Selling a junk car in Fort Lee

Fifteen days on private land, none on the street

Chapter 398 sets two presumptions:

• Private land. A car "left, placed, kept or stored on private lands for 15 days or more" is presumed to be there with the landowner's or tenant's permission, and presumed abandoned by its owner.
• Public land or a street. No waiting period. The owner is presumed to have abandoned it.

The only shelter is a roof. The chapter does not cover a car kept "in an enclosed garage, barn or other building."

Who sends notice, and what happens next

Section 398-5 lets any borough police officer or the Building Subcode Official act. On private land, they notify the owner or tenant in writing to remove the car. On public land or between the right-of-way lines of a street, the police take the car and move it to a storage place the Mayor and Council choose.

If a tow company already has it

Fort Lee's towing chapter keeps a towed car local and on a schedule:

• A towed car stays in the borough unless it "remains unclaimed at the premises of a wrecker for more than 20 days."
• After the first 24 hours, storage runs "$35 per day," and release hours are weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon.
• After seven days, the tow company must tell police before the 10th day, and police then tell the owner which company has the car.
• At 30 days unclaimed, Section 406-23 deems it abandoned.

Each day adds storage, so decide early. Towed or impounded explains the choices.

Snow and street sweeping

When snow covers the road, an emergency exists and no vehicle may park on the streets posted with "NO PARKING WHEN ROAD IS SNOW COVERED" signs. The Fort Lee Parking Authority also names street-sweeping streets on set days and times. A dead battery does not excuse a car from either rule.

Title, plates and the Oakland office

At 19 miles, the title trip is the longest part of a Fort Lee sale. The office we checked for Bergen County is the Vehicle Center in Oakland, inside Suite 24 at 350 Ramapo Valley Rd, northwest of Fort Lee as the crow flies. Bergen may have others, and New Jersey will not finish a transfer by mail.

On sale day, sign the seller's line on the title's back side. Along with the title, a Fort Lee buyer receives a bill of sale showing their full name, where they live, the day of sale, the miles and the price. Your Fort Lee plates stay with you; return them to an MVC agency or move them onto another vehicle you own. If the title is lost, a $60 duplicate needs a Vehicle Center appointment and form OS/SS-UTA.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or use the form. Share the model year and brand, how many miles, if the engine can run, and who has the title now. Our driver can pick it up in a building's garage, a side-street driveway, or a shop in Palisades Park or Cliffside Park. For statewide rules, see New Jersey.