Selling a junk or wrecked car in Dolton

Sheltered or not

The key word in Dolton's rule is "unsheltered." The definition in Section 75.001 reaches cars on a street or highway in the village and on private real property. A car inside a garage is not unsheltered storage. Two kinds of car are left out on purpose: historic or antique vehicles, and cars on the premises of a licensed business "engaged in wrecking, junking or repairing motor vehicles."

No driveway repair jobs

The same section has a second rule that catches people working on a car to keep it alive. "Any repairs to automobiles or motor vehicles in the residential section of the village other than in completely enclosed buildings" is declared a nuisance "dangerous to the public safety." Swapping a starter at the curb on a residential block counts. If the fix has to happen outside, it is probably cheaper to let the car go.

Parking lots are not storage either

Moving the car to a lot does not solve it. Section 116.082 makes it unlawful to park or store in any parking lot "any vehicle which is not in condition and ready for use." It also bans abandoned, junked or partly dismantled vehicles in a lot, displaying a car there for sale, and using a lot as a repair shop.

If Dolton impounds it

Section 75.022 is expensive. The owner of a car seized under it is assessed "an administrative penalty in the amount of $500," plus towing, storage and any other fees that apply. You can ask for a preliminary hearing, in person and in writing at the Police Department, within 15 days of the seizure. A towing adjudicator holds it within 48 hours of the request, not counting weekends and holidays. Within ten days of the tow, police must tell the owner and any lienholder of record, in person or by certified mail, that they may ask for a hearing before an Administrative Hearing Officer.

Selling a Dolton car under Illinois rules

Cook County does not title cars; the Illinois Secretary of State does, through Springfield by mail or at a state office. At the Dolton handoff, fill out the Assignment of Title, then sign and date it. Seller and buyer each print a name and sign, and the odometer certification gets completed too. The state's list of seller steps skips any notary. After the Dolton sale, hold on to the plates, jot down a short bill of sale showing date and price, and quickly send the Secretary of State your Seller's Report of Sale (VSD 703).

A wrecked car may raise a salvage question. In Dolton, only four buyers can take a salvage certificate: scrap processors, out-of-state salvage buyers, licensed rebuilders and automotive parts recyclers. A junking certificate has no license limit, so any person can hold one. See wrecked or totaled for more.

Around Dolton

South Holland sits 2.2 straight-line miles from Dolton, with Calumet City at 3.8 and Blue Island at 4.7. For statewide rules, see Illinois.

Getting an offer

Dolton owners can call (877) 421-6008 or go online. We can haul from a Dolton garage, or from a repair shop that stopped working on it.