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Original poster

No one is interested in the abandoned car which has been left outside my property for almost a year

45 replies

Anothershittydayinparadise · 02/02/2025 13:24

Approx. 10 months ago a car was left parked (on the road) outside of our house.

It has not been moved in all of that time and I have never once seen anyone come to the car. It does not belong to any neighbour. I have checked online and it has no MOT so may not be insured. It is Taxed until March this year.

I have contacted the council who say it is a police matter, police say it is of no concern to them (assuming because it currently has road tax) and have advised me to contact the council again, I have done that but they are not interested. I have asked on our local FB group if it belongs to anyone from the village but no one seems to know who it belongs to. So it appears it is there to stay for a while longer.

It isn't blocking any driveways etc so I suppose there is nothing more I can do. It is just a bit of an eyesore having sat there unattended for almost a year.

Will the authorities have to do something about it once the road tax runs out?

OP posts:
Bruisername · 02/02/2025 13:28

I got one moved by emailing the local councillor for my ward directly

TartanCulshie · 02/02/2025 13:28

We had similar at our old flat. Parking spaces were hens teeth but the council/ police had no interest

One day a few of the strong neighbours moved it out the space and down to a loading bay (it wasn't impacting on safety etc, but was an inconvenience).

Within 24hrs it was uplifted.

SWsmileyface · 02/02/2025 13:31

I think you can report it to the DVLA when the tax runs out and they might tow it away. We did that a couple of times as we often get random cars left in our street for months.
(But police or DVLA don't seem to care if the MOT has run out)

Simonjt · 02/02/2025 13:32

We had this a few years ago, one weekend we moved the car into the actual road, as traffic couldn’t pass the police moved it within 30 minutes.

JohnofWessex · 02/02/2025 13:33

Try the Fire Brigade as there is a risk of arson

Sinkintotheswamp · 02/02/2025 13:34

I had exactly the same problem. The council say it's the polices problem, the police say it's the councils problem.

I eventually lost it after a few weeks (politely, but with some words in ALL CAPS) and emailed all parties and cc-ing the local councillors and community police into it. The car was moved.

Allthegoodusernamesareused · 02/02/2025 13:48

Once the tax runs out it MIGHT get removed by DVLA. Realistically, unless it is causing an obstruction or is stolen, and while it is legally parked, it isn't a police matter. Local council are responsible for matters of environmental health, so if it falls into disrepair and presents a hazard, it will be their responsibility. I'd try pp suggestion of contacting your local councillors directly.

Tara336 · 02/02/2025 13:51

Once the tax runs out the authority will care. We had something similar on our road so reported it the day after the tax ran out and was taken within 2 days

UnstableEquilibrium · 02/02/2025 13:55

I don't really see what the problem is. It's perfectly legal to leave a taxed car parked on a road without parking restrictions without moving it for months on end if, for example, you're on a work posting overseas. If it was a different car parked there every day would that be a problem?

Set yourself a diary alert to report it to the cops/council the instant the tax expires and don't give it another thought until then.

Original poster
Anothershittydayinparadise · 02/02/2025 14:29

I'll go and speak to our local parish councillor tomorrow and see if he can do anything.

If not, it looks as though I will have to wait until the tax runs out in March and see if they are more interested then?

OP posts:
EmmaMaria · 02/02/2025 14:36

Anothershittydayinparadise · 02/02/2025 14:29

I'll go and speak to our local parish councillor tomorrow and see if he can do anything.

If not, it looks as though I will have to wait until the tax runs out in March and see if they are more interested then?

They won't thank me for saying it, but your parish councillor has no powers. You need to contact your ward councillors.

HPFA · 02/02/2025 14:39

I wrote to the council explaining that a car was not taxed and had visible damage. A couple of weeks later some warning paperwork was left on the bonnet, which was removed. So someone on our street knew something about the car.

A few weeks after that the car got clamped -then towed away by some enforcers.

God knows why people do this - the scrappers will come and take your car away- and give you some money!

