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Original poster

Abandoned car mystery - WWYD

86 replies

Wotchaz · 15/12/2023 15:10

For the last 4 weeks there has been a car parked outside our house, it literally hasn’t moved. When it was originally parked it was quite busy so I suspect they thought it would be inconspicuous, but that was actually the only time in the week that there are ever cars parked there (youth football training over the road on a Sunday morning), so it’s very obvious.

It’s untaxed, and its MOT ran out a year ago. It’s parked over the edge of a bus stop so buses now can’t pull in and have to block the road to let people in/out.

After a couple of weeks we reported it to the police, who said that because the plates aren’t stolen they’re not interested. Have told the council because of the bus stop thing, and also reported the lack of tax.

But the really odd thing is that it’s got a buggy and a suitcase in the back, and when DH last night (on a whim) tried the door, he found it’s unlocked. There was a bit of folded up paper on the front seat which we looked at (in case it was a suicide note/something to indicate someone needed help), and it was a council tax notice for a property 40 miles away.

Is this sufficiently odd for us to contact the police again? It’s not bothering us being there, but the bus stop thing is causing a bit of chaos and I don’t expect the council to actually address it in any sensible timeframe since we report it through the same portal as for potholes and they definitely don’t get fixed! I find it really hard to think of any story that doesn’t involve it being stolen/abandoned and if it was my car I’d like to think that it wouldn’t just be ignored.

Alternatively DH has joked about sitting in it, releasing the handbrake and pushing it off the bus stop to an actual parking space but I don’t know if this is genius or highly illegal.

OP posts:
Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 15/12/2023 15:11

Untaxed then notify dvla. They deal with them really quickly.

whichwaytohome · 15/12/2023 15:13

As Alphabet said report to the DVLA. You can also report it on FixMyStreet, they will pass it on to the council. Do both.

Reallybadidea · 15/12/2023 15:25

If you can safely push it into a parking space then you'd be doing everyone a big favour.

megletthesecond · 15/12/2023 15:27

I'd email council, police and dvla and all local councillors with photos. Abandoned cars are a nightmare in our estate and take weeks for them to sort out, police say it's council, council say it's police....

Iheartmysmart · 15/12/2023 15:29

The police won’t be interested unfortunately. I reported an abandoned Range Rover which was in our private car park for months. The number plate showed as unrecognised on the DVLA website. They were similarly uninterested when the same car miraculously changed number plates overnight and had an MOT despite not ever moving from the space.

runarownd · 15/12/2023 15:34

megletthesecond · 15/12/2023 15:27

I'd email council, police and dvla and all local councillors with photos. Abandoned cars are a nightmare in our estate and take weeks for them to sort out, police say it's council, council say it's police....

There's no need to contact anyone other than the local council - it is their responsibility. They will have a form for it on their website.

megletthesecond · 15/12/2023 16:33

run after I did that they told me to contact police. Hence me then cc'ing everyone into it and getting the local councillors involved to give them all a rocket up their backsides.

whatsappdoc · 15/12/2023 17:21

We have an abandoned van outside our property that appeared a month ago. We reported it to the council and they got back to us and said they'd traced the owner who knew it was there and that was the end of their involvement even though it is untaxed. We contacted the dvla who after 2 weeks have come and put a notice on the windscreen saying 'untaxed vehicle'. Goodness knows what happens next! Does someone actually come and take it away? How many months? It's started to get vandalised; smashed windows and a puncture. It doesn't help that we are trying to sell our house so it looks lovely if potential viewers are doing a drive past!

BoobyDazzler · 15/12/2023 17:24

Your local councillor should be able to help you with this. Ours is brilliant for putting a bomb under the police/councils.

DottyLottieLou · 16/12/2023 09:16

Report it on fixmystreet.

littlefireseverywhere · 16/12/2023 09:17

The moving it into a parking space is a good idea, so it’s not a hazard etc.

WrongWayApricot · 16/12/2023 09:39

You know that if you or I had parked like that to nip in the shop it'd be towed in 5 seconds flat and the buggy would have been stolen 😑

Isobel201 · 16/12/2023 09:46

I had an abandoned ice cream van parked on the street I lived on, it was causing a problem with space for parking. I looked up its details and saw it was untaxed, so reported it to DVLA and within two days it was gone.

Turtletoe · 16/12/2023 09:49

If it hasn't been suggested yet, check the vin number on the window screen. You can check the vin matches the reg on display and it'll tell you if it's reported stolen

Turtletoe · 16/12/2023 09:52

Type the vin into isitnicked.com

HurdyGurdy19 · 16/12/2023 09:55

Depends on how deep you want to take your Miss Marple-ing 😃

As you have seen the council tax notice, you could contact/join a Facebook group for that area, and ask if anyone knows the owner, or if someone has had a car stolen, etc.

Releasing the handbrake and moving it away from the bus stop is a clever idea.

mumda · 16/12/2023 09:55

If it would stop a fire engine then ring the local station (not 999…) and tell them you're worried it's blocked the road for them

They will come and sort it out.
They used to come and deal with bad parking on our street because people park like knobs and the firemen would rather deal with bad parkers outside of an emergency.

Original poster
Wotchaz · 16/12/2023 09:56

Thanks everyone. We reported it for no tax 2 weeks ago and nothing yet. Agree that the bus stop issue is council and it’s been reported directly and through fix my street, but I’m not holding my breath for them to do anything about it soon.

At least it’s school holidays now so the school buses won’t be trying to pull in too.

@Turtletoe that’s a good idea, I’m convinced there’s something dodgy going on because who leaves their car unlocked on a street for a month, but the police’s default response is that it’s just parked.

Might give it another couple of weeks then shift it ourselves before the schools come back if it’s still there.

OP posts:
PopandFizz · 16/12/2023 10:01

I would just push it back if its easy enough to do. It's not hurting anyone to do that and is making peoples lives easier.

Also have yoj thought of trying to contact the person on the council tax letter? It has their name and address on right. I'd have a little Facebook check and see if they know the car is there.

Imisssleep2 · 16/12/2023 13:59

If you can get in the vehicle, maybe try to find the chassis number as plates maybe fake, hence why not showing up as stolen.

If police still not interested, I would just report for no tax/insurance to DVLA everyday till they sort it.

A third option, send a letter to the address for the council tax and say is reg ?????? Your car, do you know it's located on ........road in case it's been stolen as been there a while unmoved......

Atina321 · 16/12/2023 14:13

Push it fully into the bus stop then it is parked illegally and the bus company will get someone to move it then.

Charlotte19891 · 16/12/2023 14:15

Or push it fully into the bus stop, they will soon come out to pick it up.

housethatbuiltme · 16/12/2023 14:29

My worry with moving it (or going in it like you have) is that you will have left finger prints etc...

If it turns out to be dodgy (hit and run - if you run over someone on the ground theres no damage, used in crime/getaway, unreported theft/missing person etc...) then you have possibly destroyed evidence and put yourself as suspect.

DustyLee123 · 16/12/2023 15:32

I’d push it into the bus stop or double yellows, it’ll soon get moved then.