS 5/11-40-3, a town can adopt an ordinance that treats dead cars on public or private property, "in view of the general public," as a nuisance. It may fine owners who ignore it and send police to haul a car off a week after the town's own notice. None of this switches on by itself. Each town opts in.

For Algonquin, the statute treats a car as "inoperable" when, for a week or more, its engine, wheels or other parts are gone, altered or wrecked and its own motor can no longer move it. A car that is simply in for routine maintenance is outside it.

So before you plan around any deadline, phone Algonquin village hall and ask two things: has it adopted such an ordinance, and how many days does its notice give?

When the car is on somebody else's land

This part is statewide. 625 ILCS 5/4-201 lets police take a car that was abandoned in public view on private land belonging to someone other than its owner, once 7 or more days have passed. A dead car parked at a friend's place in Lake in the Hills, or left in a former landlord's lot, fits that description. If you are the one holding someone else's car, see car abandoned on your property.

What happens after a tow

Age sets the pace for an unclaimed car:

• Seven model years old or newer. Owner and lienholder get 30 days after notice. If nobody claims it, it goes to a public auction open to licensed recyclers, rebuilders and scrap processors, and to the tow operator.
• Older than seven years. The agency keeps it for 10 days or more while it tries to find the owner, then it may sign off on scrapping it as junk or salvage.

Junking certificates and titles

Illinois has a separate document for a car that is finished. An owner of a junk vehicle gets 15 days to apply for a junking certificate and send the title in. With no lien from a lender, you keep the title. Once that certificate exists, the car can be kept, moved or handed on with it, and Illinois never titles that car again.

Who may receive it differs by paper. A junking certificate can go to any person at all. An Algonquin salvage certificate can be sold only to a licensed rebuilder or scrap processor, a parts recycler, or a salvage buyer from another state.

For a normal sale, your part is brief. Sign and date the Assignment of Title box. Nothing on the Illinois list for sellers calls for a notary. Give the buyer a dated receipt showing what they paid, and note their name and home address. Unscrew your plates and take them with you. Then promptly send Springfield's Secretary of State office the VSD 703 or the Notice of Sale stub torn from your Algonquin title's bottom. Once it is sent, you are no longer liable. The car becomes the buyer's when they title it. A lost title costs $50 to replace.

Algonquin spreads across Kane and McHenry counties, and Illinois lists both for emissions testing.

Getting an offer

Algonquin owners can ring (877) 421-6008 or fill in our short form to start. Our Algonquin pickup can happen at home, at work, or at the repair shop holding it. Lake in the Hills is about 1.4 miles away, Carpentersville 2.9, Crystal Lake 5.1 and Huntley 5.8. Statewide details are on the Illinois page.