Seventy-two hours goes quickly
Orland Hills moves fast once it decides a car is a nuisance. Its code covers inoperable and abandoned vehicles on public or private property alike, and after the owner gets written notice, the car must be disposed of in 72 hours. That’s three days to find a buyer, agree on a price and arrange a tow.
The definitions themselves are not harsh. A car is only “inoperable” once removed or altered parts have kept it from running for at least half a year, and “abandoned” means a car that’s broken down and undrivable, or one that has sat for seven days looking deserted. But when the letter comes, the clock is short. If you already know the car isn’t worth fixing, sell it before the notice shows up.
Pavement only
The village insists cars stand on hard surfaces. Residential parking has to be on asphalt or concrete, never grass or gravel, and no one may park in the strip between curb and sidewalk. Street parking ends once snow reaches an inch, and during street sweeping when signs go up a day ahead. Vehicles over 8,000 pounds can’t park on 88th Avenue at all.
For a pickup that’s handy: the car is almost always on a paved drive or in a garage, which is easy ground for a tow truck. The tow is free.
A small village between two big ones
The village started life as Westhaven on June 30, 1961, and it still fits into just 1.15 square miles squeezed between its two larger neighbors. Its original limits ran from 167th to 169th Street; annexations in the 1960s and 1970s pushed it north to 159th Street (US-6) and south to 171st Street. About four in five homes are one-unit houses, most of them owner-occupied, and Lake Ashbourne, Lake Lorin and Kelly Park are the local landmarks.
Stickers, papers and payment
Residents’ vehicles need a village vehicle license, so a dead car you’ve sold is one less sticker to buy next year. Payment comes at pickup. If you’d like a written record of the sale, our guide to an Illinois bill of sale for a junk car shows what it should include. Missing title? Describe the documents you have; before booking, we’ll go over what Illinois allows.
Right next door we also serve Orland Park and Tinley Park; our list of covered towns has the rest of the area.
Selling a car in Orland Hills: common questions
How fast must I act on an Orland Hills notice about my inoperable car?
Fast. Section 90.03 gives the owner 72 hours after written notice to dispose of an inoperable or abandoned vehicle. Call for a quote as soon as the notice arrives; same-day pickup is often possible, and the tow is free.
Can I move the junk car onto my lawn to free up the driveway?
No. Orland Hills bars parking on unpaved residential property, so the car has to stay on asphalt or concrete, and it can't sit between the curb and the sidewalk either. Leave it on the driveway or in the garage until the truck arrives.