Beckley junk cars: the 10-day rule and how to sell one

Ten days under 8-210, thirty under 8-209

The ten-day rule reaches two people. One is whoever controls the land. The other is anyone who leaves such a vehicle "on any property within the city," even land that is not theirs. The section ends with exceptions, so read its full text if you think one covers your car.

Section 8-209 is the wider rule. It targets "unsheltered storage of old, unused, stripped, junked, and other automobiles not in good and safe operating condition," along with machinery and equipment "no longer safely usable," kept outdoors "for a period of thirty (30) days or more." It has exceptions of its own. For a car that has simply quit running, the ten days in 8-210 is the number to plan around.

When Beckley police can tow

Section 14-13 lets officers remove and impound a vehicle in three situations:

• it sits unattended on a street, bridge or causeway as an obstruction to traffic, street sweeping or snowplows
• it "has been abandoned or junked on private or public property" under Section 8-210, or violates the BOCA code adopted by reference in Section 4-9
• it shows illegal plates or "fails to display the current lawfully required license plates"

To get the car back you pay the "actual towing charge," storage for every day it sat, and any fines owed under the traffic chapter or other traffic law. Section 14-801 adds that an officer who finds a car blocking traffic on a bridge or causeway can send it "to the nearest garage or other place of safety."

That plate clause matters after a sale. West Virginia plates stay with the seller, so a sold car waiting for pickup has none. Leave it in a driveway or lot rather than on a Beckley street, where missing plates are one of the listed reasons to tow.

Contesting a tow

Under Section 14-13.1, a person with a legal right to the car can request a hearing on whether there was "probable cause to impound." The written request is due "within five (5) days" of finding out about the tow or of notice under Section 14-14, whichever happens first. The police judge rules on that one question. A finding of no probable cause produces a dated certificate. Present it to the garage "within twenty-four hours" of getting it, not counting days the garage is closed, or the storage charges from then on are yours.

Title, plates and the DMV from Raleigh County

Vehicle titles here belong to the state DMV, which sits inside West Virginia's transportation department. You can handle one by mail, at any DMV Regional Office, or through an authorized private license service. Raleigh County's part is personal property tax: the assessor sets it, the sheriff collects it, and plates cannot be renewed without proof it is paid.

When the car changes hands:

• The back of the title gets your signature and the buyer's. Write the exact mileage in the assignment section; a title with no space for it uses Form DMV-TM-1.
• On a Beckley title, AND joining the names needs both signatures. On a Beckley title joined by OR or AND/OR, one owner's signature is enough.
• Unscrew the plates; they are yours, and the registration lapses once the car is sold.
• Report the sale to the DMV on DMV-1-S; the statute says to do it immediately. The form is refused with blank lines, so write UNKNOWN if you do not know the buyer.

A lost title is replaced with Form DMV-4-TR for $15.00. See junk car with no title and after you sell.

Nearby towns

As the crow flies, Charleston is 47.3 miles from Beckley, Huntington 82.1 and Parkersburg 104.9. Statewide rules are on the West Virginia page.

Getting an offer for a Beckley car

Selling a Beckley car? Call (877) 421-6008 or fill in our offer form. Pulled the plates already? Mention it, and leave the car parked off the street until pickup. Our truck can load it from your driveway, a relative's yard or a shop lot.