Junk and dead cars in Munster

Munster's two clocks

Section 12-51 makes it a violation to store or leave an abandoned or junk vehicle in the open "for a period of 24 hours or more on any public highway or public property, or for a period of 48 hours or more on private property." Car sales businesses are the named exception.

What counts as junk is in Section 12-41. A junk vehicle is one "not kept in an enclosed garage or building" that meets one of the listed tests, such as "Any dismantled or wrecked automobile or automobile parts." The abandoned category includes:

• "A vehicle from which there has been removed the engine, transmission, or differential or that is otherwise partially dismantled or inoperable and left on public property"
• a towed car "not claimed or redeemed by the owner or his/her agent within 20 days of the vehicle's removal"
• a car that is "mechanically inoperable" and sits on private property, visible from public property, "for more than 20 days"

Moving it is its own violation

Once the town tells you to deal with the car, shifting it does not reset anything. Section 12-51 bans moving the vehicle, "or part thereof," to other private property where storage is not allowed, or onto a public highway for storage.

Snow, meters and towing

After snow of two inches or more, Section 54-189 has owners clear their cars off Munster streets. Inside the area bounded by Manor, Hohman, Ridge Road and the north town line, cars come off one side of the street, as signs show. Police can ticket, then have the cars towed and stored at the owner's cost.

Section 54-73 lists vehicles the town treats as nuisances and can impound. Among them: an inoperable vehicle left on a street in breach of any law, and any vehicle with "four or more unpaid parking charges" in the metered lots.

If an impounded car sits unclaimed for 48 hours, Section 54-78 has police notify the last owner of record, and disposal follows state law, IC 9-22-1. To get one back, Section 54-77 asks for payment to the towing service and a police tow release.

Selling with an Indiana title

Titles here are a state job. One BMV office we checked, in Crown Point at 1244 North Main St., lies roughly 11 miles southeast of central Munster as the crow flies; the BMV lists 888-692-6841 for it.

On the title, everyone named as an owner prints and signs. A Munster seller then writes the mileage, sale day, amount, and buyer's name with address. The BMV's steps for a Munster sale never call for a notary. Keep the plate, since Indiana does not want it returned.

Missing title? Indiana sells a duplicate for $15.00, with a $25 surcharge to rush it, and the old one stops being valid. Scrapping a Munster car? Rather than a new title, a Munster owner may use State Form 55018, the Certificate of Authority that costs $4. See junk car with no title.

Towns around Munster

Highland is 2.4 miles away, Hammond 5.0 and Schererville 5.3. East Chicago and St. John are each 7.5 miles off. For the state picture, see Indiana.

Getting an offer

Munster owners can ring (877) 421-6008 or send our short form. Pickup happens at the car, be it a Munster driveway, a side street ahead of the next two-inch snow, or the shop where it gave up.