Selling a dead or wrecked car in Brookline

What bylaw 7.11.1 says

The section, titled Vehicles, Abandoned and Improper Storage, has two parts. Both begin by setting aside vehicles "for which other provisions are made under the laws of the commonwealth."

1. Abandonment. No one may abandon a vehicle anywhere in town. Nor may anyone leave one "for such time and under such circumstance as to cause it to reasonably appear that such vehicle has been abandoned." A car does not have to be junk to fall under this part, only to look left behind.
2. Wrecks and non-runners. No one may leave a wrecked, junked, nonoperative or partly taken-apart car on a street or public grounds. On private property, it is barred unless the owner or lessee agrees.

For a renter, the lessee is you, but the owner may be a landlord or condo board with its own say over the lot. Get it in writing before counting on it.

State law on top of the bylaw

Two state laws matter in Brookline too.

• 72 hours. Under c. 90 s. 22C, if a car has stayed "more than 72 hours" on a way, or on land with no permission, and it costs more to remove and dispose of than it is worth, a town street officer may take it.
• Private towing. Under c. 266 s. 120D, towing a car off private property is allowed only when police are told and the driver had direct or posted notice not to park. See car abandoned on your property.

If a repair shop is holding your car, c. 255 s. 39A lets it sell an unclaimed car. First it must notify you by registered mail and wait 60 days. Then it gives notice, waits 21 more days, and publishes notice for three weeks.

Title and plates

Brookline sellers can skip the notary, which the RMV's seller steps leave out. Enter the mileage, then each party signs, prints and dates the transfer area. No spot for the price on your Brookline title? Add a bill of sale that shows it. A licensed insurance agent takes the buyer's application and stamps it.

Hold on to the plates. Ending the registration through MyMassGov produces a receipt; keep it, and send a copy to your insurer. The plates then get destroyed or recycled at your end, with halving them the usual method. From then on, Brookline stops the excise bill, and the car may not use "any public way." Under chapter 90D, Section 15(e), a seller who has signed the title and passed over the keys is not liable for what happens later. See after you sell.

After a crash, a Massachusetts salvage title is permanent. A PART brand means the car can never be registered again. See wrecked or totaled.

Getting an offer

Brookline owners can call (877) 421-6008 or use the form and sell the whole car as it sits. The truck meets it in a garage off Cottage Farm Road or a rented space behind an apartment building. Newton is 3.4 miles off and Cambridge 3.8; the Massachusetts page has the state rules.