One day on the street, one week in the yard
Hillside’s code moves fast on cars that stop moving. Any vehicle parked on a public street for 24 consecutive hours can be towed by police, and from 2 to 6 a.m. no car may sit on a street for more than 30 minutes without permission. On private land, the zoning code gives a disabled or damaged car 7 days in open storage, and waiting on parts or an adjuster doesn’t change that.
The property maintenance code adds one more line: in residential districts, no vehicle may be in major disrepair or partly stripped. If the car has been sitting on blocks since spring, it’s already a violation.
After a wreck near the Strangler
Hillside sits where the Eisenhower (I-290), I-88 and the Tri-State (I-294) come together, the merge known as the Hillside Strangler. If your car was damaged in a crash and is now back home in the driveway, you have about a week under the zoning code to decide its future.
If the insurer declares it a total loss, the title and salvage steps come first; our guide to handling a totaled car in Illinois covers them. If you keep the car and decide not to repair it, we’ll buy it in its damaged state, tow it at no charge, and pay you at pickup. A same-day slot is often available.
The day before pickup
About two-thirds of Hillside homes are detached houses, so a dead car in Hillside is usually parked on private property. Alleys need 10 feet left clear and driveways can’t be blocked, so if the car is on an alley pad, mention it. Snow changes things too: at 3 inches, every street, alley and village lot is off limits until plowing ends, and any overnight permission is voided.
For paperwork, the title is easiest. If it’s lost, or tied up in an insurance claim, tell us where things stand and what papers you hold; we’ll confirm what Illinois rules allow before pickup.
Around Hillside
South past Mount Carmel and Queen of Heaven cemeteries, we cover Westchester; next door we tow in Bellwood. The full town list has everything else.
Selling a car in Hillside: common questions
Can I keep a crashed car in my Hillside driveway while the insurance claim drags on?
For about a week. Hillside zoning bans open storage of disabled or damaged vehicles for more than 7 days, even if they are waiting on repairs. If the insurer won't total it or the repair isn't worth doing, we can buy it as it sits.
Is a dead car on a Hillside street safe for a day or two?
Not really. Police may tow any vehicle left on a public street for 24 consecutive hours, and overnight parking is limited to 30 minutes between 2 and 6 a.m. without permission. Get it into a driveway or garage, then call us.
My car is stuck in a business parking lot in Hillside. Can it stay?
Hillside's code bars parking lots from holding abandoned, junked or partially disabled vehicles. Ask the lot owner for access, tell us where it is, and we'll arrange a free tow from there.