Abandoned Irish vehicle outside property in SW London

eastcorkram

Beaky2000 said:

Ooooh! So maybe I have a way in. There is no current tax disc displayed. Only oldies.

It should also be displaying an insurance disc, and an NCT (MOT) disc. 

Beaky2000

Thank you! I’ll write back to the council with more photos and reference the car tax laws for RoI with a website & see where we go. 

Beaky2000

Digging a bit deeper, the car can only run on ROI plates for 6 months. It should then be registered with the DVLA and new plates attached. Considering it’s been outside for nearly 5 months, I think it’s not sitting legally. 

Bigphil1474

OP, don't confused abandoned vehicle with illegal vehicle - very different issues enforced by different people.

Councils have strict rules for removing abandoned vehicles, mainly because they have to pay for everything as there's nobody to bill. It's been a long time since I had any dealings with abandoned vehicles, but we used to write to the last known registered keeper, and post a notice on the vehicle, and we had to wait three months before we could do anything. We'd then visit and assess whether it looked abandoned but that was usually at least 6 months later as the best outcome was that someone claimed it. There was nothing about deflated tyres and plates falling off in our rules, but if there was no up-to-date RK AND nobody responded to the notice AND it was parked on public land AND it looked abandoned, it would eventually get lifted away. 

Beaky2000

Thank you. 

I think it’s both abandoned & illegal. 

The council have already been out to assess against their criteria:

Following inspection, it has been determined that this vehicle does not meet the Highways criteria to be considered abandoned.

Please note the following categories are generally associated with abandoned vehicles:

 

• Stationary for a significant amount of time (at least two months)
• Significantly damaged, run down or unroadworthy
• Burned out
• Lacking one or more of its registration plates
• Build-up of dirt around vehicle

 

Please note if the first two conditions are not met, the vehicle will not be classed as abandoned and therefore, we will be unable to remove it.

I am going to follow up with the parking enforcement team with the unpaid tickets as a way in. I did think about the ££ aspect. I know it’s not priority. 

Bigphil1474

I think you were probably talking to someone who doesn't know what they are doing. From your description, the first 2 conditions have been met, so they must class it as abandoned (based on their own rules). They can't say it can't be classed as abandoned if it doesn't meet the first 2 rules and that it can't be classed as abandoned if it does meet the first 2 rules. It's one or the other. They can't also require all those conditions to be met as not every abandoned car has to be burned out etc. 

Penelopa.Pitstop

There was recently case in Crawley, where car was parked on industrial estate, was a bit dirty, but in good condition and somehow local council agreed it's abandoned and sent recovery vehicle. Not sure how long it was parked there, as it was initially coming and going, but then just stayed in place. 

Now, there's another car which is parked beside the one that was removed and it has yellow removal notice on the windscreen. This one isn't that long there at all, maybe max 2 months. Also in good condition, just became dirty. It close to Gatwick, so sometimes people park there and leave cars for some time. 

So it's strange, that some councils have different criteria than others. 

Merry_Mawkin

I have the same problem with Bexley council car been left since before Xmas. False number plates ,flat tires, wing mirror broken reported in February council replied reported to DVLA not their problem, police not interested reported twice more since then still nothing been done just waiting for someone to set fire to it. Surely it will cost the council more to deal with a burnt out shell than a compete vehicle as the dismantlers would take it off their hands.  

Herzlos

For a UK registered car, you can always apply for a new V5, and then when you own it, get a scrap yard to collect it. 

I don't think there'd be anything illegal about it, but I'd use something like a mailbox account for it incase the original owner took offense. 

akm2018

Beaky2000 said:

Thank you. 

I think it’s both abandoned & illegal. 

The council have already been out to assess against their criteria:

Following inspection, it has been determined that this vehicle does not meet the Highways criteria to be considered abandoned.

Please note the following categories are generally associated with abandoned vehicles:

 

• Stationary for a significant amount of time (at least two months)
• Significantly damaged, run down or unroadworthy
• Burned out
• Lacking one or more of its registration plates
• Build-up of dirt around vehicle

 

Please note if the first two conditions are not met, the vehicle will not be classed as abandoned and therefore, we will be unable to remove it.

I am going to follow up with the parking enforcement team with the unpaid tickets as a way in. I did think about the ££ aspect. I know it’s not priority. 

So, hypothetically speaking of course, if all four tyres were slashed and it was sitting on its rims, that would count?