Cash for your junk car in Oak Forest

Oak Forest is right next door. From our Crawford Avenue location it’s a block north to 159th Street, then about a mile and a half west, so most Oak Forest addresses are only a few minutes away. That makes it one of the easiest places for a same-day pickup.

The city of Oak Forest

Oak Forest is a city of about 27,500 people (2020 Census) in Bremen Township. It borders Markham and Country Club Hills on the east and southeast, and Midlothian, Orland Park and Tinley Park on its other sides. Mail goes to 60452.

Roads you’ll use or hear:

• 159th Street (US 6), our route in, running east-west through the city.
• Cicero Avenue (IL 50), the main north-south road, and a short stretch of Harlem Avenue (IL 43) on the west.
• Central Avenue, the city’s main street, with City Hall, the police and fire stations, the library, the park district and Oak Forest High School.
• 147th Street, 167th Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
• I-57 crosses the southeast corner, with exits at 167th Street and at US 6.

Oak Forest landmarks

• The Oak Forest Metra station (Rock Island District) at 159th and Cicero, with city commuter lots on Cicero and Oak Avenue.
• The former Cook County Oak Forest Hospital site at the southeast corner of 159th and Cicero.
• Oak Forest High School and the civic buildings on Central Avenue.
• Pace routes 354, 364 and 383 serve 147th Street, 159th Street and Cicero Avenue.

Housing and where the car sits

About 68% of homes are single-family houses, but about 27% of units are in buildings with two or more units, most of them five or more. Around 82% of homes are owner-occupied. So pickups here split between driveways and apartment or condo lots.

For lot pickups, let the manager or association know a tow truck is coming. For driveways, tell us if the car is parked on the apron across the sidewalk: Oak Forest allows that for 24 hours after a snowfall of more than 2 inches (§ 73.02), but otherwise bans sidewalk parking from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Rules that matter around pickup day:

• Snow: no parking on any public street for 12 hours after 2 inches or more of snow unless the street has been plowed (§ 73.08).
• Parkways: no parking on a parkway or between a house and the street (§ 73.03).
• Heavy vehicles: over 8,000 pounds only in a garage, carport or surfaced parking space on residential property (§ 73.09). That matters for old work trucks and big vans.
• Posted no-parking stretches include Cicero Avenue from 149th Street to Route 6, and 163rd Street from Long Avenue to Central Avenue overnight.

Oak Forest’s abandoned vehicle rule

Oak Forest handles inoperable cars under its abandoned vehicle section, § 132.11. The definition is broad. It includes:

• a vehicle without a current valid license,
• a vehicle that’s wrecked, dismantled or inoperative, or
• one unmoved for 7 days or more.

Any of these is a nuisance on public or private property. It’s unlawful to leave one in public view for more than 7 days, and police can remove it 7 days after a warning, with the property owner paying for the removal. Vehicles kept in a building, operable historic vehicles over 25 years old, and wrecking or storage businesses are exempt.

Note the plates part. A car that would start but has sat on expired plates can fall under this rule. Our guide to inoperable car notices in the south suburbs compares Oak Forest with its neighbors.

City sticker

Oak Forest requires a current city sticker on vehicles housed in the city, valid July 1 to June 30. Once the car is sold, you won’t need one for it.

Next to Oak Forest

We also pick up in Markham to the east, Country Club Hills to the southeast and Posen to the northeast. Dead battery, seized engine or failed transmission? Our page on cars that don’t run covers how those are priced.