Abandoned car on private property.
Discussion
Hi all,
My mum is a landlord with several properties and a car park in our local town. The car park spaces are rented by tenants of the property and used by the residents.
Recently a car (I am not sure what kind but know it was on a 'p' reg) turned up in a rented space and was complained about by the resident who rented that space. My mum left a note on the car asking that it be moved. Nothing happened.
Two weeks later she called the police. They told her they can't provide ownership details but that she can remove it from her property.
Another note and a warning were written and put on the car saying it would soon be towed if not moved. Two weeks later my mum arranged for a local scrap firm to come and take the car for £40. The car was sitting there for five weeks in total and finally towed with a flat tire.
The day after the car was towed the owner calls my mum ranting and raving about her having towed his 'concourse car'. It was bizarre given he'd five weeks to get in touch that he contacts her the day after its towed.
My mum is feeling guilty (God knows why) and wants to make sure she followed the correct procedure. The police told her to tow it but she is worried that her interpretation of this as 'get rid of it'' by selling it to a scrap firm could be problematic.
Anyone have any idea where we stand? Thanks a lot.
Freddy
My mum is a landlord with several properties and a car park in our local town. The car park spaces are rented by tenants of the property and used by the residents.
Recently a car (I am not sure what kind but know it was on a 'p' reg) turned up in a rented space and was complained about by the resident who rented that space. My mum left a note on the car asking that it be moved. Nothing happened.
Two weeks later she called the police. They told her they can't provide ownership details but that she can remove it from her property.
Another note and a warning were written and put on the car saying it would soon be towed if not moved. Two weeks later my mum arranged for a local scrap firm to come and take the car for £40. The car was sitting there for five weeks in total and finally towed with a flat tire.
The day after the car was towed the owner calls my mum ranting and raving about her having towed his 'concourse car'. It was bizarre given he'd five weeks to get in touch that he contacts her the day after its towed.
My mum is feeling guilty (God knows why) and wants to make sure she followed the correct procedure. The police told her to tow it but she is worried that her interpretation of this as 'get rid of it'' by selling it to a scrap firm could be problematic.
Anyone have any idea where we stand? Thanks a lot.
Freddy
Could be on a sticky wicket here. Selling something which isn't one's property isn't right and scrap dealers usually insist on a logbook before taking a scrap car.
Having said that I do sympathise. Having heaps dumped on ones property is a pain in the backside and happens far too often.
Having said that I do sympathise. Having heaps dumped on ones property is a pain in the backside and happens far too often.
k off. He parked in a rented space without permission and ignored notes for 5 weeks; he should take responsibility for being a selfish How did this guy have your Mum's contact details? Presume he must have read that note and done nothing about it, which is bad news for him.
However, I'd be surprised if selling the car for scrap was above board. Towing it onto the road for it to be someone else's problem is a bit more like it.
However, I'd be surprised if selling the car for scrap was above board. Towing it onto the road for it to be someone else's problem is a bit more like it.
When you leave things unattended they can go missing, there are a lot of thieving scrotes out there. A little like people who steal the use of other people's property without permission 
I'd have no further contact with the individual and next time just tow it and dump it somewhere on the road rather than selling it.
Your Mother could have created a lot of trouble for herself.
I'd have no further contact with the individual and next time just tow it and dump it somewhere on the road rather than selling it.
Your Mother could have created a lot of trouble for herself.
It's your mum's fault for not having a barrier on the car park with swipe card access for the residents. How on earth was the poor individual to know that it wasn't a public car park? 
Hindsight is 20:20 - i dont think she should have sold it - in fact Im surprised the scrap yard took it without a V5.
Hindsight is 20:20 - i dont think she should have sold it - in fact Im surprised the scrap yard took it without a V5.
Thanks all for the replies. My mum is almost 70 and interpreted towing as 'getting rid of'. She is not the kind of person to make it someone else's problem on the road. Though I did suggest next time something like this happens she should store it somewhere.
Regarding the suggestion for a gate: the car park also has spaces for business premises customers and is well signposted as such. It was one of these spaces that the guy parked in. There were only then one remaining space for customers of the shop. Which wasn't really very fair.
She's in a bit of a tis. She's softening up in her old age. The guy is particularly abusive and won't give his name or any proof of ownership.
Regarding the suggestion for a gate: the car park also has spaces for business premises customers and is well signposted as such. It was one of these spaces that the guy parked in. There were only then one remaining space for customers of the shop. Which wasn't really very fair.
She's in a bit of a tis. She's softening up in her old age. The guy is particularly abusive and won't give his name or any proof of ownership.
Freddy88FM said:
Regarding the suggestion for a gate: the car park also has spaces for business premises customers and is well signposted as such. It was one of these spaces that the guy parked in. There were only then one remaining space for customers of the shop. Which wasn't really very fair.
Apologies - I should have used a smiley to indicate "not being serious". I've been in the same position as your mum and it's very frustrating when selfish twunts take the p155. Hope your mum can get it resolved with the minimum amount of headache.Freddy88FM said:
Thanks all for the replies. My mum is almost 70 and interpreted towing as 'getting rid of'. She is not the kind of person to make it someone else's problem on the road. Though I did suggest next time something like this happens she should store it somewhere.
Regarding the suggestion for a gate: the car park also has spaces for business premises customers and is well signposted as such. It was one of these spaces that the guy parked in. There were only then one remaining space for customers of the shop. Which wasn't really very fair.
She's in a bit of a tis. She's softening up in her old age. The guy is particularly abusive and won't give his name or any proof of ownership.
Sounds extremely unpleasant, has she called Plod?Regarding the suggestion for a gate: the car park also has spaces for business premises customers and is well signposted as such. It was one of these spaces that the guy parked in. There were only then one remaining space for customers of the shop. Which wasn't really very fair.
She's in a bit of a tis. She's softening up in her old age. The guy is particularly abusive and won't give his name or any proof of ownership.
Edit: About the abusive "owner", not about the car itself.
Freddy88FM said:
Regarding the suggestion for a gate: the car park also has spaces for business premises customers and is well signposted as such. It was one of these spaces that the guy parked in. There were only then one remaining space for customers of the shop. Which wasn't really very fair.
Hang on a minute.If the shop has a tenancy that includes the parking spaces any unwanted parking is their issue to deal with not your mothers.
ging84 said:
This has a slight whiff of a scam to it.
Park a scrap car somewhere it is going to cause a nuisance, wait till it's scrapped, then demand 2k for your concourse car.
Unlikely I think - you'd be risking getting it vandalised, ticketed by the likes of PE, or (if the carpark owners were less honest than the OP's mum) lifted and dumped somewhere remote, possibly where you're going to be clamped and prosecuted by the LA or the DVLA.Park a scrap car somewhere it is going to cause a nuisance, wait till it's scrapped, then demand 2k for your concourse car.
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