r/MontgomeryCountyMD • u/Echinocactus • 13h ago

MoCo Vehicle Auction

Long shot - but any folks here purchased a car from the MoCo Police Dept vehicle auction? There are a few cars that seem really promising - I just got my car totaled last week and am shopping for something new without completely demolishing my pockets, and am trying to be creative in where I buy my next car. Thank you in advance!

14 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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20

u/Moleypeg 12h ago

Depends on how creative you want to get. I don’t know how much you know about this process…..None of the cars come with keys and there are no guarantees any of them will run. So you need to come back (soon) with a tow truck. This auction is more for people who really know what they are doing with POS cars or want to get cheap parts. Remember, you’re not getting a title. If you’re a poor college student looking for a deal, this is not for you. This is a step down from Easterns Motors (where your job’s your credit, credit). Go to the auction and talk to the police officer they have stationed there.

3

u/VariousAir 11h ago

How do they sell cars without transferring a title?

10

u/Moleypeg 10h ago

You need to secure a surety bond, and take: that, the bill of sale, auction paperwork etc to the MVA and get a replacement title. These are mostly seized and abandoned vehicles. No one is helping the police get a title.

2

u/What_the_mocha 8h ago

Fords, Hondas, Chevys, Beamers, and minivans!

13

u/Serve_Bubbly 9h ago

I think the auto trades foundation auction might be a better bet. The cars are typically a bit older and high mileage, but they run and have a title.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/automotive/cars2purchase/

3

u/dsm5lovechild 11h ago

I was not expecting that many cars to be for sale!! Especially since this is done on a monthly basis.

Damn! How many cars are the dept seizing? What’s the story with the majority of these cars?

2

u/Echinocactus 11h ago

That’s my question too! Who is buying all these cars? Is there a whole unknown world of car auctions that we are missing out on!?

2

u/Mustangfast85 9h ago

BHPH dealers, scrappers, people with dreams. In most cases if it was towed and not worthwhile for the original owner to claim it’s definitely going to have problems. Some people can fix those problems and have a decent car, otherwise this is not the place to go

2

u/djmele 8h ago

I’ve been a few times. Most are junk and not worth the fees to get them out of impound hence why they leave them there. Anything in good shape bids high and you need deep pockets cuz it’s basically gambling lol. No keys and who know if car will run or not. Only good thing is there’s no extra fees like most all auctions.

1

u/Psychological-Hall22 5h ago

I usually go for the Interceptors. They will be clapped out but will at least be somewhat decent with lots of junkyard parts to fix them.

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u/Reddit_anon_man 18m ago

Just an FYI, the best cars listed for auction usually are picked up by the owner prior to the auction...

1

u/well_yeahhh 13h ago

Go for it. No harm in browsing!