Selling a dead or broken-down car in Andover

What Section 6 covers

The rule sits inside Section 6 of Andover's zoning bylaw, Special Regulations, next to provisions on cell towers and loading hours. Its key definition: "A vehicle not in condition for travel shall be a vehicle that is in such disrepair that it is inoperable and/or is undergoing major repairs." A car on blocks waiting for an engine that never arrives fits both halves of that sentence.

There is one narrow exception. "One unregistered but operable vehicle may be stored in public view on a lot" if the owner can show it "was registered and passed inspection within the twelve-month period" counted from the date the written notice was issued. Read the words closely: operable. A dead car does not qualify, however recently it was registered.

The section also mentions a cover: "The vehicle is covered with a standard vehicle cover of a type manufactured and sold for that purpose." A tarp tied over the hood is not the same thing. Ask Andover's Building Department how that clause applies to your lot before you count on it.

When the Andover notice arrives

Forty-eight hours is not much time to find a garage, register a car that will not pass inspection, or book a tow. Your options shrink to three: get it out of sight, get it off the property, or sell it. Our guide to a notice to remove a car covers what to do first.

The paperwork behind an Andover sale

State law sums up the seller's job in one sentence. Under c. 90D s. 15, at delivery the owner must sign an assignment on the title "including the actual odometer reading and a warranty of title", then send or hand the certificate to the buyer. Nowhere in the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) private-sale steps does a notary appear.

Look at the title for a price line. If there is one, the price goes there. If not, your buyer must hand in a bill of sale showing it. The rest is the buyer's job. A licensed insurance agent stamps the application, the buyer pays the $75 title fee and 6.25% sales tax, and the state expects the title done within 10 days of the purchase. A running car also needs an inspection within 7 days of registering, again a buyer's duty.

Plates leave Andover with you

Unscrew the plates. Massachusetts plates follow the owner, not the car. Andover sellers end the registration on the website and keep the receipt it gives them. A registration that was only revoked keeps owing excise until it is cancelled. Then the plates get recycled or cut in two. A replacement car on the way can take them within 7 calendar days.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or write to us online. Got a title problem in Andover? You can still start on our short offer form. Free pickup anywhere in the US includes a side street off Main Street, a lot in Lawrence, or a shop in North Andover. For statewide rules, see Massachusetts.