Selling a dead or junk car in Waukesha

The 72-hour rule

Section 40-118 starts with the general ban: no one may leave a vehicle "for such time and under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned." The definition of vehicle covers cars, trailers, semitrailers and mobile homes, "whether or not such vehicle is registered."

The timing is spelled out. Any vehicle "left unattended for more than 72 hours on any public street or public ground or left unattended for more than 72 hours on private property without the consent of the property owner is deemed abandoned and constitutes a nuisance." A ticket on the windshield helps prove it: a car "found in the same position 72 hours after issuance of a traffic ticket or citation" is presumed unattended.

Exceptions in the same section:

• a vehicle "in an enclosed building"
• a car on private property out of public view and enclosed within a building
• a car on premises licensed for junk vehicle storage
• a car in a paid lot or space where the fee is paid

Section 40-119 says any vehicle in violation "shall be removed and impounded" under state law. The owner then carries the blame for the abandonment under Wisconsin law, along with the impound and disposal charges.

Shorter clocks on the street

Section 40-51 caps any parking on public streets and public lots at under 24 consecutive hours in the same place. It also adds a rule many people miss: "Once a vehicle or construction trailer is moved it cannot be parked again for a 12-hour time period." Nudging a stalled Waukesha car along the curb resets nothing. If police remove it, the owner pays the removal and storage fees before getting it back.

Snow emergencies

When a snow emergency is declared during a severe storm, no one may leave a car on an uncleared street, alley or public lot where it interferes with plows or emergency vehicles. The code makes an exception only where it is "physically impossible to move such vehicle," and that does not stop the removal. Cars in the way may be towed, and the removal and storage charges must be paid before the owner can take the car back.

Emission tests in Waukesha County

Waukesha County belongs to the seven-county southeastern block where WisDOT requires emission tests. Covered here: 1996 to 2006 models fueled by gasoline or natural gas, or hybrids, rated below 8,501 lb, and every model from 2007 on up to 14,000 lb. A check engine light that will not clear can stall a registration here.

Title and plates

Wisconsin titles are issued by WisDOT's Division of Motor Vehicles. Selling means filling in the back: sign, write today's date and the mileage, mark any brand, then add the agreed amount and the buyer's name with their address. If the car will be junked, write Junk across the title, and know it can never return to the road under a Wisconsin title. No title at all? WisDOT does not require a replacement to junk a car; see junk car with no title.

Unscrew the plates before the truck leaves. Unexpired plates can go on another similar car of yours; otherwise cut them up. The DMV does not take them back. If the buyer is a private individual, file WisDOT's seller notification within 30 days.

Near Waukesha

Waukesha to New Berlin measures 6.4 miles as the crow flies, to Brookfield 7.5 and to Muskego 11.0. West Allis and Wauwatosa each lie about 11 miles off, and Menomonee Falls is 12.1. Statewide rules are on the Wisconsin page.

Getting an offer

Have a Waukesha car to sell? Call (877) 421-6008 or fill in the form. For a Waukesha car, begin with our short form. If a ticket is already on the windshield, the 72-hour clock may be running, so mention that. Pickup comes to a street spot, a garage or a shop bay.