Selling a parent’s car
when they’ve stopped driving
The paperwork is simpler than people fear. The conversation usually isn't. Here's how both parts actually work.
- We'll come to them
- Owner signs, or their POA
- No pressure, ever
- Licensed Ohio dealer
This is different from settling an estate, and the difference matters at every step: your parent is alive, the car is legally theirs, and the decision is theirs to make. What families usually need isn't a faster transaction — it's knowing who can sign, what happens if a parent can't get to us, and how to do this without it becoming a fight.
Whose car it is, legally
Worth stating plainly because it shapes everything else. If your parent is on the title and has capacity to make their own decisions, it is their car and their decision. Not yours, and not ours.
That's not a technicality. We won't complete a purchase where the owner is present and doesn't want to sell, whatever the family has agreed among themselves. It's also the answer to a question we get asked: no, we won't help persuade anyone.
What we will do is give a straight, free valuation to whoever wants one, and explain the process to the person who has to make the decision rather than only to the family member who called.
Who can sign, in each situation
Four common cases. Ohio requires the seller's signature on the title assignment to be notarized in person, which is what makes the distinction matter.
- Your parent signs. Simplest. They're on the title, they have capacity, they sign in front of a notary. Everyone else is there for support and transport.
- Power of attorney. If your parent can't get to a notary or can no longer handle the paperwork, a properly executed POA lets an attorney-in-fact sign on their behalf. The document has to be valid and it has to cover this. Their attorney or an elder law attorney can confirm.
- Guardianship. Where a court has appointed a guardian, that person signs with the court documentation. More paperwork, entirely routine.
- Both parents on the title. Ohio issues titles with "and", never "or", so both sign. If one has died, that's an estate matter and a different route.
- Not sure which applies? Tell us the situation and we'll tell you what's needed before anyone travels anywhere.
We'll come to them
This is the practical thing most families need and it's free.
If getting to Caine Road is difficult — and it often is, which is usually related to why the car is being sold — we come to the house. Same appraisal, same process, same number.
The notarization still has to happen properly, and we'll explain how that works for your parent's situation when we schedule. It's the one step that can't be improvised, and it's better sorted beforehand than discovered on the day.
Assisted living and care facilities are somewhere we go regularly. Tell us what the arrangements are and we'll work around visiting hours and whatever the facility needs.
The conversation, if it hasn't happened yet
Not our area of expertise and we're not going to pretend otherwise. But we've watched a lot of families do this, and a few things are consistently true.
The car is rarely about the car. For someone who has driven for sixty years, it's independence, competence and identity sitting in the driveway. A conversation that treats it as an asset to be liquidated goes badly for reasons that have nothing to do with the money.
What seems to help: getting the valuation first so the conversation is about a real number rather than a vague one, and separating the decision from the transaction — a free appraisal with no obligation lets everyone find out where they stand without committing to anything.
What doesn't help: arriving with a buyer. If your parent hasn't agreed to sell, us turning up makes it worse.
There's no rush from our side. The offer holds for seven days, we don't chase, and if the answer is not yet, that's a normal outcome.
What a car that's been sitting needs
A vehicle that's been parked for a year or two has predictable issues, and none of them are your fault.
- The battery is probably dead. Almost guaranteed past a few months. Mention it and we'll come prepared.
- Tires flat-spot and perish. Rubber ages whether or not it turns.
- Brakes seize. Rotors surface-rust and calipers stick.
- Fuel goes stale past about six months, which affects whether it starts and how it runs.
- The car still has to run. That's our one condition alongside a clean title. If it won't start, it's usually the battery and that's a cheap fix relative to the value — ask us before spending anything.
- Low mileage helps. An older car with genuinely low miles and full records is often worth more than families expect. It's worth finding out before assuming otherwise.
Common questions
Can I sell my parent's car for them?
Only if you have the legal authority to sign. If your parent is on the title and has capacity, they sign — it's their car and their decision. If they can't get to a notary or can no longer handle the paperwork, a properly executed power of attorney lets you sign on their behalf, and the document has to cover this specifically. Tell us the situation and we'll say what's needed before anyone travels.
My parent is in assisted living. Can you come there?
Yes, we do that regularly and there's no charge. Tell us the facility and the arrangements and we'll work around visiting hours and whatever they require. The notarization still has to happen properly — we'll explain how that works for your parent's situation when we schedule, rather than leaving it to the day.
The car hasn't been driven in two years. Is it still worth anything?
Often more than families expect. Low mileage and full records on an older car are genuinely valuable, and a vehicle that sat in a garage rather than outside has usually held up well. Sitting does cause predictable problems — dead battery, flat-spotted tires, seized brakes, stale fuel — so mention how long it's been and we'll come prepared. It does need to run, and if it won't start it's usually the battery.
Will you pressure my parent into selling?
No, and we won't complete a purchase where the owner is present and doesn't want to sell, whatever the family has agreed. We'll give a straight valuation to whoever wants one and explain the process to the person making the decision rather than only to whoever called us. If the answer is not yet, that's a normal outcome and nobody will follow up.
How is this different from selling a car from an estate?
Your parent being alive changes the legal route entirely. An estate goes through probate or a transfer-on-death designation and the executor or surviving spouse signs. Here the owner signs, or their attorney-in-fact under a valid power of attorney does. If a parent has died, the estate page is the right one.
Do we have to decide right away?
No. The appraisal is free, there's no obligation, and the offer holds for seven days. Plenty of families get a number to find out where they stand, have the conversation over a few weeks, and come back later — or don't. We don't chase, and the number can be re-run for free whenever you're ready.
Find out where you stand
Send the year, make, model and rough mileage. Free, no obligation, and we'll tell you what's needed for your situation.
Or call (614) 321-1356 · 6780 Caine Rd, Columbus, OH 43235
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