Scraping Automobiles In CA. W/ No Paper Work Possible?

I've heard and read at couple different places that if you cut a car or truck into at least three primary pieces you can sell if for scrap with out any paperwork in California. The theory is that once the vehicle is cut up its no longer a vehicle. I've since been planning to buy a car dolly and other needed equipment to get into this business. I constantly come across abandoned vehicles in my area and would love to draw some revenue from them. Im sure some of yall have some expertise in this field, and I would love some feedback as to weather or not this is true.

I'm sure all state laws are different but I did it in NJ without a problem.

It was definitely in more than 3 pieces though. The unibody was in 15 or so pieces and the lids and doors were kept for resale.

word to the wise if your dealing w/ "abandoned" cars run the vin through the national insurance crime data base and make sure there is no theft history

trust me you DO NOT want to be the one whose name is tied to a stolen car that was brought to the scrap yard.

link below should take you right to the vin search (its free) just to help you cover your butt

https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck

I think this should go into the "Questions and Answers" forum instead of a forum that is for how to dismantle and maximize your scrap.

as I remember in CA it is fairly eazy to get a title on an "abandon " vehicle after 30 days here in floridqa it is nearly impossable. people move here all the time from states like AL and Me where if a vehicle boat or what ever dosent need a title after it is x # of years old, when they try to register it or liscense it here they are screwed, and they cant even legally sell it to a scrap yard whole.

abandon car laws in California have always been very liberal as they are here in Florida. however, you need to really study all the laws reguarding vehicles i.e., removing, storage, security for storage, length of holding time. legal paperwork and a hundred other things. the law may say you can remove an "abandon" vehicle. it dosent necessarily say you can then sell it or cut it up.

I know scrappers and crushers who have been doing this for years with no problem. I also know people doing time in prision for it. one doing life with no parole for a gun fight with the police over it. I personally had a grand theft charge hanging over my head for more then a year before it was dismissed for removing a vehicle from an owners property with his permission, which is legal here and in CA. it wasent removeing it it was what I did with it after I removed it. you have to make diligent effort to find the owner, you have to properly store it for a certin length of time, you have to file the proper paper work with the state and on and on and on and on.

you may be able to operate for years , but one A hole owner or cop and your in expensive big big trouble. voice of experience. just my .02

I helped cut up a old van & we cut the thin panels into 'less then 900mm' (3 foot) lengths & got extra $$ for doing it that way.
The rest we scrapped down into different grades (med & heavy iron & Ali & copper & brass) & we made a lot more than we thought it was worth, took time though.
No ownership papers needed here in that case. Other yards don't take cars because of the ownership paper hassles & other take only cars as long as its legit.

in iowa to be safe i always get a title and then go and get a scrappers certificate from the dmv...if they cant produce a title i dont mess with them...and i know 2-3 yards here wont take scrap cars unless you give them the scrappers certificate as well

At least get a bill of sale from who ever you buy the car from. Almost every yard won't take a car without a title or lost title form filled out, and if they do they won't pay **** for it. So what I do is lien sale cars that I don't get a title or lost title form on, there's plenty of companies you can use to file the lien paperwork but I use Speedy Lien based in Corning, CA. Where is your location by the way? I work out of the Chico area in butte county. As far as cutting cars up, that doesn't really seem legit to me, plus it's a ton of work. easier to just file a lien on it.

Originally Posted by CollinsHaulin

At least get a bill of sale from who ever you buy the car from. Almost every yard won't take a car without a title or lost title form filled out, and if they do they won't pay **** for it. So what I do is lien sale cars that I don't get a title or lost title form on, there's plenty of companies you can use to file the lien paperwork but I use Speedy Lien based in Corning, CA. Where is your location by the way? I work out of the Chico area in butte county. As far as cutting cars up, that doesn't really seem legit to me, plus it's a ton of work. easier to just file a lien on it.

Im in the Stockton area. There's nothing illegitimate about my question and in my case cutting up cars. The reason I ask is that there are alot of abandoned cars in my area and I wouldn't mind cleaning up the streets some and making some cash.

I get it. but I doubt your scrap yards down there will buy cars cut in 3 pieces like that because the CHP is always up there butts looking for stuff like that. Unless it's a brand new yard that just opened. Then they'll buy anything and everything paperwork or not to get the word out until the CHP shows up and gives them a "warning." Then they usually clean up their act after that if they want to stay open.

I.know of a few yards in ca that take vehicles no questions asked. Just has to be cut in half

yeah I live north of the bay area and I scrap a lot of cars w/out paperwork. Im going to cut u three tomorrow lol.

@ pronto hauling where in ca are you??

Originally Posted by mrvictor1

@ pronto hauling where in ca are you??

he said stockton earlier

I don't think it's a good practice to be picking up things that don't belong to you, no matter what it is, where it is, or how you do it. just sayin

I just sold my old trusty Volvo a month ago. The guy drove it away and I told him just to drop off the plates the next week. I completely forgot about it until last week when I got a notice in the mail saying I owed $150 for a ticket that never got paid. Needless to say I was beyond furious. I called the guy threatening to go to the police and report the car stolen if he was still driving around with my plates. Long story short...I sent him a picture of his ID that I had taken and a picture of the bill of sale with a date on it and told him that should be enough evidence. He dropped a check and my old plates off that day.

Ohh...at my yard we will buy cars with the fluids drained and you have to have a title in your name. Unless of course you crush the roof of the car or cut it up.