Most streets are tight for parking - it's not considerate to use them as a dumping ground for months on end.

I think it's only when the car goes untaxed that you'll see action.

ChangingHistory · 02/02/2025 14:41

We've had this. My initial worry was that it'd been stolen and dumped but I couldn't even get the police to check if it has been reported.

It stayed until the tax ran out and then was towed.

I guess they can't go round removing legally parked vehicles.

HowardTJMoon · 02/02/2025 14:43

UnstableEquilibrium · 02/02/2025 13:55

I don't really see what the problem is. It's perfectly legal to leave a taxed car parked on a road without parking restrictions without moving it for months on end if, for example, you're on a work posting overseas. If it was a different car parked there every day would that be a problem?

Set yourself a diary alert to report it to the cops/council the instant the tax expires and don't give it another thought until then.

It is illegal to park a vehicle with an expired MOT on the public road regardless of its tax status.

Lilliea · 02/02/2025 14:48

UnstableEquilibrium · 02/02/2025 13:55

I don't really see what the problem is. It's perfectly legal to leave a taxed car parked on a road without parking restrictions without moving it for months on end if, for example, you're on a work posting overseas. If it was a different car parked there every day would that be a problem?

Set yourself a diary alert to report it to the cops/council the instant the tax expires and don't give it another thought until then.

It has no MOT

Chuchoter · 02/02/2025 14:49

I might be wrong but they are only interested when there is no MOT if they catch the vehicle being driven as it then creates a revenue with a large fine.

As its road taxed they can't do anything about having it moved but once the tax has expired you should be able to have it removed.

UnstableEquilibrium · 02/02/2025 14:51

HowardTJMoon · 02/02/2025 14:43

It is illegal to park a vehicle with an expired MOT on the public road regardless of its tax status.

Show quote history

Blimey, so it is. You learn something new every day. DH has never been done for it. (Only ever a week or so overdue).

Guavafish1 · 02/02/2025 14:52

Inform DVLA

medievalfreak · 02/02/2025 15:02

yeah, it might "accidently" set on fire?🤣

Looloolullabelle · 02/02/2025 15:14

Is it insured? It shouldn’t be on a road if it’s not insured, even if it’s SORNed. Have a look on askmid.com

ThatEllie · 02/02/2025 15:21

I dunno if I’d allow it to “accidentally” ignite but I would definitely move it as others have mentioned. You can get wheeled jacks to make it easy to scoot it elsewhere. Preferably to somewhere problematic so they get off their arses and remove it promptly.

PullTheBricksDown · 02/02/2025 15:35

Once the tax has expired you can report it and then they get moved fairly quickly. Till then it's unlikely to meet anyone's threshold for action.

ruffler45 · 02/02/2025 15:45

Check your local council website re who has responsublity.

Regardless of who is the first contact for such matters, council or police, the council will ultimately have responsibilty for taking it away.

You could tell them it is leaking petrol and a safety risk...

i have reported 2 locally and one disappeared within 2 days. The other one was clamped and then the owner came to see it in a rage (forgot where he left it?) and had to pay the council to get it back as they had removed it.

Original poster
Anothershittydayinparadise · 02/02/2025 17:15

HPFA · 02/02/2025 14:39

I wrote to the council explaining that a car was not taxed and had visible damage. A couple of weeks later some warning paperwork was left on the bonnet, which was removed. So someone on our street knew something about the car.

A few weeks after that the car got clamped -then towed away by some enforcers.

God knows why people do this - the scrappers will come and take your car away- and give you some money!

Most streets are tight for parking - it's not considerate to use them as a dumping ground for months on end.

I think it's only when the car goes untaxed that you'll see action.

That's what I can't understand. It's a VW Golf, 15 years old but looks in good condition, even if it has failed the mot it's still worth scrap money.

OP posts:
Original poster
Anothershittydayinparadise · 02/02/2025 17:17

Guavafish1 · 02/02/2025 14:52

Inform DVLA

I'll try that, thanks.

OP posts: