Selling a dead or junk car in Cheyenne

The seven-day rule, clause by clause

Section 8.60.080 lists three kinds of non-compliant vehicle:

• one "totally or partially suspended above the ground by jacks, blocks or other devices for more than seven calendar days, except for a vehicle undergoing active repair"
• one without a current plate, tag or temporary permit for the same seven days, unless a licensed dealer holds it for sale on its lot
• one where a component "has been removed or is inoperable so as to render the vehicle inoperable" and it stays that way for more than seven days

The jack-stand exception covers active repair only. A project that stalled in spring does not count.

Four abandoned cars, thirty days

A second limit, in Section 10.76.090, is aimed at collections. No one may keep "four or more abandoned vehicles" on property they control if four or more of them are "visible from a highway for more than thirty (30) consecutive days." For that section, a car is presumed abandoned if it "is in an inoperable condition or is not currently registered." Either one is enough. Cars in "an enclosed garage or storage building" are excepted. The city can tow the rest to a contract lot or the Laramie County abandoned motor vehicle lot, at the possessor's expense.

When the city impounds a junk car

Three sections decide what happens after a tow.

• Lienholders. Section 8.60.181 has the city write to any lienholder of record, stating the grounds for removal and where the car went. No notice is needed if the nuisance officer puts the junk vehicle's retail value under $2,000.
• Thirty days to reclaim. Under Section 8.60.182, if no one reclaims the car and pays the abatement costs "within thirty (30) calendar days," title "shall vest in the city." Personal property left inside is disposed of at the end of that period.
• Getting it back. Section 10.76.100 lets anyone with proof of ownership redeem an impounded car by paying towing, storage, notice and other impound costs, plus any penalties.

After a police tow under Section 10.12.160, the registered owner gets a written notice giving the reasons and the storage location. See towed or impounded for the general steps.

Streets, snow and parades

Snow emergency routes are the first streets plowed. Under Section 10.72.040, a car left unattended on one in violation of the code "for a period of two hours or more" can be towed, and no notice is owed to the owner or lienholder once the city's announcement conditions are met. Checking the forecast is on you, not the city, under that section. Separately, Section 10.52.150 lets the city tow cars still parked on a street marked for repair or a parade three hours after the signs go up.

The Laramie County title office

Titles come from the county clerk in Cheyenne, which is the Laramie County seat. The office we looked up is at 309 W. 20th St., Suite 1502, phone (307) 633-4247. As the crow flies, Suite 1502 is about 1 mile northwest of Cheyenne's center. Registration and plates are a county treasurer job. WYDOT oversees motor vehicle services for the state.

Wyoming paperwork for a Cheyenne sale

Have a notary watch you sign the title, and bring any co-owner listed with or/and to sign in front of the notary too. Note every lien on the assignment. If your car was built in the last 10 years, the seller or buyer signs an odometer statement as well. Keep your plates: Wyoming sells them to the owner, and they move to your next vehicle with any credit left on them (after you sell). A lost title can be replaced at the clerk; Teton County lists $15 for a duplicate.

Nearby

Laramie is 43.8 miles away in a straight line. Casper is 141.9 miles, Gillette 220.1, Rock Springs 231.5 and Sheridan 276.0. Statewide rules are on the Wyoming page.

Getting an offer

Online or at (877) 421-6008, describe the vehicle, its odometer reading, its condition and the paperwork you hold. Mention the date it went up on jacks or lost its plate, because that starts Cheyenne's seven-day count. We come to wherever the car is, like a carport, a side yard or the front curb.