Selling a junk or dead car in Phoenixville

How the borough's 30-day clock runs

Section 15-1304 treats the two sides of the curb differently. A junked car on public property is processed and "taken into the possession of a salvor in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Code." On private property, the borough sends notice to whoever owns the land, whoever owns the car, or both, and orders the car removed "within 30 days."

Section 15-1305 says how that notice arrives: "by personal service or by certified mail to the last known address of the violator." If neither address can be found after a diligent search, a copy posted on the land or on the car itself is enough. A paper taped to the windshield is a real notice.

When the 30 days run out

Section 15-1306 lets the borough act on its own "after 30 days following notice." Its agents are told to "secure, impound and immediately tow away" the car. They then notify the owner of record "within 12 hours of the impounding," naming the spot it was taken from, the reason, and the pound that holds it.

The pound keeps the car "for not less than 15 days, nor more than 60 days" after that notice. After that, it is disposed of under the Motor Vehicle Code "or in any other reasonable manner." Put simply, a notice gives you about a month to choose before the borough chooses for you.

Signing the title in Pennsylvania

No Pennsylvania county runs its own title office, and Chester County is no exception. Titles come from the state. In Phoenixville the transfer gets signed with a PennDOT agent present, such as a dealer, a tag service or a notary. The Phoenixville agent watches you sign the back of the title, hand-print your name and write the mileage. Your buyer signs as well. A title with two owners needs both signatures. Under the statute, the assignment must be "sworn to before a notary public or other officer empowered to administer oaths."

For a junk car there is a shortcut. Selling in Phoenixville to a salvage dealer or scrap processor? You can skip the notary. Can't find the title? PennDOT charges $72.00 for a replacement, applied for on Form MV-38O, and selling with no title has other routes.

Keep the plate; it never goes with the car here. You can send it to PennDOT by mail or pay $11.00 to move it onto your next vehicle. After you sell lists what is left.

Inspection in Chester County

Chester County sits in PennDOT's Philadelphia emissions region, so a car kept on the road here needs an emissions test on top of the annual safety inspection. A car that can no longer pass either is still a car you can sell as it is; see failed inspection or rust.

Getting an offer

Ask online or dial (877) 421-6008. Fill in the form for your Phoenixville car. Our truck comes to it, be it a borough driveway, a rented spot, or a garage that stopped trying to fix it. Phoenixville is 9.7 miles from Norristown and 10.3 from Pottstown as the crow flies, and the Pennsylvania page has the statewide rules.