Selling a junk or dead car in Bluffton

Oyster Factory Park and the landings

Section 13-38 is written for the town's docks and landings, and it is blunt about time:

• "Vehicles, trailers, or boats stored more than 24 hours are subject to removal at owner's expense."
• "Under no circumstance shall any vehicle be parked at a public boat landing for more than 24 consecutive hours without express permission from the Town Manager."
• "Emergency vehicles shall have priority over all other vehicles at all Town docks, landings and piers."

If the tow that brings it home costs more than the truck is worth, that is a decision point.

Town parking lots

Section 26-96 covers any off-street lot the town owns, leases or keeps open to the public, paid or free. No one may leave a vehicle there "for a period of 24 or more consecutive hours without express permission from the Town Manager or designee." The registered owner is presumed to have parked it. Police, "after making a reasonable effort to notify the owner," may remove the car "at the owner of the vehicle or object's sole expense."

A dead car at home

Bluffton covers 52.129 square miles of land, more than Hilton Head Island next door, and much of it is neighborhoods with driveways. The town sections we found deal with lots and landings, not yards. No Bluffton junk-vehicle rule for private property showed up in what we read, so state law sets the floor and Town Hall can tell you if anything stricter applies.

State law has two labels that reach a Bluffton yard. A car left a full week on someone's land without that owner's consent counts as abandoned. A car is derelict if, for example, its motor or major parts are pulled, or it is past eight years old with lapsed registration. Either kind is subject to removal, and Beaufort County or town code officers may tag it in color first.

Title work in Beaufort

For Bluffton we checked the SCDMV's Beaufort branch, 28 Munch Dr (843-379-8822). In a straight line, central Bluffton lies about 18 miles to its southwest. Other county offices may exist too.

What a Bluffton seller does:

• On the title's first assignment, write in the buyer and their address, the lender if any, odometer miles, price and date, and both sign.
• Mail or hand in Form 416 so the SCDMV knows the car is sold.
• Hold on to the plate. It goes on your next vehicle, or back to the state with Form 452, after which the insurance can end.

A duplicate title is $15; with a lender still listed, it is mailed to them. If a very old car has no engine and no live plate, its owner may be able to skip the title by signing the state's affirming form at a recycler. The no-title guide covers who qualifies.

Near Bluffton

Hilton Head Island is 11.3 miles away. Past that, Charleston, North Charleston and Summerville are each about 70 miles. The South Carolina page has the statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Got a dead car or truck in Bluffton? Call (877) 421-6008 or start with our form. Our driver can collect it from a Bluffton driveway, a town lot, or the landing where it gave up.