Selling a dead or junk car in Burleson

The Burleson clock

Burleson calls a car inoperable when it cannot move under its own power, whether from being dismantled, from disrepair, or anything else. In Burleson the cutoffs are more than 72 consecutive hours parked dead on public property and, on a private Burleson lot, more than 30 consecutive days. A junked car that passers-by on a public way can see is, in Burleson, a public nuisance. The city's Junked Vehicles page is blunt: such cars may not be parked or stored out in the open, and they may be towed away and destroyed.

Three options once the Burleson notice arrives

Burleson waits at least ten days before acting. The notice goes out certified and, where the car is reasonably reachable, is also stuck on its windshield. The owner on record, any lienholder, and the property's owner or occupant are all sent copies. A letter the post office sends back undelivered still counts, but Burleson then holds off until 11 days or more after the return.

1. Haul it off inside the ten days.
2. Put it in writing. If the owner or occupant hands the city written permission to haul the car away inside the ten days, Burleson treats that as compliance.
3. Ask for a hearing. Go to the city secretary, in person or in writing, within the ten days. Section 34-145 says the car "shall not be abated by the city until ordered to do so by the hearing officer." That officer, the city manager or a designee, begins by presuming the car is inoperable.

Silence carries a price. The waiver clause says failing "to abate the nuisance, request a hearing or attend the hearing" gives up the owner's and lienholders' rights in the car and consents to its disposal.

In Burleson the offense is a misdemeanor, fined at most $200 a day, every day a new count. The city may file a criminal complaint instead of abatement or alongside it. A removed car may never be repaired into a running one, and Burleson must tell the state transportation agency about the removal inside five days. Section 34-149 adds that relocating the car within the city after notice "has no effect on the proceeding" if the car remains a nuisance wherever it lands.

Burleson streets

Storing a vehicle on a Burleson public street is not allowed. A car that is inoperable, on a flat, wrecked, or missing a valid plate or current sticker becomes "stored" once it stays near one spot past 48 hours. In non-residential districts any unattended car gets 24 continuous hours. Laws allowing fast removal of abandoned or traffic-blocking cars still apply.

Johnson or Tarrant tax office

Burleson straddles Johnson and Tarrant counties. From central Burleson, as the crow flies:

• Cleburne (Johnson), 2 North Mill Street: roughly 12 miles south. (817) 558-0122.
• Tarrant County's office in Fort Worth, 100 E Weatherford St: about 17 miles north. (817) 884-1100.

The buyer does that errand. For you: date the title, write the mileage, and sign it; Texas needs no notary. The buyer also gets a 130-U from you, signed, price filled in. Within 30 days the seller's notice goes to TxDMV, online or on paper VTR-346. That filing does not change ownership; it records the sale on TxDMV's books. Plates stay yours to keep, move, or deface. A lost Burleson title gets replaced on VTR-34, and every recorded owner must sign it.

Getting an offer

Go online or call (877) 421-6008. Mention the make, model and year, about how many miles, whether it runs at all, and the title situation. A truck can collect it from a Burleson house, a lot off the interstate, or the shop where it gave out. Nearby: Crowley, Cleburne, Mansfield. Statewide: Texas.

Questions about a particular notice go to Burleson Code Enforcement, 817-426-9872 or 817-426-9875. The police non-emergency line, staffed around the clock, is 817-426-9903.