Abandoned car – can I remove it?
My evicted tenant remains non-communicative and I’m just glad to have the empty property back. The neighbours now tell me a car in the communal private parking area belongs to the tenant. It has not moved for months and the keys are hanging up in the flat.
My letting agent wrote to the tenant and asked him to remove the vehicle with no response.
I’ve got a team starting next week on stripping out the flat and making it habitable for future tenants. They’ve offered to move the vehicle for me, but I don’t want to risk being accused of “stealing” it.
Does anyone know how to go about firmly establishing the car has been abandoned?
What do I need to do before I pay to have the vehicle taken away from private ground?
There is a second car in a public car park next to the flat, but I’m going to ignore that for now!
Any advice is welcome – I’m in Scotland.
Pamela
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Member Since December 2018 - Comments: 95
2:15 PM, 14th July 2022, About 4 years ago
Not sure of the process for Scotland but for England you can report it to the council and they put an abandonment notice on it and after a certain amount of time if not claimed they remove and chase registered keeper for the cost. I would imagine there is a similar process in Scotland
Member Since July 2014 - Comments: 53
2:32 PM, 14th July 2022, About 4 years ago
Certainly check with on the DVLA to see if the vehicle is registered/mot etc.
If not let them know.
Member Since February 2020 - Comments: 194
3:46 PM, 14th July 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by SimonR at 14/07/2022 – 14:15
The council would only do that if the car was on a public road. This is a private communal car park so the council won’t touch it.
It would be up to the management of the communal car park to determine what to do with the car. If the tenant has been legally evicted, then the tenant is not authorised to park in the car park and the management company would be able to have it removed after appropriate PCN notices . The OP should not touch the car themselves.
Member Since January 2018 - Comments: 11
4:31 PM, 14th July 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Smartermind at 14/07/2022 – 15:46
Hello
Some more information:
The tenant has been legally evicted.
We don’t have a management arrangement set up for the parking. There are 8 flats, and a shared area at the rear. This includes a communal garden and a large gravel area with room for a dozen cars to park.
The neighbours are keen to have the car removed but I’m reluctant to touch it without understanding what process I need to follow.
Any advice welcome! Thanks
Member Since February 2016 - Comments: 194 - Articles: 1
5:16 PM, 14th July 2022, About 4 years ago
Have a look at the vehicle’s info on
https://www.checkcardetails.co.uk/
If it’s roadworthy the info will be there. If it’s not roadworthy, it is likely that the tenants won’t be back for it.
Lord
Member Since November 2016 - Comments: 227
5:23 PM, 14th July 2022, About 4 years ago
According to the Government web site councils ‘must’ remove abandoned vehicles.
However, I’ve been there and the council say ‘DVLA’, they say ‘police’,they say ‘council.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities#duty-to-remove-abandoned-vehicles
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1435 - Articles: 1
11:03 PM, 14th July 2022, About 4 years ago
https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax
Just need the car registration.
If not taxed and parked on private land then police won’t move it. Is the car park private or council property ?
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 788
3:03 AM, 15th July 2022, About 4 years ago
Is the car insured and Taxed or Sorned ? Check using the link Judith above posted. What make and model is it? what year and what is it worth on the used car market?
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 185
4:13 PM, 16th July 2022, About 4 years ago
I have had this in two properties. In one case we simply released the handbrake and removed the car ourselves, parking it on the street about 50m away from the property.
In the second case it was in a private car park behind, similar to your case, and I did contact the council, and even though it was on private land they removed it for me.
There you go … two solutions!!
Member Since September 2022 - Comments: 1
2:40 PM, 23rd September 2022, About 4 years ago
I live in Glasgow and had the problem so there are a couple of things you can do.
1 call the police to check it’s not stolen then check the registration on the dvla site to see if it has tax and mot, if it’s not stolen has no tax or mot apply for a V5c at the dvla and once it arrives and you have the keys scrap the car and depending on make model and age you could receive 100s of pounds at least or sell if it’s your property.
2 remove it on to a public road and report it the council will take it away.