Vehicle left on private property

Lemoncurd

What is the legal position if a vehicle is left on your property?
A car has been left in front of our garage for 3 days now, we have no idea who it belongs to and haven't seen it around before. OH tried the doors and it is locked so maybe not dumped.
We can still get our car in and out of the garage (with a bit of extra manouvering) so it is more of an irritation than a major issue at the moment but I was wondering what we could do if it isn't removed. Do the same rules apply as if a car was left on a public road (whatever they are)? Would the council or police be able to help? If so how long would you leave it before reporting it?

Poolie

Have a word with the local police. Also get in touch with your local council and let them know a car has been abandoned blocking access to your property. They should be able to help

Bowdyjan18

if it's on you your land smash the window and move it.

peter_the_piper

Friend of ours had this and he just towed it into a local lane and reported an abandoned vehicle to the police. He would not have minded so much if the person had at least knocked and said he had broken down or whatever.

flutterbyuk25

If it's private property then the police or council can't help I'm afraid.

Have you asked your neighbours if any of them have any idea of who it belongs too or whether they saw it being parked?

You can write to DVLA to request the name and address of current keeper and then contact them to move the vehicle. You need form V888 and it costs £2.50, and takes about 2 weeks.

When I worked at DVLA I had caller with same problem as you, he rung back a week later and happened to come through to me again, he wanted to cancel his V888 form as the owner had come to collect his car. Turns out the car owner had been told by his friend that he could leave the car outside his friends garage for a week whilst the owner was on holidays. But the guy had got the wrong street!!

x

Halloway

Bowdyjan18 wrote: »

if it's on you your land smash the window and move it.

But only if you want a criminal conviction for criminal damage.

Chippy_Minton_2

Ring your local police as it may be a stolen vehicle.

maninthestreet

Flutterbyuk25 is right - if it's on private property, neither the police nor the council will really be interested. Even if it's stolen, you may have trouble getting the police interested at all. Does the vehicle have a valid tax disc? Any signs that the vehicle may have been stolen, such as damaged door locks and/or ignition damaged in any way?

Alias_Omega

Tow it out of the way..

Borrow a landrover / range rover, connect a rope to the front of it and drag it down the road, ensuring to leave flat spots on the tyres..

Or, get some of them like roller skate things for the wheels, ive seen them where you jack the car up, put them under the wheels and you can push the car around the garage. Move car down the road, and remove..

Though, i like the drag it out of the way option. Good for me.

chnelomi

Contact your local community police officer, My parents get this all the time and when they contacted the station they'd just shrug their shoulders but the CPO would come out and take the details and run checks on the vehicle and contact the registered keeper. It wouldn't be moved overnight though as usually it is not a priority.

Sometimes it would be a stolen car other time it was just an idiot who saw fit to park across the garage for a week to use the local transport links.
Good luck

when you call say it's a suspicious vehicle that must have been parked late at night, other wise they will not come till the car has disintegrated. :rotfl:

Chippy_Minton_2

maninthestreet wrote: »

Flutterbyuk25 is right - if it's on private property, neither the police nor the council will really be interested. Even if it's stolen, you may have trouble getting the police interested at all. Does the vehicle have a valid tax disc? Any signs that the vehicle may have been stolen, such as damaged door locks and/or ignition damaged in any way?

You really haven't got a clue have you?

Modern car? Transponder? Whay would the thief damage the door locks or ignition?