By now you may know you can store a vehicle at an off-site location, but did you know you also have the ability to sell it off-site too? We have all seen them, the “tent sales” on local lots selling inventory away from the dealership. Although this process tends to be a little trickier than selling it off your regular lot, it can be done.
When sourcing your off-site sales location, it is imperative that you know the land use and zoning for that space. Not every open field or car park is able to host such an event. Your first stop will need to be at your local planning and permitting department, to make sure you can get the required permits from your city or county. Do this before you sign a possible lease, as you may find yourself stuck with a lot, and no sale. After you figure out the details of the location, you will need to determine how long your sale will be (can be issued for up to 10 consecutive days).
Once you have the all clear from your city/county, and you have the dates and permits to use your lot, then you will need to meet the requirements of Florida Statute 320.771(7) in order to obtain an Offsite/Supplemental license from your local Motorist Services Regional Office with the DMV. Further, please visit Florida Statue 320.3203(5) for a list of specific scenarios in which you could sell off property including whether the location is not on a dealer lot but is in conjunction with a public vehicle show, or the specific requirements for sales within another dealer’s designated area (including written permission), among other things.
Also don’t forget to check with your insurance carrier, you want to make sure that the cars going to your off-site sale, are still covered, both on your garage policy and any off-site test drives. Happy Selling!