How to get rid of a car fast in BC

Step 1: Decide if it's scrap or a sale

Start with an honest look at the car. If it runs well, has no major problems and would pass a buyer's test drive, a private sale will usually pay more than any scrap buyer.

If it needs an engine, a transmission or body work that costs more than it's worth, or you simply can't wait weeks for a buyer, selling it for removal is faster. That's the trade-off: speed and no dealing with strangers, against a higher price that takes time.

Step 2: Gather the paperwork

BC has no ownership title. To sell any car here you need:

• The registration, signed by every person named on it.
• Photo ID for each owner that matches the registration.
• ICBC's Transfer/Tax Form, which the buyer usually brings.

If the registration is lost, any Autoplan broker can print a replacement. ICBC's selling a used vehicle page has the official steps.

Step 3: Check for liens

A car bought on credit may still have a lender's lien on it. Run a VIN search through BC's Personal Property Registry or ask your lender.

A lien doesn't make the car unsellable. It means the loan has to be paid out first, or the lender has to agree to the sale in writing. Sorting this out before pickup day is the single biggest time saver.

Step 4: Get a real quote

A real quote needs real details: year, make, model, rough kilometres, whether it runs, what's damaged and what's missing. Leaving out a pulled catalytic converter or a missing engine only means a different number on pickup day.

Get two or three quotes if you have time. Ask each buyer whether towing is included and when you'll be paid.

Step 5: Plan the pickup

Tell the buyer exactly where the car is: driveway, street, lane, garage or parkade level. Give the parkade clearance if there is one, and mention flat tires or a stuck parking brake.

If the car is on the street with no insurance, move it onto private property if you can. Many cities don't allow uninsured cars to stay parked on public roads.

If the car is parked on a street

A car that can't be driven shouldn't sit on the street for long. In Vancouver, a vehicle left on a street for more than 14 days, or one that is unlicensed, uninsured or can't run, can be treated as abandoned and impounded under the city's Impounding By-law.

Other cities have their own rules, but the safe move is the same everywhere: get it onto private property or get it picked up before the notices start.

Selling for someone else

Only the registered owner can sign a car over. If you're helping a parent, a partner or a friend, they still need to sign, and their ID has to match the registration.

For an estate, the executor signs and brings papers that show their authority, such as the will naming them or a grant of probate. Call before pickup so the paperwork is right the first time.

Step 6: Empty the car

Go through every storage spot: glovebox, centre console, door pockets, under the seats, the trunk and the spare tire well. Take toll transponders, parking passes and garage remotes.

Remove anything with your name or address on it, like old mail or service receipts.

Step 7: On pickup day

The driver checks that the car matches what you described. You show the registration and ID, get paid, and then sign the Transfer/Tax Form. Keep your copy.

Take the plates off before the car is loaded. They belong to ICBC, and you can keep them for your next car or hand them in at a broker.

Step 8: After the car is gone

Cancel or move your insurance at an Autoplan broker. Keep your copy of the transfer form somewhere safe in case anything comes up later.

If the car was registered for a business, let whoever does your books know so it comes off the company's asset list.