Selling a dead or junk car in Moorhead

The 96-hour rule and what it covers

The same section names the kinds of car it means: "Any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, junked, abandoned or noncurrently licensed vehicle." Expired tabs alone are enough. The exceptions are narrow. A car "enclosed in a building" is fine, and so is one kept by a business where it is central to the work or held at a lawful storage site. Section 9-8-3 also wants ordinary cars parked on a continuous asphalt or concrete surface, so a dead car on the grass breaks two rules at once.

Don't plan to strip it in the yard either. Section 3-3-2 makes it "a nuisance and an offense" to "dismantle, cut up, remove parts from or otherwise disassemble an automobile," or store the parts, anywhere but a completely enclosed building or a properly zoned business.

Moving it to the street won't help

Section 5-2-3 is blunt: "No partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked or junked vehicle may be parked on any street or highway within the city." Even a running car may not stay in one street spot longer than 24 hours under Section 5-2-2, and moving it means going "at least one city block."

Snow routes carry their own duty. If a car stalls on a primary snow emergency route covered in snow or ice, Section 5-2-6-4 has the driver "take immediate action to have the vehicle towed or pushed off the roadway." You may step away only to get help, with the warning lights on and the hood up. The city posts its route map online.

If the city impounds it

Under Section 5-1-10, police may tow a car that blocks traffic or a driveway, or gets in the way of snow removal. The city sets the towing, administrative and storage fees. If they go unpaid for 30 days after the impound, the city may sell the car, after mailing the registered owner a notice that it intends to dispose of it.

Title and plates from Moorhead

Moorhead is a long way from the two title offices we checked. Hennepin County's Minneapolis office, Suite A-025 in 300 South 6th Street (612-348-8240), lies about 212 straight-line miles southeast of central Moorhead. From Moorhead, the Rochester office (507-923-2020) at 151 4th Street South East is nearly 286 miles off. Moorhead sellers can also use one of Minnesota's nearly 200 deputy registrar offices for a transfer. For the nearest office to Moorhead, check drive.mn.gov or phone 651-297-2005.

Your plates belong to the car now: they pass to the buyer together with whatever registration tax you prepaid. Sign the assignment on the title, enter the price and date, and complete the damage disclosure, plus the mileage statement if the model year is 2011 or later. No notary shows up in the DVS seller steps. Next, a Moorhead seller has ten days to send in the "Notice of Sale", using the form on the title or the online version. Moorhead sellers jot down the sale date, then the buyer's name and address and the number on their driver's license.

Getting an offer

In Moorhead, reach us at (877) 421-6008 or fill in the offer form online to get started. Pickup can be from the driveway, a garage or a repair shop. Our nearest other pages are Willmar (145.1 miles) and St. Cloud (153.9 miles). See Minnesota for statewide rules.