Selling a junk car in Niles

When Niles presumes a car is abandoned

The same section gives two ways a car on private property is "presumed to be abandoned":

• it is "in such a state of disrepair as to be incapable of being driven in its present condition," or
• it "has not been removed or used for more than 30 consecutive days and is apparently deserted."

Read that first test closely. A car that cannot be driven meets it right away. There is no 30-day wait for a car with a seized engine. The 30 days apply to a car that might run but has plainly been left.

Seven days, then the village acts

Once the village gives notice, the owner has a week. In the code's words, "If the motor vehicle or motored equipment is not moved within seven days of such notice, the village shall institute procedures in accordance with the provisions of section 98-236."

The street is not a parking lot for it

Pushing the car to the curb only starts another clock. Section 98-156 says no motor vehicle "may remain parked in the same spot on any public street or public alley for more than 72 hours" without special permission from the police chief or a designee.

Driving it to a buyer has its own catch. Section 98-93 requires a current Illinois registration sticker and plate, or one of a short list of permits, such as a temporary registration permit or a drive-away permit. A printed Secretary of State receipt showing you renewed before the old sticker expired also works for 30 days. A car with a long-lapsed sticker should be towed, not driven. If you do renew a lapsed car, Illinois adds a single $20 late fee whenever the renewal reaches the state more than a month past expiration.

Seizures and the $500 penalty

Sections 98-402 and 98-404 cover cars seized by police for certain violations. A seized car stays impounded until the village has its $500 penalty and the tow company has its tow and storage fees, or until a $500 bond is posted with the police and the tow fees are paid. Otherwise, it "is deemed abandoned" and disposed of under state law. A car stolen at the time is exempt if the theft was reported within 24 hours of discovery.

Handing over an Illinois title

Cook County doesn't handle Niles titles; the Illinois Secretary of State does. That is done by mail to Springfield or at its own offices.

Your signature and date go into the Assignment of Title area, and Illinois's checklist for sellers asks for no notary. Every buyer and seller prints and signs, with the odometer certified on the same page. A bill of sale naming the date and amount, along with the buyer's name and address, wraps up your side. Pull the plates, which stay yours. Finally, the Notice of Sale on the title's lower edge, or a VSD 703 in its place, goes to the state by mail "immediately," which frees you from responsibility without moving ownership. If the title is lost, you need a $50 replacement before anything else.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or start the form for your Niles car. Houses, apartment lots and lots near the Leaning Tower all work. Morton Grove is about 1.5 miles away, Park Ridge 2.0, Skokie 3.6 and Glenview 4.1. State rules are on the Illinois page.