Selling a dead or junk car in Thomasville

When the city treats a car as junked

Section 78-272 begins with a car that "cannot be self-propelled or moved in the manner in which it originally was intended to move," plus at least one more condition from the code. The quick test is a presumption: a car "that has not been moved for 30 days, and which cannot be cranked and moved is a junked motor vehicle." So a car that will not turn over and has sat for a month already fits.

The housing code adds a second rule. Section 14-142 bans "the open storage of any abandoned motor vehicle" at a home, and defines one as "in a state of disrepair and incapable of being moved under its own power." The owner or occupant has to remove it once the building inspector gives notice.

The yard rule, in order

• Day 1 to 60: a single junked car can stay behind the house when an acceptable covering keeps it "entirely concealed from public view" from the road and neighboring lots.
• After day 60: any junked car on the lot must be inside a fully enclosed building.
• A removal order: the code enforcement officer may order a car removed after "finding in writing that the aesthetic benefits of removing the vehicle outweigh the burdens" on the owner. Once that order exists, leaving the car there is unlawful.

Notice, towing and getting it back

Section 78-276 says a car is towed "only after notice." When the city can find the owner's name and mailing address, the notice goes by first-class mail. If not, it is stuck to the windshield. Either way the removal date is "no sooner than seven days after the notice is affixed or mailed," and moving the car first ends it. You can also appeal.

Section 78-282 says the city tows nothing from private property without a written ask from the owner, occupant or lessee, except a nuisance car or a junked car already ordered removed.

If the car is gone, Section 78-280 gets it back once the tow company is paid for towing and storage, or holds a bond set at twice that sum. A public off-street lot has its own limit: Section 78-225 caps parking at 12 hours.

Two counties, both on the emissions list

Thomasville sits in Davidson and Randolph counties, and North Carolina lists both among its 19 emissions counties. No tag renewal goes through without a passed safety check from the last 90 days. A car aged 20 or more is exempt from the emissions part. A lapsed tag costs $15 extra in the first month, $20 in the second, and $25 from month three on.

Title offices and the paperwork

North Carolina titles are state-issued, so they go through a plate agency or get mailed straight to NCDMV; no county office is involved. We checked three offices for this area; there may be others:

• 5533 W. Market St., Greensboro: about 17 miles northeast of town, as the crow flies
• 145 Bethania St., Rural Hall: about 28 miles northwest
• Concord, at 929 Concord Parkway S., Suite D: roughly 45 miles to the southwest

A notary watches you sign on the title's reverse side. Add the buyer's name plus address, the day of sale, your printed name, the mileage where required, and any known damage. Co-owners each sign before a notary. To replace a lost title, file Form MVR-4 with a notary stamp. It costs $25.50 and takes 15 days. More at junk car with no title.

The plates are yours. Unscrew them, and either move them to your next car or turn them in, in person or by mail, before you drop the insurance. Returning a plate may get part of the yearly fee back, prorated. After you sell covers the rest.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or use the short form. Share the make and model and its miles, tell us if it will start, and say who the title belongs to. A Thomasville pickup can happen in a back yard, at a repair shop or at your work. High Point and Lexington are close by, and the North Carolina page has the statewide rules.