Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Random car outside my house, what can I do?

89 replies

RandomCar · 07/10/2025 10:52

This is a bit of a weird on. I live very rurally, everyone knows eachother and everyone’s business. Last week a car was parked outside my house. Not a usual thing but it’s street parking so not illegal. Except it’s badly parked, we get a lot of tractors etc driving past and they’re struggling to get past. I’ve been shouted at a couple of times by drivers thinking it’s mine. I’ve spoken to neighbours and it’s not their car and they didn’t see it arrive. The problem is, we live in the middle of nowhere. You sometimes get walkers but there’s no public transport, and even taxis are run by a local who isn’t online, word of mouth only.
so now I’m wondering if the car has been stolen and dumped here? It’s a very nice, new bmw. Is there a way of checking if it’s been stolen? I don’t want to call the police because it’s wasting their time, but the mystery of it is bugging me :)
any suggestions of what I can do? It straight infront of my house, hasn’t been moved in over a week and no one has been in it. I wfh and it’s straight outside my front room so I’d have noticed.

OP posts:
Pleasegodgotosleep · 07/10/2025 10:53

Call the police. Maybe a walker or something has gotten in trouble and needs help.

TheDandyLion · 07/10/2025 10:55

Check online if it's taxed and MOT.

Chersfrozenface · 07/10/2025 10:56

Gov.uk says you should report it to your local council. I know our council would be useless.

I'd call 101 and tell the police.

CuckooPond · 07/10/2025 10:58

I don’t understand why you think you’d be wasting police time, when it’s possible it’s a stolen car or belongs to a hiker who got into difficulties?

herbalteabag · 07/10/2025 11:00

I would call 101. They'll check it out and maybe put on of those 'police aware' tapes on it.

Chasingsquirrels · 07/10/2025 11:01

Normally I'd say that you can't control who parks there, as you know.

In the situation you describe, I'd definitely contact the police.

TheatricalLife · 07/10/2025 11:03

I'd assume it's broken down if it doesn't belong to anyone locally and is parked badly. If you are on social media for your village, you could ask online citing the tractor issue as the reason for posting? If nothing comes from that and it doesn't disappear in a week, I'd think about calling the police.

tootiredtobeinspired · 07/10/2025 11:11

Contact the police (you can often report online via the local forces website). We live rurally and occasionally get cars abandoned in our village and they are usually stolen vehicles.

Original poster
RandomCar · 07/10/2025 11:12

Ok thanks! I thought I was really over reacting and would get told to wind my neck in. I’ll check the tax, it’s a new car so doesn’t even need an MOT, it’s not got the local reg letters at the start, but I know that doesn’t mean anything really. I’ll try 101 and see what they say

OP posts:
BillStickersWillBeProsocuted · 07/10/2025 11:18

you should be able to see if it's reported stolen on:

isitnicked.com (I tried to do a link but got an error!)

It's free, but you have to register for an account

Somethingsgottagiveeventually · 07/10/2025 11:25

Our local council website has an online form to report abandoned vehicles. That might be worth a try?

InMyOpenOnion · 07/10/2025 11:29

Definitely report it, it sounds really odd for someone to leave a car in such a remote location. Perfect place to dump a stolen one though.

DeedlessIndeed · 07/10/2025 11:37

Sorry, this is a TW as my comment is about suicide.

The first anyone knew my uncle had killed himself was someone reporting his car abandoned in a layby. He'd told family and friends he was going on holiday and booked time off work so it was a few days. This was before mobiles and constantly being in touch.

Police broke into the car as it was close to a bridge that had had people jump from before, and found a note in the glove box.

So I'd report it to 101, just incase it matches a missing person or similar. Hopefully it is nothing sinister.

spoonbillstretford · 07/10/2025 11:53

Do you have a street Whatsapp or local Next Door/Facebook?

Put a photo on there and ask if anyone knows anything about it.

Lindy2 · 07/10/2025 11:56

Yes definitely report on 101.

Parking stolen cars somewhere isolated for a few days to check if they have a tracker fitted is a common theft tactic. The police will be able to contact the owner to establish why it's parked there.

yellowlabrador · 07/10/2025 14:38

I'd be concerned too. You know the area and if it's something unusual then you aren't being in anyway unusual. I would be more concerned that someone has perhaps gone for a walk and got lost or worse.

BuildbyNumbere · 07/10/2025 14:40

Sounds odd. Report, someone could have gone walking and become injured or yes, stolen. I think you can look online to see if reported stolen also.

itsallabitofamystery · 07/10/2025 14:46

Please ring 101, my great uncle passed away whilst out walking in Scotland (very sudden, not suspicious). He regularly went off on his own so no one would have been any the wiser had someone like you not called the police as he had parked it on a verge and it was causing a few problems. I think she called on day 3. Even if she would have called earlier, the result would have been no different however he was left exposed in the sunshine for a few days until he was found. This might be nothing but please just have it checked out for peace of mind.

PaellaPan · 07/10/2025 14:52

I would report. sometimes car thieves park them up somewhere to see if anyone is tracking them and then go back later.

Doone22 · 07/10/2025 14:57

You can always report it to your local council as abandoned as well

GAJLY · 07/10/2025 14:57

TheDandyLion · 07/10/2025 10:55

Check online if it's taxed and MOT.

I had one too and this is what I did 👆 it turned out to not had mot or tax. Someone came and towed it away.

LooseCanyon · 07/10/2025 14:59

I live similarly to you OP, and after a week I would definitely be reporting it.

Moveoverdarlin · 07/10/2025 14:59

You won’t be wasting their time. It’s a suspicious vehicle. New BMW’s don’t just get dumped on country lanes and left for a week.

ladyofshertonabbas · 07/10/2025 15:00

Can you ask on a local FB group?

StanfreyPock · 07/10/2025 15:01

We had a car parked on the street near our house for over a month, nobody on the street knew whose it was and it never moved, so we reported it to the local council as abandoned, not really expecting anything to happen any time soon.

Within 24 hours there was a sticker notice on the windscreen from the council instructing the owner to move the vehicle or else the car would be removed.
Frustratingly the car then disappeared, never to be seen again, while we were away for the weekend, so I don't know if it was towed or an owner materialised!