# Abondened vehicle help!



## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

Hi All,

I'd appreciate some advise, I have received a recorded letter from the council today to say my car is to be crushed tomorrow. Conveniently the letter was dated last Thursday, but due to the bank holiday arrived this afternoon - hence days. Tried phoning but after 4pm you have no chance in getting hold of someone from the council.

Background is the car is taxed and insured, but mot expired 6 months ago. I went on holiday for 3 weeks left the car near the station, dead battery. Ordered a replacement in total the car has been parked for 5 weeks. 

There has been no notes on the car, no letters in the post.

The cars worth £8k so will cry if it's crushed.

Is it right a car can be towed for no mot (not drive) any advice please.....


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

But why didn't it have an MOT if you was using it on a public road? 

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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

Completely forgot!


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## robertdon777 (Nov 3, 2005)

Phone in the morning first thing, pay the bill and hope the crushers are on a go slow.


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## sevenfourate (Mar 23, 2013)

Pay the bill, take a day off work and stand by the car to make sure it doesn't get towed while someone sorts you a battery out pronto.

8k for a day off is a good trade i'd say.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Book the car in for an MOT and you're legally allowed to drive it to the station with an expired MOT. 

I've not heard of people getting cars crushed for a lack of MOT.


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

sevenfourate said:


> Pay the bill, take a day off work and stand by the car to make sure it doesn't get towed while someone sorts you a battery out pronto.
> 
> 8k for a day off is a good trade i'd say.


Thanks, no idea where the car is stored though


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

Kerr said:


> Book the car in for an MOT and you're legally allowed to drive it to the station with an expired MOT.
> 
> I've not heard of people getting cars crushed for a lack of MOT.


Thanks that's what I thought, unless the law has changed


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

toddy2 said:


> Thanks, no idea where the car is stored though


Have they actually taken the car already?

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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

Sicskate said:


> Have they actually taken the car already?
> 
> Sent from my FRD-L09 using Tapatalk


Yep, car gone. I've had no notification prior to this.


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Why have they towed it away, have they stated that in the letter ? As far as i'm aware MOT isn't an issue for the local authority and road tax is down to the DVLA. The council can only move abandoned cars but i thought there was a set time. 

Get on facebook for your local authority and send them a message, i received a reply within an hour when i was querying parking charges.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Get on the phone to them first thing in the morning and pay it immediately. Get it booked in for an mot and you can legally drive it to the test garage. Think yourself lucky you haven't been pulled in last 6 6mths too.
Once sorted go onto DVLA site and sign up for Mot reminder e mails.


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## Floss (Feb 27, 2016)

I could write a war and piece reply to this but at the end of the day it’s your responsibility to make sure tax/MOT/insurance are valid (btw your insurance would be invalid with no MOT). Count yourself lucky that you still have a chance to get the car back, and make sure you take steps in future to avoid being in this situation again.


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

Well i hope you can stop the crushing; although I'm not sure why you'd leave a £8k car for 5 weeks and not expect anything to happen, more so with no MOT.


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## DLGWRX02 (Apr 6, 2010)

My daughter lost her car for the same issue, it was a month out of mot and she didn’t renew the tax as it was up for sale, and in fact a deposit of £100 had been paid to her and the day the buyer was meant to collect it in the evening, my daughter came home from work and a neighbour told her it had been lifted by the council and when she phoned them the next morning (was afte 5pm) they told her it was crushed as soon as it arrived back at the depot. So she had to return the deposit. The car was a 2002 206 gti. So about £1000 worth at the time.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Floss said:


> I could write a war and piece reply to this but at the end of the day it's your responsibility to make sure tax/MOT/insurance are valid (btw your insurance would be invalid with no MOT). Count yourself lucky that you still have a chance to get the car back, and make sure you take steps in future to avoid being in this situation again.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Your insurance is normally fine when you have no MOT. You won't get full market value of the car in the event of a total loss though.


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## garage_dweller (Apr 10, 2018)

Hope you get it sorted out.

I can't really comprehend why you wouldn't get a battery immediately on your return from holiday and pick your car up but I guess you have your reasons.


