Columbia Heights: selling a junk or dead car

After the 96 hours

The same section spells out what comes next. If nothing changes "within 96 hours from the notice of the violation, the city may take the vehicle into custody, impound it." Once impounded, the car can be disposed of or sold under state law "45 days after notice to the owner."

Section 7.301(B) sets one step the police take before any tow: no vehicle is impounded "unless a tag is affixed to the windshield." A tag on the glass is your last clear warning.

The driveway and the lawn are off limits too

Zoning closes the obvious workarounds. Section 9.106 says required parking spaces and the driveways that reach them "shall not be used for" the storage of inoperable vehicles or snow. Section 5A.202 also bars parking cars on planted yard areas, and says all parking areas must be hard surfaced.

If the car broke down at a repair or body shop, that shop has its own limit. Section 5A.202 lets a car awaiting repairs at an approved shop "be inoperative up to seven days."

Streets at night and in spring snow

Section 7.205(M) keeps every car off public roads and parkways from 2 a.m. until 6 a.m. unless the Chief of Police has issued a permit for it. Permits stop at five per calendar month unless the chief finds you have no legal place to park at home. A Columbia Heights car with a dead engine has no way to clear the curb by 2.

Snow adds two more rules. The police list in Section 3.203 includes "No Parking March 16 to May 1 when 2 or more inches of snow on the street." And Section 7.301 lets police tow a car parked against the overnight ban once "at least two inches of snow" has built up on the roadway within 15 feet of it.

Minnesota title and plate rules for a Columbia Heights seller

Minnesota keeps plates with the vehicle. A Columbia Heights buyer drives off with them, plus whatever registration tax you prepaid, and statute 168.15 ends your own right to use them at the transfer.

At handover, you assign the title and enter the true price, the sale date, and the mileage and damage statements. Next comes the Notice of Sale. Tear it off the title and mail it in, or file it electronically, no later than ten days after the sale. Statute 168A.10 says a seller who does this "is not liable as owner" for damage done with the car after it leaves. DVS seller steps list no notary in Columbia Heights or anywhere else in the state. A loan still printed on the title means bringing the lender's release card, or a release signed in front of a notary.

A lost title is replaced with form PS2067A, at $21.50 by mail or $1 more at a deputy registrar. See selling with no title.

Where to file from Columbia Heights

Columbia Heights belongs to Anoka County, yet a transfer is not tied to one county: nearly 200 deputy registrar counters statewide accept them. The state's locator is drive.mn.gov, and its phone line is 651-297-2005. Two offices we checked:

• Hennepin County's service center: Suite A-025, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis (612-348-8240). From central Columbia Heights it is about 5 miles south, as the crow flies.
• Olmsted County's office in Rochester: 151 4th Street South East (507-923-2020). Roughly 81 miles southeast of Columbia Heights, as the crow flies.

Nearby towns

New Brighton is 2.4 miles off and Fridley 2.5. Brooklyn Center is 3.7 miles away. For statewide rules, see Minnesota. If the city has already towed the car, start with towed or impounded.

Getting an offer

Ring (877) 421-6008 or send the form with the car's model year, make, model and odometer reading, plus a word on whether the engine turns over and whose name is on the title. Our truck can collect it from a Columbia Heights garage, a driveway with a tag on the windshield, or a body shop lot.