car stolen - trying to charge me even though i dont want it back!

Paul_Varjak

Even if you do not want to make a claim on your insurance you are still legally bound to inform the insurance company that your vehicle was stolen!

chuckley

OMG when ur car is stolen u have to pay to get it back?!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

fred-1234

iolanthe07 wrote: »

Why should you expect the police (i.e.us through council tax) to pay the storage costs?

because a) i did not ask them to take it away and b) i have been trying to get to the bottom of it for nearly a week, so the storage costs are excessive

fred-1234

Wig, I was not asked if I wanted it recovered and taken away. And from what I can gather so far (details are hazy as the police are not being very forthcoming), the car was left at the side of the road by the thieves.

To everyone else who is being unnecessarily critical, I hope you get your cars stolen 3 weeks before Christmas and then you can understand.

stoneman

I tend to broadly agree with Wig. I had this situation when my car was stolen, I reported it straight away, was never asked if I wanted the police to arrange recovery if it was found. The next thing I hear is that it was found 4 streets away parked up on the side of the road, not obstructing or dangerous. the police get a local company to recover it and they want about £200 off of me for recovery and storage. I totally ignored the recovery company and spoke directly to police superintendent or such like, argued with him that I was quite capable of walking the few streets with my spare keys and driving my own car home, and as they had not asked me when it was found if I wanted it recovered, then that was their tough luck and they had better get the recovery guys to release it pronto. I think I wore him down, must have been on the phone to him about 30 minutes badgering him, eventually he said he would advise the pound to release the car at no charge, but said that the police would probably have to pick up the tab, which I doubt.

DCFC79

You have to pay to get it back whether or not you would want it back or not, yopu dispose of it not the police or who ever is holding the car

Wig

That's exactly it, stoneman, the police don't think with common sense, stolen car found on the side of the road, not causing any obstruction, the first thing they should do is contact the owner. Arranging unnecessary expensive recovery without consent is bang out of order. And hopefully Joe Public finding himself in such circumstances would win a civil suit against the police to recover his costs, but the police would probably either lie about the circumstances it was found in or have some unfair automatic protection in law somewhere.

darich

Wig wrote: »

That's exactly it, stoneman, the police don't think with common sense, stolen car found on the side of the road, not causing any obstruction, the first thing they should do is contact the owner. Arranging unnecessary expensive recovery without consent is bang out of order. And hopefully Joe Public finding himself in such circumstances would win a civil suit against the police to recover his costs, but the police would probably either lie about the circumstances it was found in or have some unfair automatic protection in law somewhere.

A stolen car is uninsured and is therefore not allowed to be on the public road.
The police would have to remove it by law.

If the owner cannot uplift it for several days then storage costs will be due. The amount of storage costs is an other arguement but, in principle, i doubt the cops have done much wrong here.

Unfortunately, i dont think the OP has much choice but to pay the bill or claim the insurance.

darich

Wig wrote: »

To those here who don't understand the OP's complaint. Why should the OP be responsible for the actions of pond scum? Pondscum put the car where it was found, pondscum should be liable for the costs not the victim.

Completely agree.

However, most pondscum are never captured and even the few who are have no means of paying.

Wig

darich wrote: »

A stolen car is uninsured and is therefore not allowed to be on the public road.
The police would have to remove it by law.

I don't agree, if the car has a current policy covering it, it is covered, having been stolen or not. But, having said that, it becomes immaterial anyway. Even if it is not insured, the police have no right to seize the vehicle unless it is seen being driven. RTA S165A. Merely parked at the side of the road, does not allow seizure, all they could do would be to require the RK to provide evidence of insurance within 7 days. However in the event the car was reported stolen, the RK would have commited no offence unless the RK allows the car to remain in a public place for an unreasonable amount of time after having it's location made known to him/her.

The only exception AFAIK is if the car is in a dangerous or obstructive position, but even then I'm not sure they would be allowed to remove it completely if it was practicable to just move it a short distance to a safe position, providing it's not in a dangerous condition of course.

Unfortunately, i dont think the OP has much choice but to pay the bill or claim the insurance.

I think there is room for the OP challenge the police that he was not asked to consent to the vehicle removal, assuming it was in an otherwise safe place and condition.