Getting rid of a dead car in Lake Stevens

Two parking clocks

Chapter 7.16 sets two limits on public property and right-of-way:

• 24 hours for a car in abandoned condition. "It shall be unlawful to park any motor vehicle for a period of time more than 24 hours, which is in abandoned condition, upon any public property or public right-of-way."
• 72 hours for any car at all. "It is unlawful to park a vehicle unmoved on public property or right-of-way more than 72 hours."

An officer who believes a car breaks either rule posts the 24-hour removal notice. The tow can be stopped: the owner contacts the police department, gives "a reasonable explanation of why the vehicle cannot be moved," and agrees to a timely removal date.

What looks abandoned

Section 7.04.010 describes it. It means a car on a public road or public property for over 24 hours that has "the appearance of an abandoned or inoperable vehicle," shown by things like "flat tire(s), broken windshield, extensive body damage, rusted, partially dismantled, wrecked, inoperative, expired tabs or accumulation of natural debris." Old tabs count as a sign, yet the car must also stay put for more than 24 hours.

Private property falls under the city's code enforcement chapter. Its definitions in 17.10.110 use the same kind of signs, including "missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission" and "an accumulation of natural vegetation or debris." The same section adds that "any portion of a 24-hour day shall constitute a full calendar day," which matters when you count the days on a notice.

The title office in Everett

Snohomish County covers Lake Stevens. One quick title office on the Department of Licensing list is at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue in Everett, about 5 miles west of central Lake Stevens in a straight line. That is the one we checked, and the county has more licensing offices. DOL's advice is for seller and buyer to finish the deal at a licensing office, where payment and the title signature happen together.

Title and plates

Washington will not let a car be sold without a valid title. If the Lake Stevens title has gone missing, DOL charges $39.50 for a replacement, mailed out in 4 to 8 weeks unless you pay more for a quick title. In some cases DOL takes an affidavit instead; ask a licensing office which applies. See selling with no title.

Plates are the seller's problem. Take them off before the car leaves Lake Stevens. They can go onto a vehicle of the same type you own, or back to DOL, and the buyer has no right to them. A report of sale within five days finishes your side. After you sell has the rest.

Getting an offer

Start online or call (877) 421-6008. Our offer form asks the car questions. In Lake Stevens we pick up from a lakeside street, your driveway, or a shop in Everett or Marysville. For the state's rules, see Washington.