A car that won't run in Muscatine: rules and selling it

We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US.

The city notice

The notice comes from the city's construction inspection services, under the heading "NOTICE TO ABATE NUISANCE". It cites Section 9-3-3 and quotes two definitions:

• 9-3-2(D), the nuisance code: a car "not in running condition", whole or in part.
• 7-12-1(6), the traffic code: a motor vehicle "not in operable condition or not licensed".

That second wording can catch a running car with lapsed plates. The notice also refers to keeping a vehicle in a building or under a fitted cover made for vehicles. The copy we read is a scan, so check the notice you got for its exact wording and deadline. The city may have more rules than the notice shows. Our page on a notice to remove a car covers the usual choices.

Iowa's abandoned-car clocks

State law fills in what happens if a car is left or towed. Under Iowa Code 321.89:

• A car parked unlawfully on someone's land, or left there without permission, becomes abandoned after a day. If it is in your lot and not yours, see car abandoned on your property.
• A car legally impounded by police and not reclaimed in ten days is abandoned. Police may start the notice process sooner.
• The owner gets a notice and can reclaim the car within ten days of it by paying towing, preservation and storage. Not doing so counts as consent to a public auction or a sale to a demolisher.

Overstayed at a repair shop? Under Iowa Code 321.90 the garage sends certified mail, and ten days later the car is abandoned. See towed or impounded for the choices.

Muscatine County paperwork

The Muscatine County treasurer issues titles, junking certificates and plates. For the sale itself, put your seller's signature on the reverse, add the buyer's details and the date, and share where and until when the car was registered. Pull the plates and keep them.

Hold one piece of proof: a receipt, a photo of the signed reverse, or a filed form 411107. If the title is lost or faulty, Iowa Code 321.90 lets you ask the police authority for authority to sell the car to a demolisher.

Getting an offer

Send the car's basics, mileage, running condition and title situation online or by phone at (877) 421-6008. A driveway, side lot or shop bay is fine for pickup. Davenport is 25.8 miles away and Iowa City 29.0. For the statewide rules, see Iowa.