Uncle and aunt tried to get their old Corolla scrapped through California's Voluntary Accelerated Vehicle Retirement program ( LINK ) since they don't use it anymore. There's nothing wrong with car except for a busted rear bumper (minor fender bender) and non-working drivers side door (someone backed into it). Car runs and drives perfectly.... it's a Corolla.

They didn't qualify for the program because: (1) car registration lapsed; they stopped paying insurance on it and didn't renew registration last year in June (2) uncle was told by someone (and misunderstood?) to get car junked, so he took title and plates to DMV to get car junked.

From what I can see in the application ( LINK ), they shouldn't have let #1 and #2 happen because:

To re-qualify for the program and get the $1,500 (low income) or sell car themselves, they'd have to:

- reregister the car to get title back
- insure car
- get car smogged
- etc.

too much trouble for them they say.

Any other options with what to do with car or programs being offered by California that someone knows about?

 

take the windows out, put on a helmet, and rallycross the hell out of it.

 

If it were my car, sure.

But my uncle is unemployed right now so they're trying to see if they can get some money out of it. They could use the money

Checked KBB and based on year, condition, mileage, etc..., it's worth about $900-$1000

 

Registering and insuring it for 24 months just to get it in the program to obtain $1500 IS too much trouble. They should probably simply sell it outright (who knows what they'd get out of the sale), or sell parts off it, in which case they'd get more than $1500 out of the car.

 

Not sure ab in CA but in NY they have programs that you can donate it to mechanic schools, even drug rehabs and animal shelters believe it or not lol. They don't give u cash but a receipt that you can write off on ur taxes. Might be worth checking into if you end up left with no other option. Is Goodwill out there? I believe they take as well.

 

What year and how many miles?

 

If I remember correctly, it's a '94 with about 180,xxx miles.

I was thinking maybe sell to a junk yard (maybe get $300 for it as scrap and parts??), but wouldn't they need the title as proof that it's their car?

 

Why would they give up the title? And why would the DMV take the title? That makes no sense.

Just sell it to some illegal.

 

Too bad it's in cali. I was going to suggest to donate it to a local gun club or range for target practice.

 

We donated our old Camry to some shelter that helps under privledged families get transportation. The car was pretty much dead... but they came and picked it up, and we got a $1k (may have been $900, can't remember) deduction for it. Much higher then we would have been able to sell it for parts... plus they picked it up...

I know it's not cash in hand, but donating is an option...

 

when my lude died i donated it to kars 4 kids... got a deduction from the tax man at the end of the year...

 

oh god i heard kars 4 kids isn't a good place to donate to.

 

fix the door. there are a million of them in junkyards. sell it. i know those 94's go for 3-4k down here on craigslist. they go FOREVEr

 

take it AZ and sell it. screw CA

 

+1 on craigslist. There is a buyer out there for every car no matter what condition (just ask Shoofin - I think this is a rough quote of his from the auction thread)

Would junking the car with the DMV prevent anyone else from registering it?

 

When the state buys them, they get crushed.
Why not fix it, register it, then either sell it or go the state route?
If everything is to much trouble, junk it for $100 and move on.
I see no other options. To sell it to an individual they still must have it smogged.

 

Is there any way to get the title back? I agree with Phee, they're worth money. Not sure about $4k but 2-3 I think it could get.

 

Get the title back and sell it.

 

Donate it.


National Kidney Foundation: http://www.kidney.org/support/kidneycars/index.cfm

Tax Deductible. I used KBB to value my donation.