Racine junk cars and cars that won't run

What Racine calls an inoperable car

Section 42-181 calls a vehicle a nuisance or inoperable when it is "legally incapable of being operated upon the public streets or highways." The section names vehicles that "reasonably appear to have been unregistered for more than 30 days" as one case. So in Racine, a sound car with expired tags gets the same treatment as one whose engine has seized.

The word vehicle stretches further than most people expect. The same section lists "any automobile, automotive part, all terrain vehicle, snowmobile, motor home, bus, motorcycle, van." A spare engine or a pile of body panels in the yard is treated the same way as the car they came off.

Even repair shops get a deadline. A business in automotive sales or repair may keep such a vehicle outdoors "for a period not to exceed 20 days," and then it has to go.

The seven-day condemnation notice

Under Section 42-184, the health officer or the chief building inspector condemns the car. The written order describes the property and the vehicle, sets a time to remove or fix it, and says what happens if the city does the removal. A notice of condemnation also goes to the last registered owner by hand or by regular mail.

The clock that matters is short. If the car stays put and no hearing request arrives "within seven days," a citation can go to the property owner, the person living there, or the last registered owner. A landlord, a tenant and the person still on the registration can all end up named.

Cars on Racine streets

A car that has died at the curb draws a different set of rules.

• 48-hour placard. Section 42-182 lets the city placard an abandoned vehicle for 48 hours and cite the owner before impounding it. Once impounded, the car is held at least ten days after certified mail goes to the owner and any lien holder. The city may junk or sell the car ahead of time if the chief of police decides the tow and storage bill is bigger than the car's value. The owner pays "all costs of impounding and disposing of the vehicle," unless it was stolen.
• Overnight parking. From April 2 to November 30, Section 94-145 bans parking on any street from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., except on the even-numbered side on even-numbered mornings and the odd side on odd mornings. From December 1 to April 1 the ban runs from 2 a.m. to 2 p.m. A car that will not start cannot switch sides.
• Snow emergencies. Section 94-219 lets the city tow any car parked against snow rules to an impound lot.
• Shop cars. Under Section 82-42, you can't fix or do body work on a car while it sits on a public street or alley. A shop may leave a customer's car at the curb next to its building for no more than 12 hours.

Wisconsin title and plates

In Wisconsin the state hands out titles, via the WisDOT Division of Motor Vehicles. To sell a car in Racine, turn the title over, sign it and date it. Then add the odometer reading, any brand, the price paid, and the buyer's name and address. If owners' names are joined by AND, everyone signs; with OR, any one of them can. If a lender is still shown, the buyer needs a lien release along with the title.

Can't find the title? According to WisDOT, junking the car does not require a new one. Instead, Junk is written across the title. After a vehicle is junked, it is never titled or licensed again, even when it gets repaired.

Unscrew your plates before the car goes. Move them to another similar vehicle you own, or cut them up. Do not mail them to the DMV, and there is no refund for unused registration. If you forgot them on the car, WisDOT points you to License Plates Cancellation Application MV2514. When you sell privately to a person, tell WisDOT within 30 days. That report lists the VIN, the buyer, the amount paid and the sale date. After you sell walks through it.

Racine County is one of the seven counties where emission tests apply. If yours keeps failing, failed emissions covers the choices.

Getting an offer

Reach out online or at (877) 421-6008. For a car in Racine, our short form gets things going. We offer free pickup anywhere in the US. Our driver can load it from a downtown side street, a garage, or the shop that couldn't fix it. Mount Pleasant is 3.8 miles away and Caledonia 5.9, both as the crow flies; statewide rules are on the Wisconsin page.