Selling a junk or dead car in Wilmington

The junked-car test

Under Section 5-110, a junked motor vehicle is one that "does not display a current license plate when the motor vehicle is required by laws of this state to have such a license plate," and that also "is partially dismantled or wrecked," or "cannot be self-propelled," or "is more than five (5) years old and appears to be worth less than one hundred dollars." That dollar line is a legal test the city applies. It says nothing about what the car would sell for.

Keep a current plate on a car and it falls outside the junked label. Let the plate lapse on a car with a dead engine and it fits.

One junked car, out of sight

Section 5-113 is blunt: "It shall be unlawful to have more than one (1) junked motor vehicle" on public or private property. The one you may keep goes in the rear yard, whole, and "entirely concealed from public view from a public street and from abutting premises by an acceptable covering." Any others "must be kept in a garage or building structure that provides a complete enclosure."

Beyond that, an authorized city official can have a junked car hauled away after deciding in writing that "the aesthetic benefits of removing the vehicle outweigh the burdens imposed on the private property owner." Leaving it after the order is unlawful.

Notice, appeal and the 30-day hearing

Section 5-114 requires notice before a tow. A traceable owner gets a first class letter. An abandoned car, or one whose owner is unknown, gets a windshield notice. Either kind sets removal "no sooner than seven (7) days after the notice is affixed or mailed."

Wilmington owners may appeal rather than move the car. "The city manager shall fix a time for the hearing within thirty (30) days of the appeal," and removal is stayed until the appeal is decided.

On private land, Section 5-116.2 has the city wait for a written request from whoever owns, occupies or leases the property. Hazard vehicles and junked cars under a removal order are the exceptions.

Towing charges become a lien

Once a car is impounded, Section 5-116.1 makes "all towing and storage charges" a lien on it under G.S. 44A-2. No stored car is released until those charges are paid to the garage holding it or the lien is extinguished under G.S. 20-222. Removing a car from storage without paying, or posting bond, is unlawful. When the charges outrun the car, towed or impounded explains the choices.

Dead trucks, campers and big vehicles

Section 5-57 bars parking on city streets, outside loading or designated areas, any vehicle seven feet wide or more, 25 feet long or more, or two and one-half tons or more. Loading or unloading is limited to two hours without a police permit.

At home, Section 18-533 lets an RV park anywhere on the lot for up to 24 hours. Beyond that, it must sit behind the front of the house unless it is in a garage, carport or accessory building. A dead box truck or camper can run into either rule. Junk truck or SUV covers selling the big ones.

Water damage and salvage brands

North Carolina brands a car a salvage motor vehicle once the parts and labor to make it safe for the road top 75% of what it would fetch at fair retail. It makes no difference if an insurance company wrote it off as a total loss. A Wilmington title can be branded "Flood Vehicle," "Salvage Rebuilt Vehicle" or "Salvage Motor Vehicle." Keeping a car after the insurance company totals it means an owner-retained salvage form will arrive by mail. See flood damage and salvage title.

Title office and plates

One office we checked is at 2390 Carolina Beach Rd., Suite 108. As the crow flies, it sits about 3 miles west of central Wilmington. Titles in North Carolina are handled by the state, at license plate agencies or by mail.

Wilmington sellers put their signature on the title's back with a notary present. Afterward the plate comes off and stays yours. Return it before the insurance lapses unless it is moving to another vehicle; NCDMV may refund part of the plate fee for the months left. Should the sold car linger on your record, a notarized Form MVR-46F asks NCDMV to drop it.

New Hanover is one of the 19 emissions counties, on top of the annual safety inspection, so a car that fails is hard to keep registered.

Nearby

Leland is 9.0 miles away. Jacksonville is 45.6 miles and New Bern 76.6. North Carolina collects the state rules.

Getting an offer

Use the site or call (877) 421-6008. Our form starts a Wilmington offer, and the truck can load from a driveway, back yard or repair bay.