Selling a dead or junk car in Elizabethtown

Why stripping it at home is the wrong move here

Lots of people mean to take the useful parts and junk what's left. Elizabethtown's Section 92.046 rules that out. "No vehicle shall be, at any time, in a state of major disassembly or disrepair, nor shall it be in the process of being stripped or dismantled, nor shall it undergo major overhaul, including body work, on any private property within the city."

The section has three exceptions:

• the premises of a business "involved solely in the repair, renovation, storage or servicing of motor vehicles"
• an approved city storage place or depository
• "a motor vehicle inside a fully enclosed structure"

So the parting-out plan many owners have in mind is a code violation inside city limits. Our guide to parting it out or selling it whole lays out the tradeoff.

The one-week rule, piece by piece

Section 153.146 lists the cars it covers. A car counts if, "for mechanical or other reasons," it can't go anywhere on its own, can't be driven legally on a public street, or is "unreasonably unsightly." Section 153.005 says an inoperable vehicle is one that can't be driven or towed on a public street "for any reason including, but not limited to, being unlicensed, wrecked, abandoned, in a state of disrepair." Out-of-date tags by themselves can be enough.

The rule cares about where the car sits as well as how long:

• Visibility decides it. The one-week clock only covers a car visible from a public street or a neighbor's lot.
• Moving it a few feet does not help. The wording is "the same relative location."
• Yards need a surface. No vehicle may sit in any yard "unless it is on a paved or gravel area designated for such use," unless it is in an approved, fully enclosed structure.
• Businesses get a cap, not a pass. A licensed repair or salvage business in compliance with zoning is exempt. In the C-4 general service commercial district, "no more than 15 inoperable vehicles shall be stored on site for a period not to exceed 90 days," fenced and screened.

Streets and snow routes

On public streets the limit is shorter. Section 72.06 says a car "left parked and abandoned in any one place" for "24 hours or longer shall be deemed abandoned" and falls under the city's abandoned-vehicle rules.

Snow emergency routes are marked with special signs. When the police chief or another authorized official announces a ban, "no person shall park any vehicle or permit any vehicle to remain parked on a snow emergency route." The ban lasts until the official ends it. Elizabethtown gives overnight snow a little longer than some cities. If it starts between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. with no announcement before 11 p.m., a car on the route can stay until 7 a.m. A dead battery will not get it off the route by then. If it is already towed, see towed or impounded.

Hardin County title, plates and taxes

The courthouse in the photo stands at the center of Courthouse Square. Kentucky title work goes through the Hardin County Clerk.

1. Have your signature notarized. The state requires it whenever a title is signed over. Skip the white-out and cross-outs; a signed, notarized affidavit corrects errors.
2. Assign the title to the buyer and include TC 96-182 plus the mileage disclosure.
3. Keep your plate. Since January 2024 it stays with the seller, along with any unexpired registration. Putting it on another vehicle costs a one-time $11. If the registration runs out in the month the transfer is processed, renew it or turn the plate in to the clerk.
4. Protect yourself at day 15. If the buyer has not filed within 15 calendar days, file a notarized TC 96-3 in your county of residence. The clerk will then block registration on the car.

Lost the title? A duplicate is $6.00 plus the notary; see junk car with no title. Kentucky calls a car salvage once an insurer or a shop puts repairs at more than 75% of its retail value. See salvage title. The owner on January 1 gets the yearly vehicle property tax bill, apart from exceptions in the statute.

Nearby

In a straight line, Radcliff is 8.6 miles away. Jeffersontown is 38.6 miles, Bowling Green 58.7 and Frankfort 64.8. For statewide rules, see Kentucky.

Getting an offer

Have a dead car in Elizabethtown? Ring (877) 421-6008 or fill in our offer form. We load from a gravel side yard, a repair shop or the curb, and nothing needs stripping off first.