Selling a junk or dead car in Frankfort

Who the 30-day rule covers

The rule reaches anyone in charge of the property, "whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee, or otherwise." So a renter in a Frankfort subdivision is on the hook the same as the homeowner. It applies to every lot in the village except village property, and it covers cars that are only partly taken apart as well as ones that are simply dead.

Streets are handled separately. Section 90.03 says no one shall leave a dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked or junked vehicle "on any street or highway within the village," unless it sits at a place the village has authorized.

The 10-day letter from the Chief of Police

Section 90.06 lets the Chief of Police remove a vehicle that appears to break this chapter, or one that is lost, stolen or unclaimed. On private land there is a warning first. The car is not towed until the chief has given written notice "to remove said vehicle within ten days of the mailing of such notice." The code also allows notice by fixing it to the car.

If the village does impound it, the owner is charged a fee "sufficient to cover the charges and expenses of impounding," paid to the Village Clerk.

When a Frankfort car is already at the lot

A separate process, Section 70.04, covers police seizures under that section. You can ask for a preliminary appeal "within seven business days from the date of the written notice." To get the car out before the final hearing, the code asks for a $200 cash bond plus all towing and storage charges. Those charges follow the state tow schedule for the Chicagoland area. If a hearing officer finds against the owner, a $200 administrative fee applies. Our guide on a towed or impounded car covers selling one in that spot.

Title and plates for a Frankfort seller

Frankfort sits in both Will and Cook counties, but the state handles titles here. The Illinois Secretary of State issues Frankfort titles, either by mail through Springfield or at offices its website calls DMVs.

When you hand over the Frankfort car, sign and date the certificate's Assignment of Title area and print the buyer's name and address. The state's guide for sellers names those signatures and no notary. A short Frankfort bill of sale noting the date and amount paid is worth writing too. Unscrew the plates and keep them. Next, rip off the Notice of Sale stub along the title's lower edge, or complete a Seller's Report of Sale (VSD 703), and send it to Springfield "immediately." The Frankfort car is then off your hands, though the buyer owns it only after retitling.

No title? Illinois charges $50 for a duplicate, requested on form VSD 190. A scrap-bound car can go through a junking certificate instead, and that certificate may be assigned to anyone. Junk car with no title has more.

Both of Frankfort's counties fall inside the Illinois emissions area. That only matters for someone planning to drive the car again, not for a parts sale.

Nearby towns

In a straight line, New Lenox lies 5.1 miles from Frankfort, Tinley Park 5.5 and Orland Park 7.0. Statewide rules are on the Illinois page.

Getting an offer

Selling a car in Frankfort? Get in touch online or at (877) 421-6008. Our truck comes to the Frankfort car, whether it rests in a home driveway or in a repair bay that has held it for weeks.