Selling a dead or junk car in Michigan City

Parking areas are not storage

Section 18.01 also says off-street parking areas "are intended only for temporary vehicle parking," and that, apart from storage tied to "the business of a repair or service garage," "parking areas or open land shall not be used for storage or parking of wrecked or junked vehicles." Open land counts, not just paved spaces.

The sign chapter closes another door. Section 19.05 bans "unlicensed or inoperable stationary or abandoned motor vehicles, trailers or water craft" parked on public or private property and "used specifically for signage." An old van with a business name on its side, parked out front as an advertisement, falls under it.

The lawn and the curb

Section 94-207 covers cars on grass, and parking against its rules "is deemed a public nuisance." On a residential lot you may not drive over the curb to reach a spot instead of using a curb cut. On the street, cars must sit parallel to it and close to the edge.

If the police or the Planning and Inspection Department finds a car in violation that is "substantially interfering" with foot or vehicle traffic, and the owner does not fix it "within 24 hours of the issuance of a citation," the car can be towed. The owner then pays "all storage and towing charges." A dead car pushed onto the grass is the case this section is written for.

When the snow removal coordinator acts

Michigan City handles winter parking through a declared "snow removal condition," set by the snow removal coordinator. Once it is declared, Section 94-254 puts these rules in force:

• no parking on a snow route at all
• even-numbered days: the side with even addresses is closed "from 6:00 a.m. to midnight"
• odd-numbered days: the odd-address side closes for the same hours

Section 94-255 then names dead cars outright. Any vehicle "parked, stalled, incapable of moving under its own power, or left unattended in any prohibited area during a snow removal condition may be towed away and impounded at the owner's expense." A car that cannot cross the street each morning will not last long once a condition is called.

Emissions

Only Lake and Porter counties are in IDEM's emissions program. Michigan City, in LaPorte County, is not.

Title office in La Porte

We checked LaPorte County's branch at 1301 Pine Lake Rd in La Porte. Measured directly, it's roughly 8 miles southeast of downtown Michigan City. Call 888-692-6841. Titles are a state job, so Michigan City owners can also use a nearby BMV Connect kiosk or Partial Service Provider.

Your side of a Michigan City sale lives on the title:

1. Each listed owner signs the seller section and prints beside the signature.
2. On the Michigan City title, fill in the odometer statement. Next, the Michigan City seller writes in the price and sale date, plus the buyer's name and home address.
3. Unscrew the plates.

No notary shows up in the BMV's steps, and its bill of sale page also says notarizing is not needed. From there, the buyer has 45 days to file for the title, registration and plate.

No title, or a damaged one

Lost a Michigan City title? Michigan City owners file Form 205, which costs $15.00, with photo ID at a branch, a kiosk, a Partial Service Provider or myBMV.com. A speed title is $25 more. The duplicate voids any original still floating around.

When the car is headed for scrap anyway, Form 55018 (Certificate of Authority) costs $4.00. Current registration or an insurance settlement shows ownership. If a lender was ever listed, include a lien release. The State Form 39530 inspection applies only when the car has no VIN. More in junk car with no title.

Water damage carries a title consequence. In Michigan City, an Indiana salvage certificate is required in two cases. One is a flood in Michigan City that topped the door sill and got into the cabin or trunk. The other is an insurer settling a car from the last seven model years as too costly to fix. See salvage title.

Plates

Indiana does not take sold plates back. Keep them for another car you own. After you sell covers the last steps.

Nearby

La Porte is 10.4 miles away, Portage 18.2, Valparaiso 18.5 and Hobart 25.1. Statewide rules are on the Indiana page.

Getting an offer

Michigan City sellers can ring (877) 421-6008 or use our short form. Pickup can be from a driveway on an alternate-side street, a garage near downtown, or a repair shop that ran out of options.