Selling a junk or dead car in Chapel Hill

Thirty days after the letter

Section 11-26 makes it unlawful to keep "any exposed motor vehicle or part thereof in a junked or dilapidated condition for more than thirty (30) days after written notice by the town manager to remove same." If it is still there when the time runs out, "the town manager shall have the authority to remove and dispose of same."

Two words in that sentence carry most of its weight. "Part" means a pulled engine on a stand counts, not only a whole car. "Exposed" points at things left out in the open. An owner whose car is towed under this section can ask for a hearing.

The $500 housing rule

Section 9-114 is written for homes. It bars owners and occupants of residential property from "the open storage of any abandoned motor vehicle," listed right beside old iceboxes, stoves and building rubbish. The code's definition is plain: "one that is in a state of disrepair and incapable of being moved under its own power." The building official can order it removed, and breaking the rule can mean a $500 fine or up to thirty days in jail.

A car with a seized engine sitting beside a rental house is exactly what that definition describes.

Town lots and towed cars

Parking a dead car in a town-owned lot does not solve anything. Section 21-28.2 says "No vehicle shall remain for more than twenty-four (24) consecutive hours in an off-street parking facility owned or operated by the town" unless "authorized by rental agreement or other arrangement with the town," and a towed car comes back "only upon payment of towing and storage charges."

If the town impounds a car, Section 21-18.4 gives the owner seven days to ask for a hearing to test whether the town had probable cause to tow. Once the officer rules, the car has to be claimed by 5 p.m. on the first working day after, or storage from then on is the owner's to pay. Section 21-18.5 makes the towing and storage costs a lien on the car, and the town can sell one nobody claims.

Title office and North Carolina paperwork

We checked the license plate agency at 4215 University Drive, Suite 8, in Durham. In a straight line it sits about 5 miles northeast of central Chapel Hill. The state issues North Carolina titles through these agencies, so Orange and Durham counties have no title counter.

Flip the title over. Who bought it, when, the odometer figure when one is needed, and any damage you know of all go on that side, and your signature waits until a notary is in the room. A spouse or parent listed as co-owner signs before a notary too, with a copy of their ID attached. Title lost? A notarized MVR-4 replaces it for $25.50, though NCDMV holds every duplicate request for 15 days; selling with no title covers the rest.

The plates are yours to keep. Surrender them at an agency or by mail before you cancel the insurance, and part of the unused plate fee can come back to you. Part of Chapel Hill lies in Durham County, which is on the state's emissions list; Orange County is not. After you sell has the final steps.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or use the form for your Chapel Hill car. We load from a driveway, a private lot with the owner's okay, or a repair bay. Carrboro is 2.6 miles away and Durham is 8.7; for statewide rules, see North Carolina.