Selling a junk or dead car in Nacogdoches

The 30-day test in Section 34-116

A junked vehicle in Nacogdoches is self-propelled and either has no unexpired registration decal, or is wrecked, dismantled or discarded, or has sat dead past 30 consecutive days on private ground. Public ground allows only 72 consecutive hours.

Section 34-117 has two clauses. Beyond making a junked vehicle visible to the public a nuisance, it says the presence of one "on any lot, tract or parcel of land or any portion thereof, occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved" is prohibited. It is unlawful "to permit or allow the nuisance to exist on his property."

The city's own Code Enforcement page adds a fair warning: not every car that looks like junk meets the legal definition.

Notice, then the city council

Under Section 34-121, copies go to three places: the last registered owner of the car, every lienholder on it, and the landowner or tenant. Recipients have until day ten to clear it and to ask for a hearing. Delivery is by hand, certified mail, or mail with signature confirmation. A letter returned by the post office delays action to the 11th day after it comes back, or later.

Section 34-122 sends protests to the city council, no earlier than the 11th day. There the council assumes the car is dead unless its owner proves it runs, and it may order the car taken. The city says violators get a warning notice with a set time to act first.

Ignore it, and Section 34-124 kicks in. The city hauls the car to a scrapyard, demolisher or disposal site and sends the bill to whoever owned the car or the premises. It keeps "a privileged lien on such junked vehicle, together with ten percent interest." The car can never be made operable again. Separately, Section 34-118 makes keeping the nuisance a misdemeanor with a fine up to $200.

Downtown parking and tow rules

Section 102-197 bars leaving any vehicle more than 24 hours in a public parking space downtown. It gets cited for overtime and may be towed at the owner's expense. Two tow rules help if a truck shows up first: non-consent tow fees inside the city are capped at the state TDLR maximums with an itemized receipt, and a tow truck already hooked to your car must let it go for a drop fee unless an officer is taking it into custody.

Code Enforcement's supervisor line is (936) 559-2558, and the Nac311 app takes reports. The police number listed is 936-559-2607.

Title work a short walk from the square

The Nacogdoches County tax office is at 101 W. Main St, Suite 100, (936) 560-7767, which puts it under a mile south of downtown, as the crow flies.

Texas wants no notary on the title. As the seller, you:

• write the sale date and current mileage on the title and sign it,
• fill in the price on Form 130-U, sign that too, and give it to the buyer,
• get the sale notice to TxDMV before 30 days pass, on its website or with paper Form VTR-346,
• and decide on the plates: move them to a same-class vehicle, keep them, or deface them.

A missing title can be replaced with Form VTR-34. All recorded owners have to sign it. More on that under selling with no title, and the Texas page has the rest.

Nearby

Lufkin is the closest town with its own page, 20.5 miles away in a straight line. Tyler and Longview are each a little over 60 miles off.

Getting an offer

Click the offer link or call (877) 421-6008. Describe the car, say if it cranks, and tell us where the title is. Pickup happens at the car itself: a side yard, a rental lot, or a garage that gave up on it.