Selling a dead or abandoned car in Paramus

What section 339-1 covers

The chapter reaches past the hazard list. Its definition of refuse includes "junk, debris, scrap lumber, scrap metal, inoperable machinery or parts and fragments thereof." Its definition of solid waste names "abandoned automobiles" outright.

Then there is the parking rule. "No person shall park, stop or stand any motor vehicle" in the front yard of a home "except on driveways and parking areas constructed and installed in compliance with applicable Borough ordinances." A dead car pushed onto the lawn to free up the driveway breaks that rule even if it never leaves your land.

The 10-day window

A section 339-1 notice must say that unless "a written request is made for a hearing before the Hearing Officer" within 10 days of service, it turns into "an order to cease and desist from and to abate the described violation."

Service is broad. The notice can be handed to the owner, the occupant or an agent of either. It can be sent "by certified or registered mail" to the last known address. It can also be "posted in a conspicuous place" on the property. Count the 10 days from when it was served, not from when you happened to see it.

A dead car can make a house look empty

Paramus also has a vacant property chapter. Section 340-2 lists conditions that may be present, and one of them is "abandoned vehicles, auto parts and/or materials." It sits next to overgrown plants, piled-up newspapers and shut-off utilities. A car rotting in the driveway of a house you are settling or selling sends that signal.

Parking on borough streets

Moving a dead car to the curb doesn't solve it either. Section 419-1 caps parking time on the streets listed in Schedule XIX (section 419-61) and bars parking during the hours in Schedule XVII (section 419-59). A dead battery doesn't stop the meter or the posted clock. Junk car removal covers getting it off the street.

The Oakland office and the title

For Bergen County we checked the Oakland MVC office, Suite 24 of 350 Ramapo Valley Rd. Roughly 10 miles separate it from the middle of Paramus, northwest as the crow flies, and the county may have others. A New Jersey title changes hands only at a motor vehicle agency.

Paramus sellers sign the title on its reverse, in the space for the seller. A Paramus bill of sale should show what was paid, the odometer reading, the day, plus the buyer's name and home address. You hold on to the plates. In Paramus, sellers move the plates to a different car of theirs or hand them in at an MVC agency. If the transfer takes longer than 10 working days, a $25 penalty applies.

Missing title? Replace it first for $60. Book a Vehicle Center visit and file form OS/SS-UTA. See selling with no title.

Nearby towns

Fair Lawn is 2.6 miles away and Ridgewood 3.3. Elmwood Park is 3.9 and Bergenfield 4.1. Statewide rules are on the New Jersey page.

Getting an offer

Reach us at (877) 421-6008 or online. Tell us the kind of car, its miles, if it cranks, and which name appears on the Paramus title. We can collect it at the curb, in a garage or off a driveway.