Selling a junk car in Coventry

The storage license and its exceptions

The ban reaches "a dismantled, unserviceable, junked or abandoned vehicle or a vehicle legally or physically incapable of being operated." Inside a garage, the car is not "in the open"; at the edge of the lawn, it is.

The definitions list two carve-outs:

• "Unregistered seasonal farm vehicles operated by the owner of the vehicle on his own property."
• "Vehicles which are purchased for purposes of restoration and which comply with the definition of antique vehicles as set out in R.I.G.L. § 31-1-3."

A stalled project that never met the antique definition gets no shelter. Old project car talks through selling one.

Also: "Any unregistered vehicle on premises not owned or occupied by the owner of the vehicle may be deemed to be abandoned for the purposes of this chapter."

Seven days after the order

A car in violation must be removed "within seven days after being ordered so to do in writing by the owner, lessee or occupant of the premises where such vehicle is found." Police serve the order when the car's owner also controls the property. On a town street the warning shrinks to "forty-eight-hour notice", and a hazard may be towed sooner. The code adds: "Only the scheduled duty towing services shall be called for all vehicle tows involving accidents, junked, abandoned or disabled vehicles."

Three inches of snow

Section 231-1 hands the Chief of Police and the Director of Public Works power to impose an emergency storm condition when there is "an accumulation or forecast of accumulation of three inches or more of snow." During one, "Any vehicle disabled, abandoned or parked on any street during the period of an emergency storm condition imposed pursuant to this section shall be towed away at the owner's expense," and the fine is "$25 for each offense." A dead car on the shoulder fits that sentence exactly.

Title office, inspection and plates

Coventry is in Kent County. Coventry drivers can use the Cranston DMV at 600 New London Avenue, (401) 462-4368. It sits about 11 miles east of town by straight-line distance.

Statewide, vehicles of 8,500 lb or under get emissions and safety inspections on a two-year cycle, and a used car arriving from out of state has 5 DMV business days after registration to be inspected. On a 2001-or-newer car, the seller assigns the title to the buyer on its back, odometer figure included.

When an insurer has totaled a car, it obtains a salvage certificate of title within 10 days and assigns one of two classes: A, extensive damage and parts only, or B, considerable damage but repairable. See salvage title.

The plates are yours to hold onto. Cancel online and save the confirming email.

Getting an offer

Contact us at (877) 421-6008 or by form with the model, mileage, whether it will start, and title status. The truck comes to rural back lots off Flat River Road as readily as to West Warwick, Cranston or Warwick. For state rules, visit Rhode Island.