A disabled car in Avon Lake, and how to sell it

What counts as disabled

The code's test is legal, not mechanical. A car is disabled if it can't be driven on public streets under its own power while meeting legal requirements. The only shelter the section accepts is a completely enclosed building or garage. A driveway, a carport or a car cover is not on that list.

Penalties climb with each repeat, from a minor misdemeanor to fourth-degree and then third-degree.

How a complaint plays out

Avon Lake's Community Development Department enforces the Exterior Maintenance Code. Staff look into complaints, then try to reach the owner with a letter. The letter names the violation and sets a deadline for the repair. If it isn't repaired, the city says it can issue a criminal citation.

The city's own list of usual violations includes inoperable or unlicensed vehicles and cars parked on the front lawn. Boats, campers, RVs and trailers are different: the city says they may be kept on the driveway or anywhere in the rear yard. The Property Maintenance Specialist answers at 440-930-4111, and the city's website has a Report an Issue feature.

Street rules

• Overnight. No parking on any city street from 2 to 6 a.m. A ticket costs $10 if paid within 48 hours of issue and $20 within 72 hours.
• Two days. Leave a car at the curb for 48 hours or more without giving the police chief a reason, and it can be ordered into storage.
• Snow. A 2-inch snowfall within a 24-hour window brings an emergency snow parking ban on the posted streets. It can't begin until at least an hour after it is first announced, and it stays until the Safety Director reports plowing complete. Cars left there can be removed under the Traffic Code.

After a police tow, the owner's first stop is the Police Department, carrying ID and proof the car is theirs; fines are paid or bond posted there, as the court directs. Next comes the pound, which wants its towing and storage money before honoring the release form. Police non-emergency: 440-933-4567.

Where to handle the title

Lorain County Clerk of Courts title offices serve Avon Lake. One sits next door to the Palace Theatre at 621 Broadway Ave. in Lorain, about 9 miles west as the crow flies. The other is at 226 Middle Avenue in Elyria, about 10 miles southwest. Ohio does not tie you to your home county's office, and the Cuyahoga County branch in North Olmsted, 26642 Brookpark Rd. Extension, is nearer: about 7 miles southeast.

On the back of the title, fill in the assignment of ownership, then sign while the notary looks on. The plates stay with you, not the car; R.C. 4503.12 has the old owner take them off as soon as the car is sold.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or begin the offer online. It helps to know the car's age and model, its odometer reading, whether it moves under its own power, and whose name the title carries. Say where it's parked, too: garage, driveway or back yard. Lorain and Elyria are close by.