Selling a dead or unregistered car in Farragut

What Farragut means by inoperable

The town's definitions in Section 14-5 are wide. An inoperable vehicle is one "that cannot be driven upon the public streets for reason including but not limited to being neglected, unlicensed, wrecked, abandoned, in a state of disrepair or deterioration, or incapable of being moved under its own power."

So a neglected car with flat tires qualifies, and so does an unlicensed one. The same chapter lists "unregistered or inoperable vehicles" and "vehicle parts" in its definition of junk.

Section 14-52, rule by rule

• No storage. Inoperable or unregistered vehicles may not be kept on any premises.
• No stripping outside. Vehicles may not "at any time be in a state of major disassembly, disrepair, or in the process of being stripped or dismantled."
• Overhauls go indoors. Major work, body work included, is allowed only "inside a structure or similarly enclosed area designed and approved for such purposes."
• Paved surfaces only. Vehicles must be parked on approved surfaces, "including but not limited to, concrete, asphalt, or paver stones," and the surface must be longer and wider than the vehicle.
• Trailers and campers. These may not sit in a front yard in a residential district, except on an approved surface for loading or unloading for up to 48 hours.

Nothing in the sections we quoted says how many days you get to correct a violation. The town may have its own notice steps, so read any letter closely. See notice to remove a car.

A half-finished project in the garage

The overhaul rule draws a clear line. Work inside an approved structure is allowed. The same car with its engine out on the driveway is not. If a project stalled partway, it can still be sold whole, missing parts and all. See missing parts.

Title and plates in Knox or Loudon County

Farragut spans Knox and Loudon counties, and Tennessee titles come from the county clerk's office. Farragut titles skip the notary. Farragut sellers sign and print in the assignment area exactly as the title's front lists them. Owners joined by "or" need only one signature; owners joined by "and" both sign.

Your plates follow you, not the car. Putting it on another vehicle costs $1. We saw no notice-of-sale or release form for sellers on the Revenue Department's titling pages.

If you plan to keep the car and register it again instead, timing matters. If a staggered registration is renewed no more than 90 days past expiring, its date stays the same. If it's 91 or more days late, the new one lasts a year from the day it's issued.

Nearby towns

Oak Ridge is 8.8 miles away, Maryville 14.3 miles and Knoxville 14.5 miles, as the crow flies. See Tennessee for statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or use the form. In Farragut we pick up from paved subdivision driveways, garages, or lots off Kingston Pike.