Selling a car left behind at a self-service storage facility (SSSF) in Connecticut requires following specific legal procedures. This guide outlines the necessary steps SSSF owners must take to legally dispose of abandoned vehicles through public sale, as outlined in Connecticut General Statutes sections 42-159 through 42-168, amended by PA 09-187 sections 45 and 46.
Filing Business Information with the DMV
The first step, required only once, is filing business information with the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This involves completing Form H-123 (Self-Service Storage Facility Filing of Business Information), including your sales and use tax permit number, attaching a sample rental agreement, and mailing the original form to the address provided on the form. The DMV will notify you of approval or denial via mail or email. Providing your email address on the form expedites the process. Any changes to the information on Form H-123 must be submitted to the DMV in writing within 10 days.
Obtaining Vehicle Information
Once your business filing is approved, contact the DMV Dealers & Repairers Unit at 860-263-5056 to obtain the vehicle owner’s and any lienholder’s name and address. You’ll need to provide your business information, the vehicle’s make, model, and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This information will be mailed to your approved business address. If the DMV lacks a record of the vehicle, a Notice of Intent to Transfer cannot be filed. Within 10 days of receiving this information, send certified letters to both the owner and lienholder. These letters must include the information required by section 42-160, as amended by PA 09-187 section 46, and state your intent to sell the vehicle at a public sale.
Filing a Notice of Intent to Transfer
At least 60 days after the renter/occupant defaults, complete Form H-124 (Self-Service Storage Facility Notice of Intent to Transfer) for each vehicle being sold. Attach all required documentation as specified on the form and mail the original with a $10 check or money order payable to “DMV” to: DMV Dealers & Repairers Unit, 60 State Street, Room 322, Wethersfield, CT 06161.
Conducting the Public Sale
After receiving DMV approval and at least 10 days after publishing the sale notice in a local newspaper (twice, in a newspaper circulating in the town where your facility is located) and notifying the owner/lienholder, you can hold the public sale. Send certified mail notices of the sale date, time, and location to the owner (if different from the occupant) and any lienholder.
Transferring the Vehicle to the Purchaser
Upon selling the vehicle, provide the purchaser with: a completed Form H-125 (Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Transfer by Self-Service Storage Facility), a completed Bill of Sale, copies of both newspaper sale notices, and proof of the sale notice sent to the owner and lienholder. The purchaser is responsible for obtaining a VIN verification at a DMV location and meeting all other vehicle registration requirements, including emissions testing.
