A small village with its own rules, surrounded by Chicago
Harwood Heights and Norridge are an island: Chicago surrounds both on every side. Drive a block in the wrong direction and you’re under the Chicago Municipal Code instead. For a junk car, that matters, because Harwood Heights has its own definitions, deadlines and village license.
The license is the first thing to know. Every car whose state registration lists a Harwood Heights address needs one, and the ordinance is explicit that it doesn’t matter if the car is out on the streets or not. A car that died last year and sits in the lot still counts. Vehicles parked in residential parking zones also need a current village sticker or a resident pass.
Inoperable cars and the 5-day notice
Seven days is the trigger: a car whose engine, wheels or other parts are gone or damaged for that long, leaving it unable to move under its own motor, is inoperable. Routine repair work is excluded, and so are cars kept inside a building. When police find one, they serve a written notice on the occupant or owner of the property, posted on site and sent by registered mail, with at least five days to comply.
That’s a short window. Apartment buildings make up a big share of the village’s housing, and the code puts responsibility on the property owner or occupant as well as the car’s owner, so a tenant’s dead car can quickly become the landlord’s problem.
Pickup in 60706
Homes here split almost evenly between detached houses and larger apartment buildings, so the car is likely in a house driveway or an apartment lot. For a lot, tell us the building address, the space and whether the car rolls; ask the manager if the lot gate needs opening.
A clear checklist for junking a car around Chicago covers plates, notice of sale and toll transponders. If the title is missing, tell us what you have instead, like registration or an insurance card, plus ID; Illinois rules decide which papers can be used, and we confirm on the call.
Next door
Norridge shares the enclave and the 60706 ZIP, and Jefferson Park is just east, inside the city. Browse the full list of locations.
Selling a car in Harwood Heights: common questions
I own a building in Harwood Heights and a tenant's dead car is in the lot. Who is responsible?
Under § 10.60.100, both the vehicle's owner and the owner or occupant of the property can be held responsible for removing an inoperable car, and the property side pays if the village removes it. Only the car's owner can sell it, so ask your tenant to call us.
Which way does the snow rule run in Harwood Heights?
Once 2 inches of snow falls, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the even-numbered side is off limits on even dates and the odd-numbered side on odd dates. A car blocking snow removal can be towed at the owner's expense.