Selling a junk or dead car in Plum

Which kind of dead car do you have?

Pennsylvania law sorts end-of-life cars into two groups, and the group decides the paperwork.

Salvage. A "salvage vehicle" is inoperable or unable to meet equipment and inspection standards "to the extent that the cost of repairs would exceed the value of the repaired vehicle." There is no percentage test, unlike some states. Whoever owns or hands over a car that meets that test "must apply for a certificate of salvage."

Nonrepairable. A "nonrepairable vehicle" cannot be driven safely and is worth something only for parts or metal. Once it has that label, it will not be rebuilt or titled again. Nonrepairable or junk title explains what that brand does to a sale.

Flood cars carry their own brand. When fixing one would cost more than replacing it, its certificate of salvage carries a flood brand. A flood car that is rebuilt later gets a title branded reconstructed and flood vehicle.

Who can take the title without a notary

Ordinary Pennsylvania sales are signed before a notary or a PennDOT agent. Two kinds of buyer get a pass: salvage dealers and scrap metal processors take your signed title with no notary. A processor forwards it to PennDOT marked nonrepairable. A dealer forwards it either the same way or along with its own salvage-certificate application. Who buys cars for parts compares the buyers.

No title at all

There are two paths. Form MV-38O gets you a duplicate for $72.00. Or, for a salvage car on your land whose title is "faulty, lost or destroyed," the law allows handing it to a salvor, or to a municipal salvage program, to be stored or scrapped, provided the salvor sticks to the statute's steps. Selling with no title goes further.

Other state rules that touch a Plum seller

• Signing. For any other buyer, the seller's signature, printed name and mileage go down at a PennDOT agent. No county runs a title office.
• Co-owners. Each listed owner signs.
• Plates. The seller keeps them, then turns them in to PennDOT or pays $11.00 to reuse them.
• Emissions. Plum, as part of Allegheny County, is in the Pittsburgh testing region, so the yearly safety check comes with an emissions test.
• On a road. A dead car left alone on a public street past two days is presumed abandoned.

Getting an offer

Use the form or call (877) 421-6008. Have a car sitting in Plum? For a Plum car, use the offer form. We pick up on gravel drives, behind barns, or at shops. As the crow flies, Penn Hills lies 4.6 miles off, Monroeville 5.3 and Murrysville 6.2; the Pennsylvania page gathers the statewide rules.