How to get relatives car off my property

[Avacadosprinkles]

A relative has left their car in my garage for the last 10 years. I want to sell my house and they won't move it. They could move it to their own property but don't want to. It was always meant to be temporary. I have brought it up several times over the years and they just brush me off with excuses every time. I have ran out of patience. What legal route do I need to take. I don't want to dispose of or sell the car I just want to get it towed to their driveway, but Google seems to suggest I could be prosecuted for criminal damage if I do

Shame you never charged them rent.
No advice, but good luck and I hope it's sorted quickly.

OP, try getting the car on Car SOS. That way, Fuzz and Tim can come and collect it from your garage, restore it properly, and then surprise your relative by giving it back to them.

You’ll look like you’ve done a really nice thing, the car gets shifted out of your garage, and you can simply refuse to let them bring it back afterwards.

No other family members can have a go at you, you look like a legend to everyone else, the car is gone, and your relative can’t play the victim. Everybody wins.

I think you are overthinking this. Take pictures and video of it in situ. Then arrange the tow and take pictures and video of it undamaged at the other end. Have it delivered to their house. Then let them do what they are going to do. Which will be nothing. Because you will have picture and video evidence of pre and post delivery. Don’t overthink it. Just tow it

Or, as someone else has said - tow it into the street outside your house. Take photos and videos of it. Then tell them it’s on the street and THEY need to come and get it. Or not. Whatever. It’s on the street

@Avacadosprinkles Legal action for doing what? This is total rubbish! Get it towed away! Why are you such a wuss?

It's a brother, has to be a golden child brother

You say the tort thing doesn't allow you to just return it back to the owner.

So don't return it. If the tort law allows you to sell it as per the AI quoted in an earlier post, check the legal status on the DVLA website and speak to your local police as per the AI advice again (maybe check with a solicitor first) and get rid of the bloody thing one way or another.

By all means, tell your relative you have 21 days to get your car back. If you don't, the law allows me to get rid of the car and I will.

(All that assuming the AI advice is correct and you can do this with a car)

Your house insurance may have a legal helpline as part of the insurance. If so phone them to understand the route to take.

@Abricot1983 That’s more or less useless. They won’t have the expertise and it’s not a no win, no fee, case they like. No, the op cannot sell it. It’s not hers! That’s theft. Deliver it to its owner because it’s their responsibility. I still don’t see why the op thinks this action is not legal. Very odd.

I know OP is waiting on the legal side now. I just wanted to add that you seem equally as concerned about family dynamics. It might help you to collate the dates of your requests and the excuses/delaying tactics into a document to send along with said letter and have available for any family who become involved.

Move it to the front of your property if it gets taken by for not being taxed etc then that’s their problem

At this stage, I'd be tempted to have the garage demolished with the car inside.

@Lurkingonmn Can you think of a legal side to returning something to its owner? I can’t.

I think we’re getting into ‘cancel the cheque!’ territory now…

I would push it out of the garage to your driveway in the first instance. Moving things around on your property can't be illegal, surely?

If you went down the Tort route , you can then legally dispose of the vehicle yourself - this would cover you removing ( ie disposing off ) the vehicle to his property - you need to check the meaning of the word 'dispose'

I Don’t understand why you’ve kept it for 10 years tbh. I would have been fed up with it after 1 year. Is it in some way special or collectible? Either way your relatives are taking the piss. Letter to them stating you are scrapping it unless they collect in 14 days. They have abused your goodwill long enough.

You don’t dispose of a vehicle you don’t own. You return it to its owner.

I understand why you want to do it legally so there is no comeback from the owner, what I don’t understand is why you are so frightened of other relatives reactions?
Surely any reasonable person would understand why after ten years and an imminent move, you’d want it moving. Why would anyone be upset with you for that, especially if you arrange for it to be delivered to your relatives property?
if wider family really would be upset at you doing this then I suggest you look at your family dynamics and your reactions to them via some therapy. Please seriously consider this. It’s not a healthy dynamic at all.

@Itsthewoluff Im at a loss to know what legal issues there are! Just give it back to its owner! They can immediately insure it so what’s the issue?

Have you read the thread? The owmer is refusing to take it.

@QueenCamillaMWSo what? Take it to the road outside their house! Why does it matter that it’s not on their land? The op has stood by and let this spoon for 10 years so looks like the ultimate wuss to me. When a car is on the road it’s the owners responsibility to tax and insure it. The op has no responsibility for that at all. None. So the op gets it taken to outside the owners house and leaves it there. It is fully the responsibility of the owner to find a new garage for if, tax it and insure it. None of that has anything to do with the op.

Yes I did read the thread and most people don’t seem to understand who is responsible for the car. It’s squarely the owner and no one else. If the police think it’s dumped they will look up the owner, not the op! The op has no legal responsibility for this car. None.

Just put the house up for sale and tell them it's got to be moved.
Then when the house sells they run out of options and will have to move it

Please do tell us what your overriding legal qualifications are that your opinion is more correct than the solicitors posting on this legal matters board.

This is a post in Legal Matters, not AIBU

I would be taking the garage door off/open, leaving it susceptible to the weather, vandalism, accidental damage while going down the Tort route. You have not touched the car and you can do what you want to your property. Anything that happens to the vehicle in that time is surely on the owner as you have given them written confirmation that your garage is not secure, you cannot afford to secure it so you are giving them opportunity to move their vehicle to a safe place.