Selling a car that won't run in Oconomowoc

The 30-day notice

The rule reaches further than whole cars. It also covers "any part or parts of any motor vehicle," so a stack of fenders and a spare engine behind the shed fall under it too. When police find such a car or parts, the Chief of Police mails the notice certified to the car's or parts' owner, where that person can be identified. Whoever holds the deed to the land gets one as well, so a landlord and a tenant can both find the letter in the mailbox.

48 hours without permission

The same section has a shorter clock for a car left where it doesn't belong. A vehicle "left unattended on any City street or highway or on any public or private property within the City without the permission of the owner for more than 48 hours" is deemed abandoned and a public nuisance.

After a tow, the city's notice gives the year, make, model and serial number, where the car is held, and the owner's and lienholders' right to reclaim it. Should the Chief of Police conclude the tow and impound fees outstrip the car's value, the city can dispose of it early by junking or selling it. Barring theft, the code says the owner "is responsible for the abandonment and all costs of impounding and disposing of the vehicle." Whoever buys it at the city's sale has 10 days to haul it away.

Parking at night

Section 7.03 sets the parking limits a stalled car runs into:

• In a permit parking area, no parking from 10 p.m. until 8 the next morning without a permit from the Oconomowoc Police Department.
• In public lots where permits are available, no overnight parking without one.
• Cars "may be towed as deemed necessary for snow removal," road work, special events or public safety.

Title and plates

The state issues Wisconsin titles, through WisDOT's Division of Motor Vehicles. A car still titled to a relative or a past owner has to be put in your name first; see car not in your name. Next, turn the title over. Your signature and the date go on first. Below that, record the mileage, any brand, what the buyer paid, and their name and home address. A lender listed on it means a lien release travels with the title.

To junk the car, write "Junk" across the title. If the title is lost, the DMV skips the replacement step for a junk sale. A junked car can never get a Wisconsin title or plates again.

Take the plates off before we tow it away. An Oconomowoc seller with current plates may put them on a similar vehicle titled to them or their spouse or partner. Cut up expired ones. The DMV takes no plates back and gives no refund. If you sold to another individual, report the sale to WisDOT online within 30 days. Cars in Waukesha County need emissions tests. WisDOT tells owners when one is due.

Nearby towns

In a straight line, Watertown is 13.3 miles from Oconomowoc, Waukesha 14.1, Brookfield 19.2 and Menomonee Falls 19.3. The Wisconsin page has the statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Fill in the form or dial (877) 421-6008 with the basics: year, make, model, approximate miles, whether the motor runs, and the title situation. Pickup can be arranged at a lake-house garage, a side yard, or a permit lot near downtown.