Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Can I report this car? And if so WIBU to do so or should I just leave it be?

54 replies

doesthismakemeanarse · 31/08/2021 10:57

Residential street, outskirts of London.
No parking restrictions but also not all houses have driveways (or driveways big enough for all cars in household) so there is still an element of demand for on street parking, which is limited because due to width of road, need to allow other vehicles to pass through etc people can only park on one side, not both.

about 5 doors down lives an elderly lady (at a guess in her 80s). Her DH died a few years ago now - he was a bit of a tinkerer with 'vintage' cars, and usually had 2-3 in various states of disrepair at any one time. SInce he died, there's been 2 shells of cars - think no wheels, missing doors etc on their drive under tarps, and another one that looks physically intact on the road.

Obviously it's completely up to her what she does with the cars on her drive, but the one on the road is a really big old car, 50+ years old, you could fit 2 small modern cars like a Fiat 500 or similar in it's space. According to the Gov.uk website it's MOT ran out in 2017, and I'm pretty sure it hasn't moved since then - there are weeds growing round it. It does seem to be taxed but I guess that's just a formality given it's age. It doesn't seem to be a runner, and whilst I could understand them maybe wanting to keep it for sentimental reasons or a family member, but I'm not sure it's fair to keep it on the street occupying effectively 2 parking spaces indefinitely.

I'm not unsympathetic, and I certainly wouldn't complain if all the cars were on her driveway, but taking up a road space (or two) essentially permanently just seems a little unfair - or is that me?

OP posts:

Moelwynbach · 31/08/2021 11:34

I has a disagreement with my neighbour over my Morris Minor from 1968 in a drive able condition, she reported me to the council for parking on the street. It was there for four weeks she reported it the council couldn't do a thing. It was outside my house just move on.

Lockheart · 31/08/2021 11:34

No - it needs an MOT to be on a public road (unless exempt which it almost certainly is).

And insurance, which we don't know if it has.

Moelwynbach · 31/08/2021 11:36

@DynamoKev
Thanks I know mine is exempt but I get it checked anyway. I wasn't sure about age related exemption😁

fabulousathome · 31/08/2021 11:37

Maybe she has dementia? Do you know if she has any relations who you can politely enquire of?

DynamoKev · 31/08/2021 11:40

@Lockheart

No - it needs an MOT to be on a public road (unless exempt which it almost certainly is).

And insurance, which we don't know if it has.

DVLA say they cross check taxation and insurance. They do seem quite good at sending IALs to keepers of cars that have tax but no insurance, and issuing fines for non-compliance (at least pre-covid when they were actually working).

HarrietsChariot · 31/08/2021 11:42

You don't need an MoT for cars over 40 years old, neither do you have to pay road tax. The only reason it couldn't be kept on the road would be if it didn't have third party insurance, and the only way the OP to find that out would be to have a collision with the parked vehicle so that the insurance companies get involved. But that would be idiotic, so there's nothing she can do.

DynamoKev · 31/08/2021 11:44

@Moelwynbach

I have had a few friends who have fallen foul of ignorant neighbours and been reported for legal vehicles - one chap even got told to dispose of some of his legally held cars from his own driveway because the council had a complaint he was a dealer (he wasn't). A lot of people seem to like to sneer at things that are old even though keeping old cars going is much more environmentally friendly than destroying them.

Boredmotherofone · 31/08/2021 11:49

Of course you can check if it's insured! Go to ask.mid and enter the reg

7catsisnotenough · 31/08/2021 11:49

As PP have said it will be both tax and MOT exempt due to its age. However you have to renew the exemptions each year exactly as you would do for a more modern car. If it isn't insured DVLA will write to the registered keeper advising them to insure or SORN it. Possibly it was historically SORNed and this is being renewed by whoever is renewing the tax and MOT exemptions. If it's SORNed it shouldn't be on the road though...

Boredmotherofone · 31/08/2021 11:49

ownvehicle.askmid.com

DynamoKev · 31/08/2021 11:58

@7catsisnotenough

If it was sorned it would show as SORN on a DVLA enquiry. You don't have renew the MOT exemption, but you do have "tax" the car (even though it's free).

