Selling a junk car in Port Huron

Two clocks for a parked car

Section 52-671 sets the limits for yards and open areas:

• 48 hours for a car that does not run. "Any vehicle that is inoperable or showing evidence of a need for repairs, whether licensed or not, shall not be parked outside for a period of more than 48 hours."
• 15 days for a car without current registration. After that it cannot be parked outside a building, and the section adds that it must be in the name of the property owner.

The definitions in 22-33 say the same thing another way: a junk vehicle is any car unregistered "for a period in excess of 15 days," plus "any motor vehicle which is inoperative for any reason," licensed or not.

Tag, notice or fix-it ticket

The code gives the city two routes. Under 22-33, junk vehicles "will be tagged for removal within 48 hours or may be issued a fix-it ticket for certain lengths of time not to exceed 30 days." Under 52-671, the Chief Inspector can give the property owner, or the owner of the stored items, written notice to remove them within 48 hours.

A car in running order that you are simply not driving can stay. If it is licensed and operable, 22-34 lets it sit in the driveway or another approved off-street spot.

The street is no storage lot

Section 46-97 bars parking on a street or highway for storage "for more than 48 continuous hours." A car past that mark "shall be deemed an abandoned vehicle and impounded," and the person who left it there is in violation.

Getting a title you can sign

Michigan titles come from the state, through Secretary of State branches. You need the original title in your name to sign it over.

Plenty of Port Huron cars were bought years back with no title. A Port Huron buyer stuck like that can file a TR-205 self-certification, get a court order granting ownership, or post a surety bond worth twice fair market value. The TR-205 only fits a car bought in Michigan, at least 10 calendar years old, with a value no higher than $2,500, when the previous owner cannot be reached. It does not work for a car titled in another state. Our selling with no title guide walks through it.

When the Port Huron title is in your name, sign the seller's section and the odometer statement, and have any listed co-owner sign too. The SOS seller steps don't include a notary. Unscrew the plate too, because one left on can saddle you with the buyer's violations, and save a photocopy of the endorsed title, both sides, for a year and a half or longer.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or use the form. Fill in our short form about your Port Huron car and we will reply. Port Huron is a long way from the other towns we cover, with Sterling Heights 41.6 miles off and St. Clair Shores 41.7. Our truck meets your Port Huron car where it is, behind a garage or in a driveway. For state law, open the Michigan page.