Selling a dead or junk car in Jersey City

If the car isn't worth those charges, sell it first. We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US, including a curb near the river or a spot in a city garage.

When the city can tow

Section 332-73 lets the Department of Public Safety "tow away and impound or boot any vehicle" when:

• the vehicle has been abandoned, as defined in the section before it
• it is parked in violation of the city's traffic chapter or Title 39 of the state statutes
• there are outstanding parking warrants against the owner tied to that car

The same section adds a warning. The city is not liable "for the disposal of any impounded vehicle," or for loss or damage while it is stored. Under Section 332-76, a car towed for illegal parking is returned only after the fees in Chapter 160 are paid. Our towed or impounded guide covers what to weigh next.

A dead car in a garage or a lot

Section 236-18 puts the garage on the clock too. Every parking licensee must report in writing any vehicle "left in a parking lot or garage for a period of more than forty-eight (48) consecutive hours." The only exception is when the operator personally knows the owner's name and address. Two days is not long for a car with a dead engine.

Snow on the street

Under Section 332-34, once snow covers the street, no vehicle may park on either side of the listed snow emergency streets. The ban lasts until plows have cleared them enough for normal traffic. A car with a dead engine stays right where it is while the plows wait.

Repair shops and junked cars

The zoning code's definition of an auto repair garage, in Section 345-6, describes a business where "no junked or unregistered vehicles are kept or stored." That is a zoning definition only; it sets no deadline or tow rule of its own.

Title and plates

Hudson County has a Vehicle Center at 438 Summit Ave, roughly a mile north of downtown in a straight line. That is the office we looked up, and there may be more in the county. Replacing a lost title costs $60, by appointment at a Vehicle Center, using form OS/SS-UTA.

The title's back page has a seller's area, and your signature goes there. A Jersey City seller adds a bill of sale with the mileage, price, date and the buyer's name and address. The buyer brings both papers to a motor vehicle agency. You remove the plates and keep them. In Jersey City the plates get turned in at an agency or go onto another car you own.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or use the form. Fill out the form for your Jersey City car to get an offer. Mention any tickets or a boot. Hoboken is 3.0 miles away and Bayonne 4.1. See New Jersey for state rules.