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Abandoned vehicles
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Abandoned vehicles
If you feel that a vehicle has been abandoned or dangerous
then you can report it to the Council who will go and investigate
it. 
Vehicles you can report as abandoned
Here is a list of things that may indicate that a vehicle has
been abandoned, though this is not an exhaustive list, for a
vehicle to be abandoned it should meet most of the criteria
below:
- in disrepair
- burnt out
- without valid road tax
- been in the same place for more than three weeks
Important: If the vehicle just meets one of the
above criteria it does not always mean that the vehicle will be
removed.
Vehicles aren't classed as abandoned
- if your neighbour has gone on holiday (or in dispute with
them)
- parked across your driveway (this is known as an 'obstruction')
If you're unsure, please give our Customer Contact Centre a call.
Report an abandoned or dangerous vehicle
If you have found an abandoned vehicle you can report it by:
Please make sure you record the following details from the
abandoned vehicle.
- Exact location
- Registration number
- Make
- Colour
- Brief description of the state of the vehicle
Payment details
Its a free service provided by the Council.
What happens next?
An officer will usually inspect the vehicle within 24 hours
(apart from weekends). If the vehicle has been deemed
abandoned we put a notice on it. The vehicle will either get
a 24 hour notice, seven day notice or a fifteen day notice. A
notice is a document placed on the front of the windscreen
requesting the owner to remove or reclaim the vehicle. We
will do checks on the vehicle to try and establish the owner so
that we can contact them.
The length of notice of notice is determined by condition of the
vehicle and circumstance. Once the notice has expired and the
vehicle is still there, we will remove it to a compound for safe
storage or immediate destruction.
If it looks as though the vehicle is abandoned then we will try
to trace the owner and put a notice on it giving
them time to collect it. If they don't collect
within the notice period then the vehicle will be removed.
Can I be fined for abandoning my vehicle?
Yes and you may also get a criminal record.
Can the Council remove a vehicle from private land?
We can investigate these vehicles however we must have
permission from the land owner as we will have to go on to the
property to investigate it. If need be we will contact the
land owner.
Can you tell me where my car has been compounded?
Unfortunately we cannot tell you this for security reasons
unless you have paid for the return of your vehicle.
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