Marshalltown's roof rule for dead cars, and selling one

No garage? We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

Junk under the nuisance chapter

Section 95.002 lists "Junk or abandoned vehicles" among the city's nuisances, and bans keeping a junk or salvage vehicle on public or private property "not in an enclosed area." One trait is enough, and one listed trait is "lacking an engine or one or more wheels or other structural parts which renders such vehicle totally inoperable".

How the notice works

Under Section 95.006, a city official who finds a nuisance serves written notice to abate it "within a reasonable time after notice." It goes to the property owner as shown in the County Auditor's records and to anyone else in possession. It can also be posted in plain sight on the property. When a car is involved, "the registered owner of the vehicle must also be notified." That can mean three letters about one car: landlord, tenant and titled owner.

The notice warns that if the nuisance is not fixed and no hearing is requested in time, "the city will abate the nuisance and assess the costs against the owner of the property." Our page on a notice to remove a car walks through the choices.

On the street and in snow

Section 72.020 bans leaving any vehicle on a street, avenue, alley or highway "for more than 24 consecutive hours". The Police Department or the Parking and Code Enforcement Officer can tow under Section 72.086. Getting it back means paying the city fees and the towing contractor's fees.

Snow tightens the clock. When the Street Department posts a street for plowing, "within three hours thereafter" every parked car must be gone. A car that dies on a snow emergency route while a ban is on has to come off that route at once, by tow or by push. Stalled on any other street, it must be off the street within 24 hours.

Iowa paperwork

Title work runs through the Marshall County treasurer. On the reverse of the title, the seller signs, fills in the buyer's identity and address with the date, and hands over the registration county and expiry. In Marshalltown the plates stay with you, so remove them first.

To prove the hand-off, keep a buyer's receipt or a photo of the signed reverse, or file form 411107 with the registering county. Missing or flawed title? Under Iowa Code 321.90, police can authorize a sale straight to a demolisher. For old unpaid registration, see tickets or registration hold.

Getting an offer

Online or at (877) 421-6008, describe the car, its mileage, whether it fires up, and your paperwork. Pickup works from a gravel drive, an alley garage or a body shop. Beyond town, Ames sits 36.7 miles off and Altoona 39.7. For the statewide rules, see Iowa.