Selling a junk or wrecked car in Allen Park

Residential parking and storage

Section 52-1045 sets the base rule for single-family districts: "There shall be no outdoor storage or parking of any regulated vehicle on any residential street or within any residentially zoned district, except as provided in this section." What follows is a permit system:

• The building department can issue temporary permits for up to 20 days a calendar year per residence, so a boat, RV, trailer or truck cap can sit at the house while repair or seasonal work is done.
• A vehicle under that permit may not be parked on the street for more than three days in a row.
• A commercial vehicle may not stay on a residential street or in a residential district longer than two hours in any 24, unless it is on a service call there.

Nothing in the sections we checked covers a junk car on your own driveway, though the city could still have a rule. Michigan law, which covers Allen Park too, calls a car abandoned once it sits on public property 48 hours or longer.

Getting a car out of the pound

The police department shares the City Hall building in the photo above. Section 46-7 says that before a car leaves police custody, the owner or person in charge must "furnish evidence of his identity and ownership," sign a receipt, and pay the fees the city council sets. "The cost of removal of such vehicle, including towing, shall be paid in addition thereto."

Wrecked: salvage or scrap?

Michigan sorts a damaged late model car by the repair bill against its pre-damage cash value. A late model is under 8,000 pounds and made within the last six model years (within 16 for heavier vehicles).

With a salvage title, a car can be fixed up and driven again. With a scrap title it never can; it only goes to parts or metal. Each of these titles is gray and yellow, and any car hurt by flooding has to be branded Flood. An Allen Park owner doesn't need an insurer to start it. They can request a salvage or scrap title on their own, at any age and any level of damage. See salvage title for selling one.

Title and plate

Wayne County doesn't issue titles; the Michigan Department of State does, at Secretary of State branch offices. Give the buyer the original title, complete the odometer statement and seller's part, and sign it, as must each other owner listed. No notary appears in those Allen Park seller steps. Take the plate off. It's still yours to use on another car, and leaving it could link you to tickets the buyer racks up. Since Michigan has no release-of-liability form, an Allen Park seller should keep a copy of the signed title at least 18 months.

Getting an offer

Allen Park sellers can call (877) 421-6008 or use the form, and mention the insurer's answer on any claim. Our trucks pick up at Allen Park homes and body shops, or a tow yard over in Lincoln Park, 1.9 miles away. Dearborn and Taylor are close, and Michigan covers the state rules.