Abandoned vehicles
If you are concerned please advise us:
Why hasn't the 'Police Aware' sticker been removed from a car despite it being there for a long time?
The police may still have an interest in the vehicle.
An untaxed car is blocking the parking space near my home and appears to belong to no resident nearby. Can you arrange for its removal?
We can remove it only if our inquiries cannot locate the vehicle's owner.
If someone owns it, then we cannot take action. If this happens you will need to contact your landlord or take civil action through the Courts.
Does the Council charge a fee when handling abandoned vehicles?
Yes. See the fees below.
Fees for the removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles
| Type | Set by | Fee/Charge 2016/17 |
|---|---|---|
| Removal | Statutory: Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 Removal, Storage & Disposal of Vehicle (Prescribed Sums & Charges) Regulations 1989 as amended | £105 (removal) |
| Storage (per day) | Statutory: Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 Removal, Storage & Disposal of Vehicle (Prescribed Sums & Charges) Regulations 1989 as amended | £12 (storage per day) |
| Disposal | Statutory: Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 Removal, Storage & Disposal of Vehicle (Prescribed Sums & Charges) Regulations 1989 as amended | £85 (disposal) |
Schedule of Abandoned Vehicles Fees - Road Traffic Act 1988 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2008
Table 1 - Regulation 6(2)
| Vehicle position and condition | Vehicle equal to or less than 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass (MAM) | Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tonnes MAM | Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 tonnes MAM | Vehicle exceeding 18 tonnes MAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle on road, upright and not substantially damaged or any two wheeled vehicle whatever its condition or position on or off road | £150 | £200 | £350 | £350 |
| Vehicle, excluding a two wheeled vehicle, on road but either not upright or substantially damaged or both | £250 | £650 |
Unladen - £2000
|
Unladen - £3000 Laden - £4500 |
| Vehicle, excluding a two wheeled vehicle, off road, upright and not substantially damaged | £200 | £400 |
Unladen - £1000
|
Unladen - £1500 Laden - £2000 |
| Vehicle, excluding a two wheeled vehicle, off road but either not upright or substantially damaged or both | £300 | £850 |
Unladen - £3000
|
Unladen - £4500 Laden - £6000 |
Table 2 - Regulation 6(3)
| Two wheeled vehicle | Vehicle, not including a two wheeled vehicle, equal to or less than 3.5 tones MAM | Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tones MAM | Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 tones MAM | Vehicle exceeding 18 tones MAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £20 | £25 | £30 | £35 |
How do I report an abandoned vehicle?
We will accept reports from the members of the public police, or owners of land about vehicles abandoned on the highway, private roads, private property, or council-managed property.
We will need the following information to process the report, which will include:
- name
- address
- telephone number location of the vehicle
- colour
- registration number
- make and model
- the vehicle's general condition
- how long the vehicle has been at the site for
We will ask you if you know:
- who the owner of the land is
- where the vehicle is situated
- who might be the last owner of the car
- who may have left it there
How to spot an abandoned vehicle
- are any of the tyres flat, or are any of the wheels missing?
- is there litter or any other sign under the vehicle indicating that it has not moved for some time?
- is the windscreen or any of the windows broken?
- Is there any mould on either the inside or outside of the vehicle?
- does the vehicle contain waste items, including tyres, old newspapers, or general rubbish?
- does the vehicle have number plates?
- can you tell if the vehicle has been hot-wired (driven without keys by connecting ignition wires)? A common sign of hot-wiring would be wires hanging from the dashboard.
- has the vehicle been vandalised? [Note: Exterior vandalism might include dents in bodywork, graffiti, and removal of bumpers/spoilers. Interior vandalism might consist of stealing the radio or slashing seat covers.]
- has a vehicle you and your neighbours have never seen suddenly appeared on your road, and no one is claiming ownership?
I only recently bought the vehicle and have not yet informed the DVLA of the change in ownership. Can you return my car to me at no cost?
No, because you and the person you bought the car from have a duty to inform the DVLA immediately that there has been a change of ownership. If no owner can be traced, it is reasonable for us to consider that it has been abandoned.
Is it against the law to abandon a vehicle?
Yes, under the terms of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, abandoning a vehicle is a criminal offence. It carries a penalty upon conviction of a fine of up to £2,500, 3 months imprisonment, or both. We can also claim back the cost of removing and disposing of the vehicle.
My car was stolen, and now the council has it in storage. Can the council return it to me at no cost?
Yes but only if you notified the police and your insurance company immediately when your vehicle was stolen, and we confirmed this.
We would have notified your insurance company, which is responsible for paying any costs resulting from the removal of the vehicle.
If your car were not damaged, your insurance company would return it to you at their expense.
Once the council has received an abandoned vehicle complaint, how long will it take to remove the vehicle?
The council will remove the vehicle as quickly as the law permits. This can take between 3 and 20 days.
What happens when an abandoned vehicle is reported?
An officer will visit the vehicle and make local enquiries to trace the owner, complete a condition report, and assess whether the car is a wreck (i.e., whether it should be destroyed or labeled as a runner). If appropriate, we will issue a 24-hour notice on the vehicle. A council representative will take pictures of the vehicle and an inventory of its contents. We will contact the DVLA and make Police PNC enquiries to trace the vehicle's registered keeper.
Vehicles abandoned on private land
If the vehicle is on private land, we will serve a 15-day notice to the owner. If the vehicle is a wreck, we will serve a 24-hour destruction notice to run concurrently with the 15-day notice. The owner can object in writing, in which case we can take no further action. If no objection is received, we will remove the vehicle.
Vehicles abandoned on open public land
If the vehicle's registered keeper is known, we will serve them with a 7-day notice.
If the vehicle is still in situ on the expiry of the 7-day notice, we will remove it and notify the police. If no tax was displayed or expired at least 14 days before removal, the vehicle can be disposed of at any time after removal.
Where the registered keeper is unknown, we will remove and destroy any untaxed vehicle after 14 days.
If the vehicle is a wreck and the owner is known, a 24-hour Destruction Notice will be attached, and a 7-day notice will be served to the owner.
Where the wreck's owner is unknown, we will attach a 24-hour Destruction Notice to the vehicle and provide instructions for removal and disposal to a contractor. We will also notify the police of the removal.
When is a vehicle considered abandoned?
The council considers a vehicle abandoned if it appears to have been given up or forsaken. It will have been left for a significant period and will not be taxed. We must be satisfied that the vehicle has been left with no intention of being removed within a reasonable period.