Selling a junk or dead car in Kentwood

What Kentwood counts

The definitions in Section 34-71 are broad:

• an inoperable motor vehicle is one "not capable of being started or lawfully operated on the highway"
• a car "not currently registered by the state" counts as legally incapable of being operated
• a junked motor vehicle is one so damaged or dismantled "as to be a total loss," and total loss means "the cost to repair a damaged or dismantled motor vehicle exceeds the fair market value for such vehicle"
• "Junked, inoperable or abandoned vehicles includes major parts"

So a car that runs fine but lacks current registration still fits.

Notices and the clock

If nobody knows who owns the car, the order can be attached to the car itself. On public property the mayor gives "a 48-hour notice," and a car that is a hazard or blocks traffic or a driveway can be removed with no notice at all.

One line catches anyone who parks a dead car at a friend's house: "An unregistered vehicle on premises not owned or occupied by the owner or the person having possession of such vehicle is to be deemed to be abandoned."

Selling it from the driveway

Kentwood leaves room for a sale. Vehicles that cannot legally be driven because they have no plate "may be displayed for sale out in the open on a paved drive on private property." Under Section 66-69, cars in a residential front yard setback may only sit "within a garage or upon an improved driveway," so a car parked on the lawn breaks that rule whatever its condition.

Michigan title, and a missing one

Kentwood titles are state paperwork, handled at Michigan Secretary of State branches. On the original certificate, the seller completes the odometer entry and the seller's block, then signs; nothing on the SOS checklist calls for a notary. Unscrew your plate before the car rolls away.

Losing the title causes more trouble in Michigan than buyers expect. If the seller never handed over a title, the buyer can still get one three ways: a court order naming them owner, a surety bond for two times the car's fair market value, or form TR-205. That form is for buyers who cannot reach the prior owner, and its limits are tight: bought in Michigan, ten or more calendar years old, valued at no more than $2,500, and never titled out of state. If you still own the car, a duplicate is usually the cleaner path; see selling with no title.

Kentwood sellers should then keep both sides of the signed title on file for 18 months.

Around Kentwood

Wyoming is 5.8 miles away in a straight line, Grand Rapids 6.2 and Walker 11.3. The Michigan page covers the state rules.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or send the form. Our short form covers what we need to know about your Kentwood car. Kentwood pickups can start from a paved drive, a garage bay or a mechanic's lot.