New Berlin's 30-day rule for a broken-down car

After a removal notice

Chapter 258 shuts the obvious workarounds. Once notice has been given, Section 258-5 says no person shall move the car "to any other private property upon which such storage is not permitted or onto any public highway, municipal property or public property." Hauling it off and later returning it to the same spot "shall constitute an immediate violation."

Should the car remain past the deadline, Section 258-6 lets the police chief, the chief building inspector or the building director have it towed by city crews or a private company. The expense is "charged to the owner of the real estate upon which the motor vehicle" was found, with a 30-day payment window in the code. A landlord can end up paying for a tenant's car.

On a public street: 48 hours

Section 258-7 bans leaving any dismantled, wrecked, nonoperable or junked vehicle on a public street or public property at all. Any vehicle left unattended there "for more than 48 hours" is "deemed abandoned and considered a public nuisance" and may be towed to storage. The owner of record gets notice by certified mail. A car officials value under $100 may be summarily disposed of, and the police chief tells the Wisconsin Department of Transportation within five days of its sale or disposal.

Snow adds a layer. When a snow emergency is declared under Section 261-11, "no person shall park any vehicle on a street or alley," overnight street permits are suspended, and towing and storage costs are "the sole responsibility of the vehicle owner." Section 261-4 also says tow trucks shall not be parked on any residential street.

Wisconsin title and plates

Wisconsin's Division of Motor Vehicles issues titles, and nobody but a licensed dealer may sell a car that is not titled to them. If you mean to sell it as a working car and the title is lost, a replacement comes first, for a statutory fee of $20. For scrap, skip that: write Junk on the title; with no title at all, junking is still allowed. After junking, the car is closed out of titles and registration for good.

Plates come off before the car leaves. Valid plates can go on another vehicle of the same kind that you own. Destroy all others. If they were left on, WisDOT's form MV2514 cancels them. After a private sale to another individual, the seller notifies WisDOT within 30 days. Waukesha County is one of the seven counties with emission testing.

Nearby

In straight-line miles, West Allis sits 5.6 from New Berlin, Greenfield 6.3, and Waukesha and Brookfield 6.4 apiece. See Wisconsin for statewide rules, or missing parts if the car is half apart.

Getting an offer

Phone (877) 421-6008 or ask online. Tell us the model, the mileage, if it runs at all, and if the title is in your drawer. Loading can happen at the driveway, behind a shop in an industrial park, or at the shop where the repair stalled out.