Council destroyed my car full of belongings

mummyplus3

No wonder what is confusing?
I am/was planning to LOL sell the car when we moved as public transport is better where we are moving to so I wont need it as the OH has a car.

We've downsized into this HA house temporarily as the company that own the estate here sold off the house we were renting from them so we were made homeless, moved into this little house untill we found a house in the new area.

JimmyTheWig

Ok, so are the council admitting that they shouldn't have crushed it but have crushed it?

If so, what are they saying that they will do about it?
What do you want them to do about it? Will they do this? If not, why not?


Also, is there any proof that it has actually been crushed and that this bit wasn't just a misunderstanding?

mummyplus3

Yes the council have said it shouldnt of been destroyed but it has, its not been crushed but some weird thing they've done to suck all the petrol and oil out means that its not going to be able to go back on the road as the engine is no knackered and they've broken the locks etc to get into it to drain.

The woman at the council needs to speak to her manager to see where we go from here to get compensation for the car & what they are going to do about my belongings and the district council are speaking to the contractors to find out why they took the car from my parking space rather than where it was supposedly abandoned.

JimmyTheWig

I suggest that you wait and see what they say.

mummyplus3

Thanks for everyone help and advice I have spoken to a local solicitor who was really helpful and gave me some adivce on what to do now and it was easier to explain what had happened rather than confusing you lot! I'll wait and see what the council say next and then follow his advice. I hope some of you found some amusment in my predicament as from the outside it does seem a completly bonkers situation to be in!

sarahg1969

The fact that the vehicle was untaxed and that it was reported and was removed is all irrelevant now. The council admitted it was in the wrong, and agreed to store the vehicle, and then made the mistake of disposing of it. That's the only issue.

visidigi

someone at the council is telling porkies - draining a car does not make the contents infected - me thinks the people doing the clean up have had the contents...this issue could go in for quite some time as I suspect the various depts. will all start blaming each other...

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

An ex worked for a recovery company who held a number of abandoned vehicle contracts with local councils.

Basically, the driver whose area it was got a list of vehicles and their last known locations. If the vehicle was moved in that time and he spotted it on his travels, he was told to collect it unless the council specifically got in touch and said 'No, don't take it now'. Most of the time he was instructed to gain access by any means possible - ie, smash the window if you have to - and whatever a vehicle owner may say, get it on the back and get it to its final destination. He actually got commended for finding vehicles when the owners had moved them.

JimmyTheWig

Interesting stuff, Jojo.
I guess that, coupled with the fact that the OP hadn't moved far, explains why they took the vehicle.
[It doesn't explain why that's the policy for a car reported as abandoned, but fair enough.]

scheming_gypsy

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

He actually got commended for finding vehicles when the owners had moved them.

which is a bit strange if it's an abandoned vehicle.. If the owner has moved it then it'd put a question over the abandoned status especially if he had to smash the windows / doors to get into it.