Abandoned, crashed vehicle : who's responsibility?

[feef]

Last week a car crashed into a field on some land we own, demolished a fence in the process and then was torched. The occupants dispappeared. All we know is that it happened at some point between 9pm and 9am.

The police have now said that the vehicle is our responsibility if we want to have it removed. They haven't traced the owner nor the occupants, and despite there obviously having been at least a couple of crimes (damage to the property, leaving the scene of an accident and most likely, theft of a motor vehicle).

My concern is that the vehicle isn't ours. How can we dispose of something that doesn't belong to us? But without tracing the owner, I don't know how we can get anyone else to claim it and deal with it

Any suggestions?

[eldar]

Reg number of VIN available? Police should be able to trace the registered keeper's address and it it was insured.

[feef]

eldar said:

Reg number of VIN available? Police should be able to trace the registered keeper's address and it it was insured.

Burnt out to the point that the engine block has melted. No identifying marks that I'm aware of, but I've not had a chance to inspect it personally.

The land is in Kent and I'm in Cambs. I'll probably head down this weekend and take a look. It's been in the hands of our caretaker tenants in the meantime.

[silentbrown]

Drag it onto the verge and call the council?

[SteveR1979]

Get it dragged back onto the roadand report it to the council

Will be someone elses problem then.

[brman]

SteveR1979 said:

Get it dragged back onto the roadand report it to the council

Will be someone elses problem then.

Or your problem if someone reports you dumping it reports it

[silentbrown]

Actually, just call the council!

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/abandoned-vehicles-cou...

GOV said:

Duty to remove abandoned vehicles
Councils must remove abandoned vehicles from both:

• land in the open air
• roads (including private roads)

[Red Devil]

Cash strapped local authorities might well try to invoke this get out clause

gov.uk link said:

Authorities don’t have to remove abandoned vehicles if the cost of moving them to the nearest highway is unreasonably high (for example, if special machinery is needed), unless the vehicle is on a carriageway.

[InitialDave]

feef said:

My concern is that the vehicle isn't ours. How can we dispose of something that doesn't belong to us? But without tracing the owner, I don't know how we can get anyone else to claim it and deal with it

Any suggestions?

feef said:

The police have now said that the vehicle is our responsibility if we want to have it removed.

Get that in writing, on Ebay, buyer collects.

What is it, anyway?

[Davie_GLA]

I'm have no input. But I hope you're well mr P.

[Chrisgr31]

Red Devil said:

Cash strapped local authorities might well try to invoke this get out clause

gov.uk link said:

Authorities don’t have to remove abandoned vehicles if the cost of moving them to the nearest highway is unreasonably high (for example, if special machinery is needed), unless the vehicle is on a carriageway.

In which case drag it to the verge!

[Josho]

Where abouts in Kent mate?

[Evanivitch]

Stick a big sign on it saying "free scrap", it'll be gone before you know it.

[anonymous-user]

stick in your garden, throw some turf in it and some flowers and call it a garden feature

[Rude-boy]

Evanivitch said:

Stick a big sign on it saying "free scrap" "Scrap Car For Sale, £100 ono" it'll be gone before you know it.

[Black_S3]

Hire a mini digger for 1/2 a day and bury it

[McGraw]

Black_S3 said:

Hire a mini digger for 1/2 a day and bury it

Tongue in cheek I hope

What a waste of time and money.

Pay someone to tow it to the verge.

[feef]

We went down at the weekend and took a look.

Managed to get a chassis number off the offside inner wing, by the suspension turret (looks like a BMW 3 'compact' or whatever they were)

The council have begrudgingly admitted that they need to remove it, but we may need to get it closer to the edge of the field for them to access it. Not a big deal as we have tractors on-site anyway.

The council are happier knowing the chassis number at least, as are we as that offers some level of traceability

[Jagmanv12]

With the chassis number the police should have been able to trace the owner?

[CoolCurly]

Great police work - you could probably charge the local plod for doing their job, then charge the council for the use of the tractor to get the lump nearer to the side of the road - both charges put together to cover the cost of the new fence required.

Kent Police. Take a bow.