Selling a junk car in Christiansburg

What hidden means here

The town accepts two kinds of screen. One is "a solid, rigid, opaque fence" of standard fencing material. The other is a planting of evergreen trees tall and dense enough that someone standing at ground level outside the lot cannot see the car.

A cover is the tricky part. It only counts if it is opaque, "specifically designed for use as a car cover," and made for the model underneath it. A loose tarp tied over the hood does not pass.

The 72-hour clock

When the town manager, the chief of police or the town ordinance officer gives notice, the property owner has 72 hours to clear out any inoperable car not kept in a fully enclosed building. Miss it and the town may tow the car, then dispose of it after one more reasonable notice to the owner. Staying in violation 72 hours past notice is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and prosecution does not stop the town from removing the car as well.

One odd corner of the code: a dead car with an ad painted on it is treated as a sign. Section 42-701 says a vehicle that is inoperable, or lacks current plates or an inspection sticker, is considered used mainly to display signage.

On the streets, the chief of police can order an unattended car that is parked illegally and creates a traffic hazard towed to a storage garage (section 34-15). On town-owned or town-leased lots, a car may sit only inside marked spaces.

The Arbor Drive office and the title

Christiansburg's DMV customer service center is at 385 Arbor Drive, about 2 miles northwest of downtown on a direct line. Its phone is 540-381-7150. That's the Montgomery County office we looked at, though there could be others.

Christiansburg sellers handle Section A, printed on the title's face. In Christiansburg that section holds the buyer's name and address, the real mileage, the date, the price, and every owner's printed name and signature. No notary is needed under the DMV's steps for sellers. Afterward, report the sale to the DMV online, by phone or at the counter. Skipping that report can cost you your license and registration if your insurer cancels the policy on a car the DMV still thinks you own.

Get the plates off before our driver leaves. Put them on your next car. If there is no next car, hand them in or inactivate them first, and only then drop the insurance. Form FMS-210 can claim a refund when at least six months of registration remain. No title at all? A demolisher can still take the car; one at least 10 model years old needs a DMV record search first. See selling with no title and after you sell.

Getting an offer

Call (877) 421-6008 or go online. Start with the form for your Christiansburg car. We load behind townhouses, from side yards or at the shop where it died. Blacksburg is 6.4 miles away in a straight line, and the Virginia page covers the state rules.