If a damaged, unregistered, or unwanted car has been sitting out the front of your Perth property, it’s worth knowing the verge isn’t really yours to use as storage. Local councils treat verges as their land, and most have rules about what can sit there and for how long. Leaving a accident/damaged car out front while you weigh up what to do with it can end in a ranger visit, an infringement, or a tow.
The General Rule Across Perth Councils
Most metropolitan councils run their own Parking Local Law under the Local Government Act 1995, alongside the state-wide Road Traffic Code. A common thread: a vehicle cannot be parked or left on a road or verge for the purpose of selling it, and one left in the same spot for more than 24 hours becomes eligible to be assessed as abandoned. That 24-hour mark isn’t an automatic fine, but it’s usually the trigger for a ranger inspection.
What Counts as “Abandoned”?
Councils generally weigh up several factors together: whether plates are still attached, whether the vehicle is licensed, the extent of visible damage, how long it has stayed put, and whether it looks inoperable. A damaged or written-off car often ticks several of these at once, so it tends to attract attention faster than a roadworthy vehicle parked outside a house.
How a Few Perth Councils Handle It
City of Stirling
Stirling’s local laws prohibit obstructing a verge, and specifically prohibit parking a vehicle there to sell it. Past 24 hours, a ranger places a 24-hour notice on the car to give the owner time to move it to private property; if it’s still there afterwards, it’s investigated as abandoned and can be towed and impounded. Parking more than 24 hours carries an $80 infringement, and littering penalties linked to an abandoned vehicle run from a $200–$500 on-the-spot fine up to a $5,000 maximum court penalty. Unclaimed impounded vehicles valued under $500 are held 21 days; those over $500 are held up to 65 days.
City of Wanneroo
Wanneroo assesses abandonment on near-identical factors — plates, registration, damage, time in position, and whether the vehicle looks inoperable. Vehicles removed as abandoned go to an impound facility, and release requires towage and impound fees plus proof of ownership and photo ID. If unclaimed within two months, the City can dispose of the vehicle by public auction or tender.
City of Cockburn
Cockburn asks residents to report abandoned or unattended vehicles directly to Ranger Services during office hours, with the free CoSafe patrol covering after hours. As elsewhere, a damaged vehicle left on a verge for an extended period is likely to prompt an inspection and a request to move it.
Rules and fees change from time to time, so it’s worth a quick check of your council’s website, or a call to their rangers, before assuming anything.
What Happens If a Vehicle Gets Impounded
Once towed under one of these local laws, getting a car back means paying an impound fee, a daily storage charge, and providing proof of ownership and photo ID. For a vehicle that was already damaged and worth relatively little, those fees can quickly outstrip whatever it’s worth — much the same trap we cover in our piece on leaving a junk car sitting on your lawn: the longer it sits, the more it costs you and the less it’s worth. It’s often the point where people look at selling instead of retrieving it.
The Simpler Option: Sell Before It Becomes a Problem
A damaged car doesn’t get more valuable sitting on the verge. Weather exposure, rust, opportunistic parts theft, and vandalism all chip away at what a wrecker or buyer will offer over time.
What Affects the Price You’re Offered
- Make, model, and age — a common model like a Toyota tends to hold parts value longer than a rarer import
- How complete the car is versus stripped of parts
- Whether it still runs or needs towing
- The extent of accident, flood, or fire damage
- Current scrap metal and parts market pricing, which moves over time
None of this means a damaged car is worthless — wrecking yards buy vehicles precisely because there’s value in the parts and metal, even when a car will never drive again.
What to Expect When You Sell to a Car Removal Service
The process is generally straightforward. A licensed wrecking yard buys cars, utes, trucks, vans, and 4WDs across a wide range of conditions — running or not, accident, flood, or fire-damaged, deregistered, or written off — and prices each one on its own condition rather than a flat rate. Most won’t take a stolen vehicle, a car still under finance, or a body with no chassis, and coverage is usually limited to the Perth metro area.
Don’t Forget the Paperwork
Two WA-specific details catch people out. Standard number plates stay with the vehicle and pass to the new owner — if you want to keep them, they need to be removed and swapped for replacement plates through the Department of Transport before the sale, not after. And once the car’s sold, you’re required to lodge a Notification of Change of Ownership – Vehicle Licence Transfer (Form MR9) within seven days, including the buyer’s name and address; failing to do so can attract a penalty. You’ll also need valid photo ID to sell — you don’t have to be the registered owner, but you do need to identify yourself.
Free towing and same-day pickup are common once you decide to sell an unwanted vehicle rather than leave it parked out front — which avoids the whole verge-storage question altogether.
None of this needs to turn into a drawn-out process. Most people who’ve been putting it off are surprised at how quickly it’s sorted once they make the call.
Ready to Move It On?
If a damaged or unwanted vehicle has been sitting on your verge and you’d rather deal with it than wait for a ranger to decide for you, call Cash For Cars Perth on 0420 262 651 for a free quote. They’re based at 5 Hantke Place, Welshpool, open Monday to Friday 7:30 AM–5:00 PM and Saturday 7:30 AM–2:00 PM (closed Sundays and public holidays), and can often have the car towed and paid for the same day you call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I leave a car on the verge before it’s treated as abandoned in Perth?
Most Perth councils treat a vehicle left in the same spot on a road or verge for more than 24 hours as eligible to be assessed as abandoned. That doesn’t mean an automatic fine the moment the clock passes 24 hours, but it’s usually enough to trigger a ranger inspection and, in some council areas, a notice giving you a set period to move it.
What fines can apply for leaving a damaged car on the verge too long?
It varies by council. In the City of Stirling, for example, parking longer than 24 hours carries an $80 infringement, and littering penalties tied to an abandoned vehicle can run from a $200–$500 on-the-spot fine up to a $5,000 maximum court penalty. Check your own council’s website for the figures that apply where you live.
What happens if my council impounds the car?
You’ll usually need to pay an impound fee plus a daily storage charge, and provide proof of ownership and photo ID to get it released. If it isn’t claimed within the council’s set period — commonly a matter of weeks up to around two months — it can be disposed of by public auction, tender, or sale.
Do I have to be the registered owner to sell a damaged or abandoned car?
No. You need valid photo ID to prove who you are, but you don’t have to be the person the vehicle is registered to. It’s worth having whatever ownership paperwork you do have on hand, since a buyer will usually ask for it.
Is it legal to leave a car on the verge while I try to sell it privately?
Generally not. Most councils’ parking local laws specifically prohibit parking or leaving a vehicle on a road or verge for the purpose of selling it, regardless of how long it’s been sitting there.