Original poster

doesthismakemeanarse · 31/08/2021 11:58

If you go onto the gov.uk MOT checker it says it is not MOT'd, and that the MOT expired in 2018. I would have thought if it didn't need one, it would say exempt?

It has been (badly) modified at some point in it's life (think a section welded onto it that would not normally be there) so that may be why it has a MOT requirement.

OP posts:

7catsisnotenough · 31/08/2021 12:15

@DynamoKev I have to renew my classics' exemptions each year, or at least confirm on the tax exemptions that they are MOT exempt?

7catsisnotenough · 31/08/2021 12:17

Just remembered that you definitely have to SORN if they're off road, a friend got fined for having her Vitesse uninsured even though she wasn't driving it. My husband has one of ours in pieces and he still has to insure it or SORN it for the tax and MOT exemptions

DynamoKev · 31/08/2021 12:24

@doesthismakemeanarse

If you go onto the gov.uk MOT checker it says it is not MOT'd, and that the MOT expired in 2018. I would have thought if it didn't need one, it would say exempt?

It has been (badly) modified at some point in it's life (think a section welded onto it that would not normally be there) so that may be why it has a MOT requirement.

I have a legit MOT exempt car and mine says "No results returned" on the MOT in the DVLA checker - although it did have expired for a while (more than one year) after it became exempt and I renewed the tax. I don't think you can be sure of what's shown on the DVLA site.

As I mentioned before, no-one checks MOT exemptions - it's an "honour" system so if you believe someone is claiming exemption and shouldn't be you can let Police / DVSA know, but the definitions of modifications are listed on the gov website.

Like I said before - local authorities have responsibility for abandoned vehicles so you can ask your LA - they will likely put a notice on the car warning it may be removed if the owner doesn't contact them -

Definitions of abandoned include (according to gov website)

it’s stationary for a significant amount of time
it’s significantly damaged, run down or unroadworthy, for example has flat tyres, missing wheels or broken windows

DynamoKev · 31/08/2021 12:25

[quote 7catsisnotenough]@DynamoKev I have to renew my classics' exemptions each year, or at least confirm on the tax exemptions that they are MOT exempt? [/quote]
Yes, as I said, on the tax renewal, not as a separate transaction.

Shade17 · 31/08/2021 12:50

Op claims it's 50+ years old so unless heavily modified it will be MOT exempt.

Yes, if vintage then it was built between 1919 and 1930.

SilverBirchWithout · 31/08/2021 12:56

This is really nothing to do with you. Leave it be.

sirfredfredgeorge · 31/08/2021 13:28

it would say exempt?

The MOT checker never says this, it either says no results, or the last time it had one. It could've had one in 2018 'cos it's a 1977 vintage car, or because you can still ask for one voluntarily, which you might want to do if you're an enthusiast as it's way to have someone else check it over, prove it's safe etc.

Shade17 · 31/08/2021 13:31

It could've had one in 2018 'cos it's a 1977 vintage car

A 1977 car is NOT vintage FFS

sirfredfredgeorge · 31/08/2021 13:34

It's not a "Vintage car" but a car constructed in 1977 is of 1977 vintage.

You are remarkably het up about normal use of English, I assume you're annoyed about people demeaning your Model T or something?

GintyMcGinty · 31/08/2021 13:38

The decent thing to do would be to speak to her about it.

Farwest · 31/08/2021 13:51

OP, is it causing you a problem? Are you struggling to find parking? If so, report it, leave the council to make the call on towing or not. (Although it would be much kinder to go speak to her and offer help.)

If you park 90% of the time pretty close to your home, or if you have a driveway, then leave the woman alone.

Original poster

doesthismakemeanarse · 31/08/2021 14:13

It's not a daily problem for me but weekly or fortnightly there will be occasions where there are no spaces and we will have to park in the next street along. It may inconvenience others more often I don't know - without that car there would be at least 1 if not 2 additional spaces available.

It is also a bit of an eyesore. But I could tolerate that if it was on a driveway not the road.

OP posts:

safariboot · 31/08/2021 14:16

YANBU.

You can report it as abandoned to your council. Different councils take or don't take action depending on the circumstances, but most will tow away if it legally shouldn't be on the road.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread