Selling a dead car under Bossier City's ten-day rule

The ten-day rule

Section 46-123 applies to anyone "in charge of or in control of any premises, whether owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or otherwise." No one may let "any partially dismantled, wrecked, junked, discarded or otherwise nonoperating boat or motor vehicle, and unlicensed or dilapidated trailers and campers to remain on such property longer than ten days." The rule covers renters as well as owners, and the old bass boat as well as the car.

It does not apply to "any vehicle in an enclosed building." A lawful business outside a residential district may keep vehicles it needs to operate, and so may a lawful storage place.

Who gets the letter

The city mails the violation notice certified, with a return receipt, "to the owner of the vehicle as determined by the license tags if such information is available." If not, it goes to the last known owner of the lot, using the parish conveyance records. A second notice is "securely affixed to such vehicle," saying the city will remove it if the owner does not.

A fence will not stop removal either. If a fence or wall is in the way, the office of property standards may hire someone to take it down and put it back "as far as practical."

How the city defines junk

In its traffic chapter, Section 110-141 calls a junk, wrecked or used vehicle one that is "totally inoperable, left unattended on any lot or parcel of property and is so damaged or dismantled as to be a total loss." There, "total loss" means "the cost to repair a damaged or dismantled motor vehicle exceeds the junk value of such vehicle." Louisiana's statewide line sits elsewhere, at 75% or more of market value under the current NADA handbook. See wrecked or totaled.

Tow lots

City code requires a permitted wrecker company to keep its storage lot and business office "within the corporate limits of the city." Emergency wrecker lots keep business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for records and inspection. Non-emergency lots keep 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both exclude weekends and holidays.

Louisiana title and plates, Bossier side

Titles do not come from Bossier Parish. The state's OMV issues them, and you reach it at an office, through a private tag agent, or by mailing the paperwork. Its site is expresslane.la.gov/omv.

For the assignment, Louisiana wants a notary present when you sign. Show the price there or on a separately notarized bill of sale. The plate leaves with you. OMV will take it back at a counter or by mail, cancel it online, or let you reuse it on another car for a $3.00 fee. Hold the insurance until the plate is canceled, and send the OMV its online transfer notice too. Selling for scrap only? An ownership affidavit, signed and dated, stands in for the title.

Nearby

Shreveport is 8.9 miles from Bossier City as the crow flies, Ruston 59.4 and Monroe 91.9. The Louisiana page has more.

Getting an offer

Use the form or call (877) 421-6008. Give us the car, a mileage guess, if it runs or not, and the papers you have on it. In Bossier City, our truck picks up from driveways, fenced yards and repair shop lots.