Selling a junk or dead car in Bartlett

Bartlett's code

We could not find Bartlett's city code online. What follows is Tennessee law. Bartlett could set extra limits on unregistered or broken cars, so ask the city instead of going by state law only.

The other abandonment clocks

On top of the 30-day lot rule, Tennessee treats a car as abandoned if it's over four years old and sits on public property past 10 days, or is plainly run down and sits there past 3 days. The same goes for a car parked illegally on public land past 48 hours, or on another person's land without permission past 48 hours. In a Shelby County city of 56,416 people 12 miles from Memphis, the 48-hour rules are the ones a stalled commuter car runs into.

After a crash on the way to Memphis

Wrecked cars often end up sitting in Bartlett driveways while the insurance claim settles. In Tennessee a car turns salvage once repairs "would exceed 75% of retail value." If it's younger than 10 years, it gets a Salvage Certificate and may be rebuilt. A Bartlett car past repair gets a "Non-repairable Certificate", and Tennessee won't title or register it ever again. Either certificate is free, and the application goes by mail to the Vehicle Services Division.

When insurance pays a total loss for collision, fire or water damage, the insurer does that paperwork. The exception is a car ten or more years old valued at $1,500 or less. Read salvage title and wrecked or totaled.

Registration that lapsed while it sat

A car does not need current tags to be sold. Planning to hold on to it? In Tennessee a staggered registration keeps its date if you renew inside 90 days after it lapses. At 91 or more days late, the new registration runs one year from the day it is issued. You won't need an emissions test, since Tennessee has stopped testing statewide.

Shelby County title and plates

Bartlett owners use the Shelby County clerk for titles. Your Bartlett title's back has an assignment spot; sign there and print your name the same way the front lists it. Tennessee titles skip the notary. If two names are linked by "and" both must sign; with "or" just one does.

Plates stay with you, since Tennessee plates follow the owner. Putting it on a different car costs $1. We saw no seller release or notice-of-sale form on the Revenue Department's titling pages.

Nearby towns

In a straight line, Germantown sits 10.7 miles off, Memphis 12.0 miles and Collierville 14.6 miles. The Tennessee page covers state rules.

Getting an offer

Selling a car in Bartlett? Ring (877) 421-6008 or fill in our offer form. We pick it up in a cul-de-sac driveway, a church lot or a body shop still waiting to hear from insurance.