Junk, wrecked and dead cars in Elkhart

The 5-day nuisance order

Elkhart's nuisance list in Section 99.07(7) reads like a yard inventory: "Vehicle parts, disassembled vehicles, vehicles without engines," scrap metal, and "dilapidated, deteriorated, or inoperable vehicles." Watercraft, jet skis, snowmobiles, motorcycles, trailers and mopeds sit in the same clause. Licensed, properly zoned junk yards and recyclers are exempt.

The duty lands on an owner of record, an unrecorded contract purchaser, a tenant or an occupant. A Code Enforcement Officer serves a written order "to remove within 5 days." The order "becomes final 5 days after the notice is given," unless you deliver a written hearing request to the Neighborhood Development Coordinator's office first.

If no one complies, the city can do the work itself. The code also sets a uniform administrative cost that covers finding the owners, the notices, staff salaries and more.

Parking limits that end in a tow

Several limits apply to cars parked on public spaces, and each matters for a car that won't start:

• 7-day spaces. Section 76.05 says no vehicle may hold one "for a period of time exceeding 7 days." Being physically out of the city, or kept from moving it by health, is a defense for a stay of seven to 30 days.
• 24-hour spaces. On-street and off-street 24-hour spaces end at 24 hours.
• 2-hour spaces. During the daytime window the code sets, two hours is the limit.
• The real estate in 76.49. Section 76.49 allows towing of "any vehicle parked in excess of 24 hours on the real estate," with storage at the expense of the owner or operator.

Section 76.10 adds the backstop. A vehicle still parked in violation "in excess of 24 hours" can be impounded by police and moved off the street.

What becomes of an abandoned car

When there is no VIN or other way to identify the owner, Section 95.065 allows the car to go "without notice." Otherwise the value decides the route. Under $500, in the officer's opinion, the towing service gives the 15-day notice and keeps the proceeds in place of its charges. Over $500, the police department sends the notice, and if nobody shows within 15 days, "the Department shall sell the vehicle or parts to the highest bidder at a public sale."

The money moves through the city's Abandoned Vehicle Fund under Section 95.062. Removal and storage of unclaimed cars are paid from it, and sale proceeds are credited against those costs.

Under Indiana law, the owner of an abandoned car also pays for towing, storing and disposing of it, with storage capped at $2,000. See towed or impounded if the car is already gone.

Title work near downtown

Indiana titles come from the BMV, not Elkhart County. One branch we looked up is at 222 Harrison St., under a mile southwest of the center of downtown in a straight line. Its listed number is 888-692-6841.

For an Elkhart sale, all owners put a printed name and a signature on the title's back. The seller then writes the miles, the date, the price, and the purchaser's name and address. No notary appears in the BMV's list. Applying for a fresh title, registration and plate falls to the buyer.

Remove the plate before the car goes. The BMV doesn't want it back, and you can use it on another vehicle of yours. Elkhart County is not part of the emissions program, which is limited to Lake and Porter counties.

No title in hand

A lost or faulty title does not end the sale. A duplicate on State Form 205 runs $15.00, and a rushed one adds $25. Or the owner can file State Form 55018 for a Certificate of Authority, $4.00, which clears a car for the scrap yard with no new title issued. An automotive salvage recycler is allowed to file it for the owner. Ownership can be shown with a current registration or an insurance settlement, and any lien has to be released. Junk car with no title has more.

Nearby

Mishawaka is 10.5 miles away, Goshen 10.7 and South Bend 15.8. The Indiana page has the statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Use the form or dial (877) 421-6008. Fill in the offer form about your Elkhart car and its papers. A tow truck picks it up from a driveway, a side lot near Main Street, or a shop on the edge of town.