Selling a dead or junk car in Paris, Texas

Section 8.11.001: what counts

A vehicle is junked in Paris when it is self-propelled, has no unexpired plate attached, and is either:

• wrecked, dismantled or discarded, or
• out of service on private land past 10 straight days, or
• out of service on public land past 72 straight hours.

Under Section 8.11.002, a junked vehicle, or any piece of one, becomes a public nuisance once it is in view of the public, whether from a public place or a right-of-way. Keeping one, or ignoring the order issued after a hearing, is an offense tried in municipal court. Shut a car away inside a building where it cannot be seen, and the article no longer applies. The only cover language is for a collector's antique or special-interest car under an approved carport.

Notice, hearing, and the yard

Section 8.11.005 has the city deliver written notice in person, by certified mail "with a five (5) day return requested," or by mail with signature confirmation. The registered owner, any lienholder of record, and whoever owns or rents the place each get one. The car must be gone "not later than the tenth day." A returned notice pushes action to the 11th day after the return or later. And moving the car elsewhere in the city "shall have no effect on the city's ability to continue to remove and destroy the vehicle."

A hearing must be asked for inside those 10 days. Section 8.11.006 puts the city manager or a designee in charge of it, no sooner than day 11. Written permission for the city to take the car, given within 10 days, counts as compliance under Section 8.11.007.

One yard rule sits beside the junk-car article: the city bars outdoor storage of material that weathers, including vehicle parts and tires.

Fines and what the city does with the car

For the amount, the article points to the city's general penalty section. That caps most fines at $500 and raises the ceiling to $2,000 where the rule is about fire safety, zoning, public health or sanitation. The city's FAQ says a convicted owner could face up to $2,000 for every day the violation exists, and the car can be towed.

Under Section 8.11.008, the city may send a car it takes to a demolisher, a scrap yard, or a site run by the city or county. It "shall not be reconstructed or made operable by any person." The city says a junk car towed as a nuisance must be demolished and cannot be re-titled.

On the street

No vehicle may stay parked or standing on a Paris street, alley or other public spot for more than 72 continuous hours, unless signs or markings say otherwise. To claim a car Paris impounded, bring satisfactory proof of ownership or right of possession to the storage facility holding it.

Code Enforcement is at 50 W. Hickory St, with an officer line for each quarter of town: SW 784-9220, NW 784-9322, SE 784-9221, NE 784-9219. The police non-emergency number is 903-784-6688.

Title and plates in Lamar County

The Lamar County tax office is at 231 Lamar Ave, (903) 737-2423, under a mile from the town center as the crow flies, toward the southwest.

Texas sellers skip the notary. Enter the sale date and mileage on the title and sign. Hand over Form 130-U, signed, listing the price. Within the month, 30 days to be exact, let TxDMV know about the sale online or by paper VTR-346. The plates leave with you; they may go on your next car of the same kind, sit in storage, or be defaced. No title? For a car 13 or more years old with no registration in seven years, a parts recycler is allowed to buy it anyway. See selling with no title and the Texas page.

Nearby

Other towns with pages here: Greenville, 50.4 straight-line miles; Denison, 59.8; Sherman, 62.2.

Getting an offer

Go through the offer link or call (877) 421-6008. Let us know the make, the model, the year, how many miles, if the motor turns over, and where things stand with the title. Pickup meets the car off the Plaza, in a backyard, or at a garage that ran out of fixes.