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## stealthwolf (Sep 24, 2008)

Slightly off topic, but is the council only limited to doing this to cars on public roads? Or could they take your car off your driveway and crush it? Asking out of curiosity more than anything else.


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## Sam6er (Apr 3, 2016)

They cant take vehicles from private land, only if your on public areas. 

Iv seen the DVLA with tow trucks before and cars on drives with no tax cannot be touched, but all the cars on the road were taken away 1 by 1.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Kerr said:


> Your insurance is normally fine when you have no MOT. You won't get full market value of the car in the event of a total loss though.


Not such much these days. In addition to the general conditions of keeping your vehicle in a safe and roadworthy condition, many Insurers now have a further condition that the vehicle must have a valid MOT in force.


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## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Shiny said:


> Not such much these days. In addition to the general conditions of keeping your vehicle in a safe and roadworthy condition, many Insurers now have a further condition that the vehicle must have a valid MOT in force.


That must be a recent change?

There has been numerous examples, and some recent, where drivers have been caught out with no MOT after an accident. They've all been ok.

It would make sense to have it as a term, but it's certainly not a term that is included in all policies.


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## Shiny (Apr 23, 2007)

Not in all, but in many, certainly over the last 10 years. More so with the non traditional insurance markets.

For example - Page 31, no 3 = https://documents.markerstudygroup....olicy-booklet-incepted-from-1st-July-2017.pdf


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Right,

I can't get my head around this to be honest. First, the council will only intervene if the car has been (reported as) abandoned. They have to conduct checks, and the very fact that they sent you a letter means that they're aware that the car had a registered keeper. If they found that out, they would have been able to ascertain that the car was taxed and had valid insurance too.

A car with no mot on a public road is a Police issue, not DVLA/DVSA or Council.

https://www.gov.uk/report-no-mot

I'm sorry if I've missed something, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Cooks

Edit- see Local Authorities' responsibilities 're abandoned vehicles. The only ambiguity I can see is surrounding the definition of significant. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-council-responsibilities

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## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

Claim on your insurance that the car has been crushed and they will claim off the council ?


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## Sicskate (Oct 3, 2012)

Any updates on this?

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## Floss (Feb 27, 2016)

Kerr said:


> That must be a recent change?
> 
> There has been numerous examples, and some recent, where drivers have been caught out with no MOT after an accident. They've all been ok.
> 
> It would make sense to have it as a term, but it's certainly not a term that is included in all policies.


I thought it was a general rule as I've had policies before where they've said the insurance is invalid without an MOT cert, although I've had a nosey at my current one and it doesn't actually state it... my bad 

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## sevenfourate (Mar 23, 2013)

Sicskate said:


> Any updates on this?
> 
> Sent from my FRD-L09 using Tapatalk


This........you get it back ok today ?

Legality and morality aside i hope you did. And you learn something from it....


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

**UPDATE**

Apologies for the lack of comms, been a stressful day - and I appreciate all the responses.

Managed to get through *just* before it was being crushed! Paid the fine immediately.

Still not convinced they have lawfully removed the car. As some note, no MOT _may_ invalidate your insurance, this is a separate matter and not one for the local authority.

The response I had back when initially challenging this was that they had a report of an abandoned vehicle (mine), due to their searches found it to have no MOT which in their words invalidates my insurance. They believed the vehicle to be abandoned and remove it, apparently they cannot obtain the registered owners details until it has been removed (I don't believe this).

Collecting the car tomorrow (some 70 miles from where it was taken!) taking along a new battery and have booked it in for a local MOT.

I don't feel they have followed due diligence in trying to contact me, the car was parked in a manner not causing obstruction nor contravening any parking restrictions, tyres fully inflated and in good condition.

I will be challenging and will let you know the outcome....


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## sshooie (May 15, 2007)

Anyone with due reason can request keepers details from the DVLA.


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

Cookies said:


> Right,
> 
> I can't get my head around this to be honest. First, the council will only intervene if the car has been (reported as) abandoned. They have to conduct checks, and the very fact that they sent you a letter means that they're aware that the car had a registered keeper. If they found that out, they would have been able to ascertain that the car was taxed and had valid insurance too.
> 
> ...


