Old car removal from suburban homes

Every block has one. The sedan under a tarp beside the garage. The wagon a parent stopped driving in 2014. The project car that was going to be finished “next summer” for six summers. Getting it gone with suburban junk car pickup is simpler than it looks.

Why the car that’s “fine where it is” becomes a problem

A car that doesn’t move is a slow leak. Insurance or registration lapses, the tires go flat, mice move into the air box, and at some point a neighbor or a code officer notices.

Illinois law lets cities and villages declare an inoperable car in public view a nuisance. Under the state’s municipal code, a car counts as inoperable when, for at least 7 days (or longer if the local ordinance says so), parts are missing or damaged so it can’t be driven under its own power. After a written notice, the town can have it removed 7 days later. Cars kept inside a building aren’t covered. Our guide to village rules on dead cars explains the rest, including what to do if you already have a notice.

So a car in a closed garage is on safer ground than one on the driveway. It still isn’t worth anything to you sitting there.

Getting an old car out of a garage or side yard

Most long-parked cars leave on a tow truck, not under their own power. What makes the pickup quick is what you tell us beforehand:

1. Can it roll? Flat tires, seized brakes and a parking brake rusted on all change how the car is moved.
2. Can the steering turn? A locked steering column matters if the car has to be pulled out straight.
3. How much room is there? A single-car garage with a workbench on one side is a different job than an open driveway. Clear a path to the door.
4. Is the garage door working? If the opener died with the car, check the door can be raised by hand.
5. Is anything stacked on or around it? Boxes on the hood, bikes against the fenders. Move them before the tow arrives.

None of these stop a sale. They just keep pickup day from turning into a second trip.

The paperwork for a car that’s been sitting

Old cars tend to come with old paperwork problems. Here’s how they usually shake out:

• Expired registration: you don’t renew it to sell for junk. See selling with expired registration in Illinois.
• Lost title: list what papers you have (bill of sale, registration, insurance card) and we’ll confirm on the call which ones Illinois accepts for a scrap sale.
• Plates: take them off. Illinois plates stay with the owner, not the car.
• Title in a relative’s name: tell us on the call. It changes what paperwork is needed, so we’d rather know before pickup than at the curb.

Thinking about donating it instead?

Some people with an old car would rather give it to a charity. That can make sense if you itemize deductions; if you don’t, there’s no tax deduction at all, and the IRS generally limits the deduction to what the charity sells the car for. We laid out the numbers in donate or junk your car. If you’d rather have money in hand, send the form and we’ll make an offer.

From the form to the curb

We call with an offer. If it works, we set a pickup time, and same-day pickup is often possible. At pickup you sign the title (or hand over the papers we confirmed on the call), the car is loaded, and you’re paid. Towing is free. We collect across the Cook, DuPage and Will County suburbs.