Selling a dead or junk car in Manhattan, Kansas

How a complaint becomes a notice

The section begins: "Whenever an informal complaint is made by any individual, public or private, to the city, or notice is given to the chief code inspection officer of the existence of an apparent violation." From there, the chief code inspection officer "shall within seven days thereafter cause to be served" a written notice. It is served on the occupant or the landowner of the lot holding the car, so a landlord can be served for a tenant's car.

The notice must "inform such person of the violation and direct that he take action within seven days after receipt of such notice." That clock starts when you receive it, not when it was written. If you get one, see notice to remove a car.

No engine is no excuse

Section 31-34 deals with removing cars left on public roads or on land the owner does not own or lease. It also closes a loophole on purpose. The governing body found "that the absence of an engine in a vehicle in no way mitigates the effects of abandoning a vehicle." So a shell left on a public road, or on land its owner does not own or lease, gets no pass for missing its engine. See missing parts for selling a car in that state.

The Riley County Police Department handles these removals for the city. When it cannot find the owner or any lienholder, it publishes a notice "once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official city newspaper." The notice describes the car and explains the owner's rights. Kansas law says you must show valid registration and proof you own it to get an impounded car back.

Snow routes and the two-hour mark

Section 31-203 makes it unlawful "to park a vehicle on, or fail to remove a parked vehicle from, any street designated as an emergency snow route, beginning two hours after notice of a traffic emergency has been given." The ban lasts until the emergency ends. Police can remove a car still there. A car that won't start cannot be moved when the notice comes, so a dead car parked on a snow route is at risk every winter.

Big vehicles at night

Section 31-32 bars "oversized" vehicles from residential streets, highways and alleys during nighttime hours. Oversized means more than 22 feet long, or more than eight feet wide or tall. The code's nighttime starts 30 minutes past sunset and ends 30 minutes ahead of the next sunrise. A dead box truck or large motorhome cannot simply be left at the curb overnight. The city clerk can issue a temporary permit to people who own or lease the property next to the spot, or who have the owner's written permission.

Two counties, one rule for title work

Manhattan lies in both Riley and Pottawatomie counties. Kansas title and registration applications go in person to the treasurer of whichever county the car is garaged in. Which office you use depends on which side of the line the car is kept. For a replacement title, TR-720B costs $10. Any treasurer's office will take it, or you can send it by mail to the Titles and Registrations Bureau. See selling with no title.

Kansas seller steps

• For a Manhattan sale, fill in the price paid, the date and the odometer reading on the title's back side. Print and sign your name, and so does the buyer. Kansas needs no notary here.
• Do not give the buyer a title with their name left blank. State law forbids it.
• Keep a photocopy of the finished title, front and back, to prove the transfer.
• Unscrew the plates and keep them. By statute the registration ends when ownership changes. Moving the plate to another car costs $1.50.
• Your record is closed once the plate goes back to the treasurer's office or you file the optional TR-216.
• After that, the buyer has 60 days to apply for title and registration.

Kansas labels a car nonrepairable when it is good only for parts or scrap. You must get a nonrepairable vehicle certificate before you transfer it. Manhattan owners who lost a title can use this certificate instead. The car has to be at least 10 model years old. Kansas has no safety or emissions inspection for a sale.

Other Kansas towns

Junction City is 17.3 miles away as the crow flies, Topeka 49.9 and Emporia 58.7. The Kansas page has the statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or use the offer form to sell your Manhattan car. If a seven-day notice is already in your mailbox, mention it. Our truck can load it in either county, whether it sits at home, at the curb or at a shop.