Selling a junk or dead car in Salisbury

The rule, in the code's own words

The section opens without hedging: "Abandoned, unlicensed or inoperable motor vehicles on any private property, are illegal." The notice tells the owner or whoever controls the property "to license, repair or remove same."

So a car qualifies on any one of three grounds. It can run fine and still be unlicensed. It can carry current tags and still be inoperable. Either way the 20 days start once the notice is given.

If the 20 days run out

Miss the deadline and "the city shall then have the power and authority to take into custody and physically remove the motor vehicle." The car goes to an open storage lot run by a private contractor, "where the vehicle shall remain for at least twenty-five (25) days."

Unclaimed after that period, the car "shall be conclusively presumed to be abandoned by its registered owner," per the code. Not claiming it means the owner and every lien holder give up any claim "of all right, title, and interest in the motor vehicle." The city, the tower and the property owner are not liable for damage or theft while it is towed or stored.

The city's tow charge

When the city has a registered tow company haul away an abandoned, inoperable or untagged car, the code fixes the amount that company is paid once Salisbury police issue a certificate of disposal. The owner is expected to repay the city. If that has not happened within 30 days of the tower being paid, the housing official records the towing and storage cost with the city's finance department as a charge on the city's books.

Cars impounded for unpaid tickets are a separate track. Under Section 10.40.090, the owner gets one back by showing a right to it and paying all fines and costs, or posting collateral with the district court for Wicomico County.

Front yards and snow routes

• Front yards. Section 17.196.020 bars parking any motor vehicle, "whether operable or inoperable," in the front yard of a home unless it sits in a driveway or designated parking area with continuous access to a public street. So a broken car shoved onto the grass is a violation, however short its stay.
• Snow emergency routes. Downtown streets carry the label, among them Mill Street, East Church Street, South Division Street, Camden Street and West Market Street. Parking on them is limited while a snow plan is in effect. A car that stalls on one without chains or snow tires on at least two drive wheels is a misdemeanor under Section 10.12.030.

Selling from Wicomico County: title, plates, inspections

Here is a difference from much of Maryland. The state's VEIP emissions program covers 14 jurisdictions, and Wicomico County is not one of them. The safety inspection still applies statewide before a car can be sold, titled or transferred. The MVA's seller page says the buyer completes the inspections, and the seller is not responsible. A car too rusty to ever pass can still be sold. Read failed inspection or rust.

For the paperwork itself, the MVA wants a valid Maryland title in your name, any lien released, the odometer reading on the back and every owner's signature unless the title reads "OR". To replace a lost title, file form VR-018 and pay $40.00.

The plates are yours. Pull them before the car leaves and drop them in an MVA tag return box, which takes them around the clock with no appointment. Keep the receipt, and keep your insurance until it arrives. After you sell has the remaining steps.

Salisbury is a long way from our other Maryland towns

Salisbury has 33,845 people on about 13.8 square miles, and the Census names a metro area after it. Our nearest other Maryland pages are far off in a straight line: Annapolis at 64.5 miles, Bowie at 73.9 and Baltimore at 84.4. Distance doesn't change the offer. State rules are on our Maryland page.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or write to us about the car. Our short form covers the details. We offer free pickup anywhere in the US, so a Salisbury driveway near Main Street, a lot at the town's edge or a farm field in Wicomico County is fine.