Dead car in North Liberty? Start with the snow rule

We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US, so the first snow does not have to decide this for you.

How the snow clock runs

The ban "shall take effect at a time set by the Street Superintendent or designee, but not earlier than two hours after it is declared." So you get at least two hours of warning. After that, "Each 12-hour period that a vehicle is parked or allowed to remain on any street in violation of this section constitutes a separate and distinct offense." A dead car left out through a two-day storm piles up offenses, and Section 70.06 lets an officer tow it, with towing and storage charged to you.

The same section also allows a tow for a car left past a time limit, one in a fire lane, and one with an unpaid parking fine, meaning a fine not paid within 30 days of the notice.

In the yard or driveway

Section 51.02 makes it unlawful to "store, accumulate, or allow to remain on any private property within the corporate limits of the City any junk or junk vehicle." Section 51.03 labels it a nuisance under state law. The owner or occupant of the property is "prima facie liable", which means the city starts by holding the person at the address responsible.

Section 80.07 offers a paperwork escape for a stripped shell. An owner whose title is bad or missing may hand the car to a licensed demolisher with no title, provided major parts are gone and it is "totally inoperable".

If it is sitting at a shop

Section 168.07 sets rules for major vehicle repair shops in town: "No partially dismantled, wrecked, junked, or discarded vehicles may be stored outdoors on the premises unless these vehicles are waiting repair." If you have turned down the repair, ask the shop how long it can hold the car. Our guide to a car stuck at a repair shop covers the next steps.

The Iowa side

Iowa calls a car worth $500 or more salvage when fixing it would cost over 70 percent of its value before the damage. A wreck the insurer paid off may already carry that brand; see salvage title. A North Liberty seller of a late-model car owes extra paperwork too: a mileage disclosure up to nine model years old, a damage disclosure up to seven. The Johnson County treasurer handles titles and junking certificates. Pull the plates and keep them. Iowa says that applies after delivery to a dealer too.

Getting an offer

Start online or at (877) 421-6008. Use the offer form to sell your North Liberty car. Pickup can be from home, a repair lot, or the spot where it quit. Coralville is 3.2 miles away and Iowa City 7.4. For the statewide rules, see Iowa.