Untaxed vehicle parked illegally

biffchipandkipper

There's a car packed directly outside my home which has not moved in several months. I live in a small cul-de-sac which is already pretty congested with cars. More often than not I am happy to park my car some distance away from my home. Under normal circumstances I would no more than a little miffed and inconvenienced - with everyone paying their road tax then so be it.

However, I checked the DVLA site and it turns out the car's tax expired back in July 2017. On research I've learned that if a car is untaxed then it cannot be stored on a public road. The car belongs to our new neighbours who moved in at the end of October 2017 meaning they would have had to drive the car without tax to its current location and that is where it's remained since then.

I reported the car to the DVLA through their website and advised of it's exact location. I called DVLA to ask about the process and they said they would write to the registered address of the car but if the owners had not notified DVLA of a change of address (it's unlikely the owners have done this) there was effectively nothing they could do. I pushed this further and reminded them that I had informed them of the exact location of the car so whether the owner had told the DVLA about a change of address or not is not important. At which point they said its in the hands of their compliance team and the timescale for any action to be taken is likely to be lengthy.

The neighbours in question are council tenants. I looked into options with the local authority but it looks like they would only take action if the vehicle is 'abandoned'.

Generally, my neighbours are not very nice people. When they first moved the man acted aggressively towards myself after I politely requested his child not play on their scooter next to my car as it had been scratched in the past because of this. So effectively any communication is not really possible. I would not put myself in such a position where they would be given an opportunity to intimidate.

Overall, I can't see any other options but was hoping others may have some advice on alternative paths to take; or if they have had similar experiences and how it was resolved (or not).

Thanks :sad:

Aylesbury_Duck

biffchipandkipper wrote: »

There's a car packed directly outside my home which has not moved in several months. I live in a small cul-de-sac which is already pretty congested with cars. More often than not I am happy to park my car some distance away from my home. Under normal circumstances I would no more than a little miffed and inconvenienced - with everyone paying their road tax then so be it.

However, I checked the DVLA site and it turns out the car's tax expired back in July 2017. On research I've learned that if a car is untaxed then it cannot be stored on a public road. The car belongs to our new neighbours who moved in at the end of October 2017 meaning they would have had to drive the car without tax to its current location and that is where it's remained since then.

I reported the car to the DVLA through their website and advised of it's exact location. I called DVLA to ask about the process and they said they would write to the registered address of the car but if the owners had not notified DVLA of a change of address (it's unlikely the owners have done this) there was effectively nothing they could do. I pushed this further and reminded them that I had informed them of the exact location of the car so whether the owner had told the DVLA about a change of address or not is not important. At which point they said its in the hands of their compliance team and the timescale for any action to be taken is likely to be lengthy.

The neighbours in question are council tenants. I looked into options with the local authority but it looks like they would only take action if the vehicle is 'abandoned'.

Generally, my neighbours are not very nice people. When they first moved the man acted aggressively towards myself after I politely requested his child not play on their scooter next to my car as it had been scratched in the past because of this. So effectively any communication is not really possible. I would not put myself in such a position where they would be given an opportunity to intimidate.

Overall, I can't see any other options but was hoping others may have some advice on alternative paths to take; or if they have had similar experiences and how it was resolved (or not).

Thanks :sad:

All you can do is wait for the DVLA to act and if they don’t, keep on at them, although the outcome might simply be that the neighbour pays a fine and the tax and the car remains there lawfully. You’d be no better off.

neilmcl

I'd contact the council as well regardless of whether you know who the owner is.

biffchipandkipper

I know. But at least if the tax is paid then I can’t grumble about it.

I wouldnt mind as long as everyone was playing by the rules and it’s clear it doesn’t apply to some folk.

Other than what I’ve mentioned is there no action the local authority could take? I mean - one of their tenants has illegally parked on their road. Surely they have some element of responsibility!

unforeseen

Just report it as abandoned. You don't have to tell them who owns it.

biffchipandkipper

unforeseen wrote: »

Just report it as abandoned. You don't have to tell them who owns it.

I don't think the council will see it as being abandoned if it's sat more or less outside the owner's home. I'll report it anyway but don't have much hope a positive resolution.

Also, in the form that you have to fill in it asks questions about whether it has flat tires or whether there's rubbish inside so it doesn't really look abandoned - just looks like a parked car.

wgl2014

May be worth asking for a visit from your local PCSO or neighborhood Police Officer.
Depending on your forces local policies they may come out and either ask the neighbors to sort it or get it lifted.
(They may also be totally uninterested and refer you back to the DVLA)

jimmy_cricket

There was a car parked at the bottom of our cul de sac road. No number plates, old banger filled with rubbish.
It had been there for months so I contacted the local council through their website as abandoned. A few weeks later they responded to say it wasn't an abandoned car. Still there six months later.
Whether it is taxed or not I have no idea as, as said, it doesn't have number plates

Johno100

biffchipandkipper wrote: »

I don't think the council will see it as being abandoned if it's sat more or less outside the owner's home. I'll report it anyway but don't have much hope a positive resolution.

Also, in the form that you have to fill in it asks questions about whether it has flat tires or whether there's rubbish inside so it doesn't really look abandoned - just looks like a parked car.

Has it got a valid MOT, is it insured? Things like this will help to strengthen (or weaken) the case that it is an abandoned vehicle.

theoretica

Another vote for report it to the council. I recently did this with an untaxed vehicle that had been left parked for months - it hasn't gone yet, but the email back acknowledged it was the sort of thing they might deal with.

inglorius

Why don't you get up in the small hours, secretly set fire to the car until its a burnt out shell then retire to bed. Problem solved.