Thanks very helpful, that seems like my understanding too.


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

sshooie said:


> Anyone with due reason can request keepers details from the DVLA.


Exactly what I thought, too lazy I expect. Probably had an irrate resident and just wanted to satisfy them.


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

What really narkes me apart from the costs which I may or may not recover. It's the fact it's been weeks not months. Taking a day off and the hassle of going to collect it, probably now damaged (which they say cannot be claimed for).


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

I really hope it's not damaged.

Out of interest, what car is it?


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

2005 Mercedes SL 320.

Personal reasons why things have lapsed and parked up.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

toddy2 said:


> 2005 Mercedes SL 320.
> 
> Personal reasons why things have lapsed and parked up.


Nice car!!! Definitely worth saving.

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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

To be fair, if a strange car was outside mine for a week never mind 5 I'd be doing a check on it and then getting council/police involved.


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## Ruairi (Mar 30, 2017)

Darlofan said:


> To be fair, if a strange car was outside mine for a week never mind 5 I'd be doing a check on it and then getting council/police involved.


I live in Belfast, and if a car was lying around for a few hours, bomb squad is usually called 😂😂


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## Ruairi (Mar 30, 2017)

Glad to hear it’s been sorted. Now we’ll know not to run the risk ourselves


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Ruairi said:


> I live in Belfast, and if a car was lying around for a few hours, bomb squad is usually called


You may not believe this, but my dad was a paramedic and caused a bomb scare on Chichester Street as he had parked the Ambulance outside Marks and Spencer. An ambulance for flip sake lol.

Cooks

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## garage_dweller (Apr 10, 2018)

Glad you got it sorted.



> Paid the fine immediately.


What was the fine for? As you say legally parked, not causing an obstruction so don't understand why you were fined.

The council can't tow legally parked vehicles away then charge people to get them back for no good reason.


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

garage_dweller said:


> Glad you got it sorted.
> 
> What was the fine for? As you say legally parked, not causing an obstruction so don't understand why you were fined.
> 
> The council can't tow legally parked vehicles away then charge people to get them back for no good reason.


Aparently they can if they consider it worthless (cheeky sods!)

£150 towing, then £20 per day storage


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

***UPDATE***
For those following the thread, the saga continues.
Picked up the car yesterday from the compound, pre booked an MOT.
On route home when I needed to stop for petrol, went to a Sainsbury's filling station, filled up, paid, then battery dead and coolant leaking out. 
Called the AA, told the attendants, then 10 minutes later 3 police cars turn up for me!
Their whole attitude from the off, not a morning sir everything ok? Two stood either side of me, and one in front. I'm a big guy, but well presented. Straight away asking for ID, why I was here. They didn't ask about the MOT, not sure they had checked at that stage, but thought I better explain as it's bound to come back. Showed them it's booked in (near home), then they asked why some distance away, explained the situation about it being towed. They asked for document, which were on my phone. Starting showing the release note showing the date and address, they took the phone off me checking it.
Once satisfied they left. The plod need customer care lessons, I appreciate they probably deal with a lot of scrouts, but don't treat us all like that.

Lesson learnt, don't let the MOT expire!


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## GSD (Feb 6, 2011)

Jesus Toddy2 I would get rid of the lucky albatross key ring


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Why would 3 police cars turn up for a car that's broken down in a petrol station? Seems a bit strange/far fetched!!


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## BrummyPete (Jun 10, 2010)

Darlofan said:


> Why would 3 police cars turn up for a car that's broken down in a petrol station? Seems a bit strange/far fetched!!


Sounds mad doesnt it, where I work ive struggled to get one Police car round and thats when something has happened!


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## toddy2 (Jul 21, 2009)

Indeed, well over the top - can't work out what it was all about, and how they arrived so quickly. 

We were burgled last year and they didn't even come out!


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

Darlofan said:


> Why would 3 police cars turn up for a car that's broken down in a petrol station? Seems a bit strange/far fetched!!


Possibly because their records show it having been crushed ?

I'd double check with DVLA what the vehicle status is - although suspect the MOT centre may have to check that before they start work anyway


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