Can Mount Pleasant junk my car before I claim it?

Under Section 78-1, if an authorized village representative finds the towing and storage bill would be higher than the car's value, the village can junk or sell it before the impound period ends.

Which side of the street do I park on overnight?

From 6 p.m. the evening before an even-numbered day until 6 a.m., parking is banned on the odd-numbered side. Before an odd-numbered day, it is banned on the even side. Police can move an illegally parked car and add the cost to the fine.

Is there a Mount Pleasant rule about junk cars sitting in yards?

The sections we read cover impounds, parking and junk dealer licensing, not private yards. State law lets any municipality write its own abandoned-vehicle rules, so check with the village before assuming a car out back is fine.

Town guide · Wisconsin

Selling a dead car in Mount Pleasant

In Mount Pleasant, an impounded car that is worth less than its tow bill may never come back. Section 78-1 lets the village junk or sell it early if "the cost of towing and storage charges for the impoundment would exceed the value of the vehicle." For an old car that quit running, selling it yourself first keeps that choice in your hands. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, and you sell the whole car as it sits.

Updated October 11, 2026 · 8 sources

Photo: Alinghi3 at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mount Pleasant, the short version

Population: 28,253 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025)
County: Racine
Impound rule: Village Code 78-1
Early junking: Allowed if towing and storage exceed the car's value
Overnight parking: Odd-even sides, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Emissions testing: Yes, Racine County is covered
Seller report: Within 30 days

How the village impounds a car

A vehicle that breaks the traffic rules adopted in Section 78-1 "shall be impounded until lawfully claimed or disposed of." If the village sells it, the buyer has 10 days to get it out of storage and pays a daily fee after the second business day following the sale. Police may also move any car parked illegally on a street or alley, and "the cost of moving and storage" is added to the parking penalty.

The overnight side-switch

Mount Pleasant runs alternate-side parking every night. From 6 p.m. on the day before an even-numbered day until 6 a.m., no parking on the odd-numbered side. Before an odd-numbered day, the even side is off limits. A car with a dead battery cannot cross the street, so it collects tickets until it is towed.

Motor homes, trucks over 14,000 pounds, campers and trailers are barred from every public street between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Cars on private land

The village sections we read cover impounds, parking and junk dealers, not storage in a yard. State law fills part of that gap. You may not leave a car where it "reasonably appears abandoned." Each municipality can also adopt removal rules of its own. The statute does not count a car as abandoned when it is hidden from ordinary public view. The village could add its own rules. Check before assuming nobody will bother a car parked behind the garage.

If you hire a licensed local junk collector instead, Section 46-181 keeps their collecting out of the hours from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. and off Sundays entirely.

Title, plates and the seller report

The WisDOT Division of Motor Vehicles issues Wisconsin titles. In Mount Pleasant, you sign and date the reverse side of yours when you sell. Next, a Mount Pleasant owner completes the mileage and brand section and adds the price plus the buyer's name and home address. A car without a title can still be junked. WisDOT says you don't have to replace a lost one first, though a junked car can never get a title again. More on that in selling with no title.

Keep the plates. Mount Pleasant plates either get cut up, or go on a like car carrying your registration, your spouse's or your domestic partner's. Don't return them to the DMV. Sold it to a private person? Tell WisDOT within 30 days.

Racine County is on WisDOT's list of seven emission-test counties.

Getting an offer

Ring (877) 421-6008 or ask online. Our form takes the details. In Mount Pleasant the truck comes to subdivision driveways, farm lots, or wherever it stalled. Pickup is free anywhere in the US. Racine is 3.8 miles away as the crow flies, and the Wisconsin page has the statewide rules.

Questions people ask

Can Mount Pleasant junk my car before I claim it?: Under Section 78-1, if an authorized village representative finds the towing and storage bill would be higher than the car's value, the village can junk or sell it before the impound period ends.
Which side of the street do I park on overnight?: From 6 p.m. the evening before an even-numbered day until 6 a.m., parking is banned on the odd-numbered side. Before an odd-numbered day, it is banned on the even side. Police can move an illegally parked car and add the cost to the fine.
Is there a Mount Pleasant rule about junk cars sitting in yards?: The sections we read cover impounds, parking and junk dealer licensing, not private yards. State law lets any municipality write its own abandoned-vehicle rules, so check with the village before assuming a car out back is fine.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

Mount Pleasant Code 78-1, State traffic laws adopted (impound, parking) ecode360.com
Mount Pleasant Code 46-181, Junk dealers (definitions and licensing) ecode360.com
WisDOT: Sell your vehicle wisconsindot.gov
WisDOT: Sold your vehicle (plates) wisconsindot.gov
WisDOT: Seller notification wisconsindot.gov
WisDOT: Emission testing wisconsindot.gov
Wisconsin Statutes chapter 342 docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, 2020-2025 www2.census.gov