Abandoned car

sevenhills

A friend has a car near his house, it hasn't been taxed for 2 years. He lives in a terraced house behind a main road, there are houses facing the main road.

This car and my friends house is reachable by a short dirt track, so anyone can drive down this track. Does this car need to be taxed? The council council says it belongs to a garage around the corner.

I did inform DVLA it wasn't taxed, it's not SORN either.

Mr.Generous

I reported an old van dumped just off some parking spaces, no tax, 4 flat tyres, full of rubbish. I reported to police and council as when I reported it to each one they referred me to the other, so in the end I copy and pasted reply's to each of them claiming the other was responsible. I eventually got an email saying it would be removed.

It's still there 2 years later. It's near a rental property I have, loks an eyesore when I'm trying to let the place, I should report it again.

Mark_d

I don't think the car needs to be taxed but without SORN, I think you get an automatic fine

Bigphil1474

OP, the council normally deal with abandoned vehicles. It has to be abandoned though, and has to be on public land. Whether it has tax, MOT, insurance etc. is irrelevant, they can only remove a vehicle if it is no longer owned by anyone. They normally write to the registered keeper and stick a notice on the vehicle, and if they don't get a response, they might get round to removing it. Bear in mind it'll get scrapped and it costs the council money, they won't be in a rush to deal with it. If it's on private land, then the landowner is responsible although not obliged to remove it. Sounds like this might be parked up on private land and just needs SORNing by the owners. 

Ectophile

Bigphil1474 said:

OP, the council normally deal with abandoned vehicles. It has to be abandoned though, and has to be on public land. Whether it has tax, MOT, insurance etc. is irrelevant, they can only remove a vehicle if it is no longer owned by anyone. They normally write to the registered keeper and stick a notice on the vehicle, and if they don't get a response, they might get round to removing it. Bear in mind it'll get scrapped and it costs the council money, they won't be in a rush to deal with it. If it's on private land, then the landowner is responsible although not obliged to remove it. Sounds like this might be parked up on private land and just needs SORNing by the owners. 

Actually, a council has a duty to remove all abandoned vehicles in the open air, even on private land. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

It may take a lot of persuasion to get them to do it, though.

sevenhills

Bigphil1474 said:

If it's on private land, then the landowner is responsible although not obliged to remove it. Sounds like this might be parked up on private land and just needs SORNing by the owners. 

I need to visit the site and see exactly where it's parked. My friend called it private land, when he complained to the council, but not sure it is.

He said the council erected a no parking sign a few years ago, just looked on Google and it's at the entrance to the lane, it says, no parking - private land.

The lane is quite rough, tarmacked in places, not sure who did the tarmac.

I have emailed the council, just to endorse my friends own complaint, they should remove it, as its unroadworthy without an MOT and no tax.

born_again

Ectophile said:

Bigphil1474 said:

OP, the council normally deal with abandoned vehicles. It has to be abandoned though, and has to be on public land. Whether it has tax, MOT, insurance etc. is irrelevant, they can only remove a vehicle if it is no longer owned by anyone. They normally write to the registered keeper and stick a notice on the vehicle, and if they don't get a response, they might get round to removing it. Bear in mind it'll get scrapped and it costs the council money, they won't be in a rush to deal with it. If it's on private land, then the landowner is responsible although not obliged to remove it. Sounds like this might be parked up on private land and just needs SORNing by the owners. 

Actually, a council has a duty to remove all abandoned vehicles in the open air, even on private land. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

It may take a lot of persuasion to get them to do it, though.

Many area's have local elections in May. Now is the time to test your local councillors skills given the votes they need.

Bigphil1474

As per Ectophile's correction, the council are responsible. I was probably confusing fly tipping and abandoned cars. Either way, good luck.

sevenhills

Bigphil1474 said:

As per Ectophile's correction, the council are responsible. I was probably confusing fly tipping and abandoned cars. Either way, good luck.

They phoned me today to try to dodge responsibility, by saying they don't remove because it was on private land. After a conversation, they said they would do a visit.

Because I am not sure what is classed as private land. I would call it an unadopted road, as it is just land/road at the back of terraced houses. DVLA didn't want to deal with it, even though no tax and not SORN.

The garage across the road took it away on a trailer, I can see this happening again.

I know of a garage that parks unroadworthy cars, around 10, just on the roadside. But there are no houses, so no one complains.