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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:
NeedToChangeName · 16/12/2023 15:36

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.

Agree with this

I'd be very cautious about leaving fingerprints in a vehicle, when you already think there's something odd going on

LiverpoolLassie1974 · 16/12/2023 15:43

Have you looked inside the suitcase?

InSpainTheRain · 16/12/2023 16:09

Are you near an airport? We sometimes get people parking their car on the road and taking a cab to Heathrow... just to save on the car parking. Maybe they would leave it unlocked if in a hurry.

GuitarGeorgina · 16/12/2023 16:19

We had one outside our house for months. Turned out it had been driven by someone who shouldn’t have been driving for health reasons, who was then taken ill and went off in an ambulance. They weren’t able to come back to collect the car because the police were then aware that they shouldn’t be driving.
There was a great long process whereby the police had to report it to someone else who then had an allow a certain amount of time before they were allowed to recover the vehicle. My village FB page was very over-invested in this!

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 16/12/2023 16:23

I don't know, maybe move it out of the bus-stop into a parking spot using the handbrake whilst wearing gloves? Your fingerprints must be all over the car already, mind you, given that you opened the door and looked at the letter.

floofbag · 16/12/2023 16:44

I'd go to the address on the paper .

Fluckle · 16/12/2023 16:53

Jesus bloody wept so few people read a post properly these days.

Aaaaaanyway... We had this minus the suitcase and note. Did what you did. Nothing happened. We found that writing to the relevant area councillor telling them what we'd done to date got it sorted and towed within a week or so. Good luck, as maybe we were lucky with our councillor being proactive.

DragonMama3 · 16/12/2023 16:54

report to local council as abandoned. You're not in Alnwick are you?

topnoddy · 16/12/2023 17:17

I'd post on here !

Why not call the police as it's untaxed and no MOT . They will come and put a nice little sticker on saying they are aware of it

whatausername · 16/12/2023 17:29

topnoddy · 16/12/2023 17:17

I'd post on here !

Why not call the police as it's untaxed and no MOT . They will come and put a nice little sticker on saying they are aware of it

Evidently not.

NeonSoda · 16/12/2023 17:31

you've potentially got the owners address on the council tax letter.

phone their local area and lodge a concern for welfare. The police will visit and check they’re ok.

RudsyFarmer · 16/12/2023 17:35

I wouldn’t be putting my finger prints all over it if there’s a chance it’s stolen. Could you go to the local rag as though it’s a mystery? Get some press attention.

MadeOfAllWork · 16/12/2023 17:39

RudsyFarmer · 16/12/2023 17:35

I wouldn’t be putting my finger prints all over it if there’s a chance it’s stolen. Could you go to the local rag as though it’s a mystery? Get some press attention.

If it was stolen I would expect the police to be interested.

wite · 16/12/2023 17:43

Open the suitcase

Sodapop1 · 16/12/2023 17:54

Its probably stolen, we had a car like this on our street for a while. Most of the neighbours reported to the DVLA and eventually they came and removed it, at about 3am waking everyone up! I second going to your local councillor if you know who they are, ours is helpful resolving these sorts of problems.

NillyNoMates · 16/12/2023 18:07

Have you tried to contact the people named on the paperwork inside?

housethatbuiltme · 16/12/2023 18:17

MadeOfAllWork · 16/12/2023 17:39

If it was stolen I would expect the police to be interested.

Show quote history

Police would only know if its reported.

It has no tax, MOT, insurance it might have been SORN.

My old classic that had a fault that I couldn't fix and would cost too much and be a pain to find the part and I needed a new more reliable car anyway so I parked it up on a family members unused farm field (which was a rural) SORN for a few months until I found a buyer willing to take it on.

If someone had nicked it from my family's plot I would have had no clue, it was 40 minutes from my house and I wasn't driving all the way out to check on it on regularly.

CleaningAngel · 17/12/2023 09:24

floofbag · 16/12/2023 16:44

I'd go to the address on the paper .

I was going to suggest this. Turn up at the house!! I would also of had to look in the suitcase!!
For all the people staying released hand brake and push it out the way, you won't get far as the steering lock will come on, even with a very slight turn of steering wheel.

waterdusky · 17/12/2023 10:47

We had this but after 6 weeks the police moved it but it was parked on double yellows. It turned out the owners had left the country. Nothing nefarious, just a form of fly tipping I suppose.

JudyC26 · 17/12/2023 10:48

Check on top of the front passenger wheel. That’s where mechanics leave keys. You never know you might find a key so you can drive it to a safe parking space.

comfyoldcardi · 17/12/2023 10:53

Police have no interest whatsoever in stolen or abandoned vehicles. I live in an area where cars are stolen to order off driveways every single night. Police just issue a crime number/ tell the victims to look for their car themselves/ claim on their insurance. It is possible the owners have reported it, are looking for it, or have just claimed.

VolvoFan · 17/12/2023 11:03

Report it to the DVLA. In my experience they're not the fastest, but they eventually do get the job done.

Brontebythesea · 17/12/2023 11:26

I’m actually surprised the police haven’t followed up. I once parked my mum’s car that I had borrowed (and was on the insurance for) the street my boyfriend lives on - legally and on the road further on up from where he lives because I couldn’t get parked outside his house. I then got sick and didn’t leave the house for four days. After THREE days my mum got a call to her house to say that the woman who lives near where the car was parked had called them about an abandoned car. The police officer said the car was legally parked and not to worry but she wanted to check everything was ok and that the homeowner had been concerned…

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 17/12/2023 16:40

But what's in the suitcase???

ComputerStick · 17/12/2023 16:43

floofbag · 16/12/2023 16:44

I'd go to the address on the paper .

Why the actual fuck would you do this?
One its many miles away, but could be drug dealer etc. Whoever’s abandoned their car unlocked many miles away isn’t going to welcome you in for mince pies and mulled wine and become your bestie.