Got a dead or junk car in Columbus to sell?

The seven-day rule on private land

That section also forbids letting "rusted, wrecked, junked, partially dismantled, inoperative or abandoned vehicles" remain on private property in the city "for a period in excess of seven days." You can legally keep one in two ways. It can be "completely enclosed within a building," or it can be on the lot "for the purpose of repair." A carport or a tarp is not a building.

Collector cars get no automatic pass. An antique or special interest car kept like an abandoned one falls under the same section unless its owner meets the conditions the code sets for collectors.

When the city acts, it writes to two people: the landowner or whoever lawfully holds the property, and the last registered owner at the address on file with the state's Department of Motor Vehicles. If the car stays put, "the city or its authorized agent, will remove the vehicle(s) and assess the cost of removal, including a reasonable administrative fee."

Streets, city lots and the pound

Public parking has shorter clocks. Under Section 72.005, a car on public parking where parking is allowed becomes abandoned "if left unattended for more than 48 hours after the parking of such vehicle has become illegal." In lots the city owns or runs, Section 72.035 sets a limit of 24 consecutive hours, or whatever the lot's sign says.

A car parked against the code on a street or alley can be towed to the automobile pound under Section 70.101. It comes out only after the owner, driver or operator pays a fee set by council resolution, plus storage. Believe the car was towed by mistake? Sign an affidavit and pay "under protest," and the Chief of Police will file a complaint so your side gets a hearing.

Winter adds one more risk. Section 72.062 lets the Mayor and Public Works Director post any street as a snow emergency route, so if a car quits on one, get it off quickly.

Platte County title office

The office we checked is the Platte County Treasurer, 2610 14th Street, phone (402) 563-4913. In a straight line, it sits under a mile south of central Columbus. Nebraska runs titles and plates through County Treasurers, not a state counter.

When you sell, any lien must be cleared before anything else, and each person listed on the title signs as seller. You fill in the odometer statement and hand over a bill of sale or Form 6. The DMV's seller steps list no notary. Do not hand over a title with the buyer's part blank: Nebraska calls that an "open title," and officials can confiscate it.

Then take the plates, registration and decals to the treasurer within 60 days to claim the unused registration back. Lost the title? Any County Treasurer can issue a duplicate for $14.00. After you sell walks through the rest.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or ask online. Selling a dead car in Columbus? Our offer form takes a minute. Our driver picks it up from wherever it's parked, be it a backyard, a side street off 13th Street or a repair shop lot. Columbus is 41.0 miles from Norfolk and 45.1 miles from Fremont; for statewide rules see Nebraska.