Tricky situations
No title, no keys, totaled, flooded, inherited or impounded: what to do in each case.
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How to remove an abandoned car from your property What property owners can legally do about an abandoned car: when it counts as abandoned, police and DMV steps, towing, and why you can't just sell it. -
How to sell a car after an accident How to sell a wrecked car: settle the insurance claim first, find out if it's a total loss, handle a salvage title and choose who to sell it to. -
How to sell a car that doesn't run Who buys non-running cars, what sets the offer, the paperwork you still need, and how to describe and hand over a car that has to be towed. -
How to sell a car that failed inspection How to sell a car that failed an emissions or safety inspection: which states make the seller responsible, selling as is, and what to disclose. -
How to sell a car with a bad transmission Fix it or sell it as-is? How buyers price a car with a failing transmission, what to disclose, whether to drive it to the buyer, and the paperwork. -
How to sell a car with a blown engine Repair, sell as-is or junk a car with a blown engine? How buyers price it, what to tell them so the offer holds, and the paperwork to finish the sale. -
How to sell a car with a lien on it How to sell a car you still owe money on: get the payoff amount, clear the lien, get the title from the lender or state, and handle negative equity. -
How to sell a car without a title How to sell or junk a car with no title: duplicate titles, bonded titles and the state no-title scrap exceptions, with real DMV forms and limits. -
How to sell a car without keys Lost the keys? You can still sell or junk the car. What proves ownership, how no-key pickup works, whether to replace the key, and what to tell buyers. -
How to sell a fire-damaged car What to do with a burned car: file the comprehensive claim, check whether the title gets a salvage brand, store it safely and sell it for parts or scrap. -
How to sell a flood-damaged car How to sell a flooded car legally: insurance claims, flood title brands, what you must disclose, and why junkyards and salvage buyers are the safe market. -
How to sell a totaled car What happens when insurance totals your car, what you give up if you keep it, the salvage title rules that follow, and how to sell it afterward. -
How to sell an impounded car How to sell or junk a car that's been towed and impounded: what the fees are, how to get it released, and how long before the tow yard can sell it. -
How to sell an inherited car How to sell or junk a car after the owner dies: executor sales through probate, small-estate and heirship affidavits, and surviving-spouse transfers.