How to sell a junk car in Linden

Linden's local rules

We searched for Linden's city code and did not find it. The city could still limit how long a dead car may sit in a yard or on the street. Check with Linden before you keep one parked outdoors. What follows is New Jersey law, which applies in Linden either way.

What state law does with an abandoned car

In New Jersey, what happens to an abandoned car depends on its location:

• On a public street or other public property. Linden may junk such a car or sell it at a public auction, per N.J.S.A. 39:10A-1 and the next sections. A Linden car gets a junk title only if it can't run, or if making it safe would cost more than it's worth.
• On private property. Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-56.6, the car must be put up for public sale. Should nobody buy it, the landowner can seek a title in their own name.

The repair-shop trap

Some dead cars end up sitting at a repair shop after a big estimate. State law gives shops a clock. If a car sat at a Linden garage "more than 60 days without consent," the garage can declare it abandoned, and the same holds 60 days after the owner learned the work was done. At that point a Linden shop may keep it in storage, sell it, or seek a junk title under N.J.S.A. 39:10A-9 and following. When the fix is worth more than the car, selling it unrepaired before day 60 leaves the choice with you.

Title and plates, with Rahway 3 miles away

Because the state insists on an in-person agency visit for every transfer, that nearby Rahway office matters. Here is the order for a Linden sale:

1. On the title's reverse, sign on the line meant for the seller.
2. Give the buyer the title along with a bill of sale. On it go the buyer's name and street address, the sale date, the miles and the price.
3. Unscrew your plates. In Linden the seller holds on to them. A Linden seller can move them to another car they own or return them to an MVC agency.

After that the buyer signs on their side and takes the title to an agency, with Form BA-49 when it applies. If they let 10 working days pass first, a $25 penalty applies.

Can't find the title? A $60 duplicate needs form OS/SS-UTA and a booked visit to a Vehicle Center. Linden owners need only one: an insurance card, a registration even if it has expired, or a certified copy of their own registration record. Applying while you knowingly still have the original can draw a fine. More in junk car with no title.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or fill out the form about the car. Fill in our form for an offer on your Linden car. A pickup truck can come to your Linden curb, a shop's back lot, or a driveway in Roselle or Elizabeth. Statewide rules live on the New Jersey page.