Selling a dead or junk car in Valparaiso

The other ways a car becomes abandoned here

Section 90.02 lists more than the 30-day rule:

• a vehicle "left on public property continuously without being moved for three days"
• one with "the engine, transmission or differential" removed, or "otherwise partially dismantled or inoperable and left on public property"
• one towed at an officer's request that is "not claimed or redeemed by the owner or his or her agent within 15 days of its removal"

That last one is the trap. A car towed for another reason turns into an abandoned car if nobody claims it within 15 days.

When police move a car

Section 72.11 lets the Police Department take a car off a street to "the nearest garage or other place of safety" in set cases. One is a car "left unattended upon a street or is parked illegally as to constitute a definite hazard or obstruction." When registration records lead the Valparaiso officer to the owner, that owner has to be told why it was towed and where it is. If not, a report goes to the state agency that registers vehicles.

Section 72.10 adds that "Whenever possible an attempt shall be made to contact the last registered owner" before removal. It also says "The property owner of the illegally parked vehicle will be responsible for any towing charges and or storage incurred by the violation."

After the tow

Within 72 hours of moving an abandoned car to storage, Section 90.05 has the agency send the Bureau a report with the make, model, VIN and plate number, and ask for the owner's latest address. Under Section 90.12, money from selling abandoned cars, and money owners pay for removal or storage, goes into the city's Abandoned Vehicle Account. If yours is already in a yard, read towed or impounded.

Porter County and emissions

Valparaiso is in Porter County, one of only two Indiana counties, with Lake, that test emissions. Valparaiso is in Porter County, so it sits inside the testing area. If a test is what finally retired the car, failed inspection or rust covers selling it as it is.

Title at the BMV

Porter County doesn't issue titles. In Indiana, the state does. One branch we checked is at 3327 Willowcreek Road in Portage, roughly 8 miles northwest of central Valparaiso as the crow flies (888-692-6841).

Per the BMV, all owners "sign and print their names in the seller section," and the seller completes the mileage, date, price and purchaser lines. The Valparaiso buyer then has 45 days to title it. A lost Valparaiso title is $15.00 to replace, or $25 more for speed. For scrapping, a $4 Certificate of Authority works instead.

The plates stay yours. Remove them when the car is sold; sending them back to the BMV is not required, and a Valparaiso owner can reuse them on another of their cars.

Nearby

Portage is about 10 miles from Valparaiso as the crow flies, Hobart 11.8 and Merrillville 13.8. Statewide rules are on the Indiana page.

Getting an offer

Valparaiso owners can call (877) 421-6008 or fill in our online form. A truck can reach a farm lane outside town, a subdivision driveway, or a Valparaiso curb.