Junk and dead cars in La Porte

Garage or nothing

Section 94-432 makes it unlawful "to keep, park or store any wrecked, junked or abandoned vehicle, or parts thereof" anywhere in La Porte, public land or private, "except in a garage or other building so as not to be exposed to the public view." A tarp in the driveway does not meet that test. A wall and a roof do.

How the city decides a car is junk

Section 94-433 gives "prima facie evidence" tests, which means the city can treat a car as junk on these facts alone.

Junked or wrecked: the car has been on private property more than 30 days and has missing bumpers or fenders, is partly dismantled, or "appears wrecked."

Abandoned:

• left on public property "continuously without being removed for a period of seven days"
• left on a public right-of-way, or parked in the way of people on foot or in cars
• towed when an officer asked, then left unclaimed for 15 days
• "six or more model years old," looks mechanically inoperable, and sits in view of public property for more than 30 days

The ten-day letter

An enforcement officer can hand or send a written demand to whoever owns, occupies or holds the premises. The demand allows ten days from receipt. Past that point the Police Department impounds it and has a licensed towing agency store it. The 15-day clock then starts. For any case the city code does not cover, it adopts Indiana's abandoned-vehicle chapter, IC 9-22-1.

Permits that buy time

Section 94-434 has narrow exceptions. A hobbyist restoring a car can ask the Board of Public Works and Safety for a permit "not exceeding 90 days." Breaking the board's conditions forfeits it. Repair shops can store a wrecked car for 30 days, plus one 30-day permit from the Clerk-Treasurer that goes on the windshield and cannot be renewed. Salvage yards need a board permit and a fence at least six feet tall.

Street parking

A car left 24 hours on a La Porte street without moving may be hauled off, with towing and storage billed to its owner (Section 94-227). Listed stretches of Adams, Chicago, Clay, Detroit and Jackson Streets ban parking from 1:00 to 6:00 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (Section 94-219).

Title, plates and the emissions question

The state's tailpipe testing covers just two counties, Lake and Porter. La Porte is in LaPorte County, which is not one of them.

Titles come from the state BMV. One branch we checked, at 1301 Pine Lake Rd, is about 2 miles northwest of central La Porte as the crow flies. On the title, sign the seller section and add the odometer reading, date, price and buyer details. The BMV's own seller steps include no notary, and neither does a bill of sale. Pull your plates before pickup; they may be moved to a different vehicle of yours. With a lost, faulty or destroyed title, an owner can scrap the car using the $4 Certificate of Authority (State Form 55018) instead of a new title.

Nearby

Michigan City is 10.4 miles from La Porte, Valparaiso 19.7, South Bend 23.5 and Mishawaka 28.7, in straight lines. For statewide rules, see Indiana.

Getting an offer

Ask for an offer at (877) 421-6008 or by the form. Send the form for your La Porte car. We can get it at a home by one of the lakes, a downtown lot, or the garage where it is stored.