Selling a junked or dead car in West Warwick

Keeping one on your property

Section 8-146 bars keeping "inoperative wrecked, junked, dismantled, being restored or rehulled motor vehicles" on "any premises within the town, except in connection with a legally operated enterprise." A project car counts.

Section 11-148 adds a second definition for the removal rules: a car with no "validly issued registration, valid inspection sticker and insurance in effect," including major parts such as engines and transmissions. It leaves out seasonal farm vehicles used on the owner's own land, and qualifying antique restorations. Watch one line if the car sits at a relative's house: "An unregistered vehicle on premises not owned or occupied by the owner of said vehicle shall be deemed to be abandoned."

The notice and the clock

Under section 11-143, the police or the building official can serve written notice on the property owner. "The owner of the vehicle shall remove the same within 48 hours after the notice has been received," and "Failure to remove the vehicle after the fifth day shall be a violation." When you own both the car and the house, the notice is mailed or delivered to the premises and a copy goes on the car.

On West Warwick streets police give "24-hour notice," and a car posing a present hazard can go with no notice. The town then tells the owner of the removal within 15 days.

Snow and street cleaning

Section 11-83 bans parking on every public street once it starts to snow after "publicized predictions of at least three inches," until 12 hours after the snowfall. Parking is also banned on any street while it is being cleaned. Towed cars come back only after you pay the towing and storage charges to whoever towed and stored them. Section 11-78 fines are $25, or $50 during a storm that needs plowing.

Two old cars or more

Section 10-29 defines an "automobile junkyard" as a place where "one or more unserviceable, discarded, worn-out or junked automobiles" are gathered together. Running one requires a town license and a screen, such as a fence at least eight feet high.

Inspection, title and plates

Every two years, Rhode Island puts cars at or under 8,500 pounds through an emissions and safety inspection, and the resulting sticker is what section 8-146 checks for. One DMV office we looked at is 600 New London Avenue in Cranston; the number is (401) 462-4368. It is about 6 miles northeast of central West Warwick in a straight line. For a lost title, the state FAQ sends people to the Cranston DMV location.

West Warwick sellers of 2001 and newer cars sign them over on the title's reverse side. West Warwick sellers often miss a step in section 31-4-2. Once a West Warwick car is sold, the seller fills in the buyer's name, home address and date of sale on the registration card's back. That card then goes to the DMV by mail right away. The plates are yours; the DMV ends the registration through its online cancellation.

Nearby

Warwick is 5.4 miles away, Cranston 6.5 and Coventry 7.4. More on the Rhode Island page.

Next step

Got a notice, or tired of the sticker reminders? West Warwick owners can call (877) 421-6008 or use the form. We load at homes, River Point mill lots, or repair shops.