Abandoned vehicles FAQs

The police may still have an interest in the vehicle.

Only if our inquiries do not find someone who can show that they are the owner of the vehicle. If someone owns it then we can take no action and you must contact your landlord or take your own civil action through the Courts.

Yes, please find the fees below.

Fees for the removal and disposal of abandoned vehicles

Schedule of Abandoned Vehicles Fees - Road Traffic Act 1988 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2008

Table 1 - Regulation 6(2)

Table 2 - Regulation 6(3)

Abandoned vehicles can be reported via our report it online service.

We will accept reports from the members of the public, the police or owners of land, regarding vehicles abandoned on the highway, private roads, private property or council managed property. The following information will be required in order to proceed;

Your name, address and telephone number will be requested together with details of:

• Location of vehicle
• Colour
• Registration number  
• Make and Model
• General condition
• The length of time the vehicle has been at the site

You will also be asked if you know who the owner of the land is where the vehicle is situated and if you know who might be the last owner of the car (or who left it there).

• Are any of the tyres flat or have any of the wheels been removed?
• Is there litter or any other signs under the vehicle, indicating that it has not moved for some time?
• Is the windscreen or any of the windows broken?
• Is there any mould on either the inside or outside of the vehicle?
• Does the vehicle contain items of waste, for example, tyres, old newspapers, general rubbish?
• Does the vehicle have number plates?
• Has the vehicle been 'hot-wired', for example, driven without keys by connecting ignition wires together? (If it has, there will be wires hanging from the dashboard.)
• Has the vehicle been vandalised? Exterior vandalism might include dents in bodywork, graffiti, bumpers/spoilers being removed; interior vandalism might include radio being stolen, seat covers being slashed.
• Has a vehicle that you and your neighbours have never seen before suddenly appeared in your road and no one is claiming ownership?

No, because both you and the person you bought the car from have a duty to inform the DVLA immediately that there has been a change of ownership. If no owner can be traced it is reasonable for us to consider that it is abandoned.

Yes, under the terms of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 it is a criminal offence to abandon a vehicle and carries a penalty upon conviction of a fine of up to £2,500 or 3 months imprisonment or both. We can also claim back the cost of removing and disposing of the vehicle.

If you notified the police and your insurance company immediately your vehicle was stolen then our inquiries would have revealed this fact and you would be informed that the vehicle had been found.

Your insurance company who would be invoiced by us direct would normally pay any costs resulting from the removal of the vehicle.

If your vehicle were undamaged your insurance company would return your vehicle to you at their expense.

If your car has been destroyed the only compensation would be from your insurance company.

The vehicle will be removed as rapidly as the law permits. This can take between 3 and 20 days depending on circumstances.

Reports of abandoned vehicles will be subject to an initial enquiry to see if the vehicle falls within South Cambridgeshire District Council or Police responsibility.

An officer will visit the vehicle and make local enquiries to trace the owner, complete a condition report and assess whether vehicle is a wreck i.e. should be destroyed, or a runner. A 24-hour notice will be fixed on the vehicle if appropriate, digital photographs of the vehicle and an inventory of the contents will be taken. We will contact the DVLA and make Police PNC enquiries to trace the registered keeper of the vehicle

Vehicles Abandoned on Private Land

If the vehicle is on private land a 15-day notice will be served on the owner. If the vehicle is a wreck a 24-hour destruction notice can be served to run concurrently with the 15-day notice. The owner can object in writing in which case we can take no further action. If no objection is received the vehicle will be removed.

Vehicles Abandoned on Open Public Land

If the registered keeper of the vehicle is known a 7-day notice will be served

If the vehicle is still in-situ on expiry of the 7-day notice, the vehicle will be removed by us and the Police notified. The vehicle can be disposed of at any time after removal where no tax was displayed or where the tax expired at least 14 days before removal.

Where the registered keeper is unknown, we will remove and destroy any untaxed vehicle after 14 days.

If the vehicle is a wreck and the owner is known, a 24-hour Destruction Notice will be attached to the vehicle and a 7-day notice served on the owner.

Where the owner of a wreck is unknown a 24 hr 'Destruction Notice' will be attached to the vehicle and instruction given for removal and disposal to a contractor and the removal notified to Police.

A vehicle is deemed to have been abandoned if it appears to have been given up or forsaken, it will have been left for a significant period and will not be taxed. We must be satisfied that the vehicle has been left with no intention of being removed within a reasonable period.