Selling a junk car in Prior Lake

What happens after the hearing

If the council finds junk vehicles on private property, it "shall direct its removal in accordance with sections 5-139 and 5-140." The code also says the public works department "may authorize private contractors to handle junk and junk vehicle removal." Selling first means you choose who takes the car and when, not a contractor working for the city.

The driveway is not a storage spot

Prior Lake's zoning code closes off the obvious place to park a dead car. Section 10-760 says required off-street parking and "the driveways providing access to them shall not be utilized for storage, display, sales, rental, or repair of motor vehicles or any other goods, the storage of inoperable vehicles." Even auto body shops in town fall under section 10-220: "No inoperable vehicles shall be stored outside the primary structure or designated screened storage areas."

Winter on Prior Lake streets

From November to March, pushing it to the street won't fix the problem. Section 6-25 sets three rules:

• Every winter night. No parking on any public street "between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. from November 1 until March 31 of the following year."
• Two inches. After snow builds up to "two inches or more in depth on any public street," no parking until the street "is plowed to the full width."
• Snow emergency. Once the city manager declares one, the same full-width plowing rule applies.

Title offices we checked from Prior Lake

Scott County holds neither office we checked. Hennepin's Minneapolis counter sits roughly 19 miles northeast of central Prior Lake in a straight line. Its address is Suite A-025, 300 South 6th Street, and the phone is 612-348-8240. Olmsted's Rochester office, 151 4th Street SE, 507-923-2020, is roughly 69 miles southeast. A deputy registrar works for Prior Lake sellers too. Per Driver and Vehicle Services, Minnesota has about 200 of them. Prior Lake sellers can find offices through drive.mn.gov or the 651-297-2005 phone line.

What the seller writes on a Minnesota title

DVS asks the seller to fill in these fields:

1. Your sale price, entered in the sales tax declaration spot on the back of the title.
2. The date of sale.
3. Disclosures. A damage disclosure is required on every vehicle, junk cars included. An odometer statement is needed for 20 years on models from 2011 on.

DVS wants the ownership change completed on the title inside ten days of the sale. Its seller steps never call for your notary, except when a lender still shows on the title. If a loan is still recorded on a Prior Lake car, the seller must include a notarized release form or the lender's release card. Keep the plates on the car, since Minnesota sends them with it. Then, inside ten days, mail the tear-off Notice of Sale or file it online. Section 168A.10 shields you from owner liability for later damage once the car is handed over and you have complied, or you comply within 48 hours of handing it over.

Around the lake

Shakopee is 3.6 miles away, Savage 4.4, Burnsville 8.4 and Eden Prairie 8.6. See Minnesota for statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Send the year, make, model and mileage through the form, or call (877) 421-6008. Send the form for a Prior Lake car. In Prior Lake we can haul it from your garage, side yard or a lot.