Do I Need to Be There for Junk Car Pickup?

Four things happen at a pickup, and all of them go better with you present:

• You get paid

  You count the money yourself and get a receipt. Nobody has to hold your cash or pass it on.

• You sign last

  You sign when the car and the payment are in front of you. A signed title is not something to leave lying around. See who to give it to.

• You can answer questions

  If something about the car or the offer has to be discussed, the decision is yours to make on the spot.

• You take your plates

  DOL says sellers are legally obligated to remove them. They protect you from later towing, parking, camera and toll bills.

Your Report of Sale also needs the buyer’s full name and complete address, the sale date and the VIN (RCW 46.12.650). It’s easiest to collect these when you are standing next to the truck.

Try these, in about this order:

Call (206) 941-0612 and explain your situation before you set anything up. We will tell you what we can do.

Someone standing in for you needs more than a set of keys. Plan for these before the day:

• The signature. DOL says all legal and registered owners on the title must sign the release of interest. Someone signing with a power of attorney writes it as “John Q. Public by Jane C. Doe, POA”, the form DOL shows.
• What the POA covers. Read it. A power of attorney cannot change a name unless specifically authorized, and the seller cannot give the buyer or dealer a power of attorney for the odometer statement, apart from one federal exception.
• The money. Decide who receives the payment and how it gets to you, and tell the buyer ahead of time.
• The paper trail. Have your stand-in text you photos of the signed title and the receipt before the car leaves.
• The plates. Make sure your stand-in takes them, and has a screwdriver.
• Your deadline. The Report of Sale is still your responsibility, within five business days.

Signing another person’s name without authority is forgery, which is a class B felony under RCW 46.12.750. Don’t do it, even with their blessing over the phone.

• Leaving a signed title on the seat or under the mat. Anyone can take it, and you have no receipt and no proof of who took the car.
• Leaving the buyer’s name blank. You will have trouble filing a complete report.
• Mailing the title in advance. You would be releasing your interest before the sale happens.
• Agreeing to “we’ll pay you later” without knowing how and when, in writing.
• Leaving plates on. Tickets and tolls follow the plate.

Why be so careful about a car you just want gone? Because RCW 46.12.655 ties your protection from later liability to a real sale, delivery, a release, handing over the title and registration, and a proper report. Each shortcut weakens one of those links.

Call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what is going on: whose name is on the title, where the car is, and who can meet the truck. We will tell you what we can do. Some situations also need a step first, like a lost title or a deceased owner, and our inherited car guide or our no-title page may help.

If you want the bigger picture of what happens on the day, read how to get ready and how it works.