Today while out hiking I found - an old Rolls!
Discussion
It hasnt got much growth around it yet, but it certainly looked abandoned. Also in the same place was a ford escort, a previa plus some other cars. One of the cars had some bits missing so I suspect if I go back in a couple of years time these will be truly wrecked. Shame as I really like that roller.
I often wonder how cars become abandoned/ parked and never moved again. Not sure these are abandoned though, neat parking suggests some care has been taken.
Imagine the expense when the RR was new, the successful owner collecting the car from the showroom, going to the best events in town....now sitting in the long grass
Imagine the expense when the RR was new, the successful owner collecting the car from the showroom, going to the best events in town....now sitting in the long grass
Garlick said:
I often wonder how cars become abandoned/ parked and never moved again.
Easily done I imagine. Car could have been parked there for short term storage (explains the other varied cars parked up near it) while owner travels or in the process of finding another garage etc. Owner then becomes divorced, ill/dead, or just falls on hard times and the car is no longer a priority or even of significance. Owner of storage site has no way to contact owner, probably can't take legal ownership especially if they were running the storage business "cash in hand/under the table", so the car just sits there and rots. When it reaches a condition that no-one would question it, the wreck gets weighed in for scrap.
Probably happens on a daily basis, but we only take an interest as its a Roller. I notice the OP didn't post any good pics of the Previa.
redtwin said:
Garlick said:
I often wonder how cars become abandoned/ parked and never moved again.
Easily done I imagine. Car could have been parked there for short term storage (explains the other varied cars parked up near it) while owner travels or in the process of finding another garage etc. Owner then becomes divorced, ill/dead, or just falls on hard times and the car is no longer a priority or even of significance. Owner of storage site has no way to contact owner, probably can't take legal ownership especially if they were running the storage business "cash in hand/under the table", so the car just sits there and rots. When it reaches a condition that no-one would question it, the wreck gets weighed in for scrap.
Probably happens on a daily basis, but we only take an interest as its a Roller. I notice the OP didn't post any good pics of the Previa.
Sad.
Its a shame there isn't a system like that of the Listed Buildings. Under my super scheme, special older cars are 'listed', and anyone is very welcome to own them, but they have to make some minimum commitments to looking-after them. If you can't or won't, you have to sell the car to someone who will. Somewhere in the scheme has to be an arrangement for breaking - haven't thought about that yet.
Isn't there a way of filling in a form and becoming the rightful owner of abandoned cars, through the DVLA? I'm not sure of the details but I thought you could fill in a form and if the DVLA can't get hold of the owner on the their records or the owner doesn't object then you can become the legal owner. I may just be talking complete and utter bollacks but I'm sure I've heard of it.
Edited by TheTurbonator on Monday 28th May 10:14
TheTurbonator said:
Isn't there a way of fillling in a form and becoming the rightful owner of abadoned cars, through the DVLA? I'm not sure of the details but I thought you could fill in a form and if the DVLA can't get hold of the owner on the their records or the owner doesn't object then you can become the legal owner. I may just be talking complate and utter bollacks but I'm sure I've heard of it.
No.Jayfish said:
TheTurbonator said:
Isn't there a way of fillling in a form and becoming the rightful owner of abadoned cars, through the DVLA? I'm not sure of the details but I thought you could fill in a form and if the DVLA can't get hold of the owner on the their records or the owner doesn't object then you can become the legal owner. I may just be talking complate and utter bollacks but I'm sure I've heard of it.
No.TheTurbonator said:
Fair enough.
All you will become is the Registered Keeper. That entitles you to essentially "look after" the car, but you would never officially be the owner until you pay for the car and fill in the change of owner section on the V5 along with the owners signature. Thats why V5's say "This is not proof of ownership" in great big letters along the top.Personally, I hate people who do it, and at one point lots of people done it, especially the Ford lads. I would hate to park my car somewhere I thought it would be safe, only for me to go travelling for a year to find out my cars gone...
One guy done it to an Escort Cosworth. He got the car for free, spent time and money fixing up the crash damage and modifying it, and then sold it for £17k! He must of been happy.
Another Ford guy wasn't though. He done the same with a 3dr Cossie that he thought was abandoned. Again, an absolute fortune was spent on the car as he wanted to keep it, and in the end it was a super tidy example running big power. He ran the car like that for 18 months, until one day the owner turned up! Despite the many thousands spent, there was nothing the guy could do. The owner just turned up, shown proof he was the owner and drove away with a Cossie that was 10 times better than when he left it. Turns out the owner in the navy, and was out at sea for the past 18 monthss, hence why the DVLA couldn't get hold of him.
[quote=TheTurbonator]Isn't there a way of filling in a form and becoming the rightful owner of abandoned cars, through the DVLA? I'm not sure of the details but I thought you could fill in a form and if the DVLA can't get hold of the owner on the their records or the owner doesn't object then you can become the legal owner. I may just be talking complete and utter bollacks but I'm sure I've heard of it.
/quote]
You can become the registered keeper, but this is not the same thing as the legal owner
Back in 1992, my wife worked in our local hospital, the Fire Brigade called in and said that there was an abandoned car blocking a fire access. Her boss gave her the task of locating the owner and getting it moved. It was discovered that the car had been left 18 months previously by a Doctor who had left the hospital. She tracked him through three different hospitals, but then the trail went cold. She told her boss who instructed her to call a local breakers to get them to take it away, but before making the call she went to look at the car and called me instead.
The call went "On the back it says Triumph Vitesse 2 litre overdrive, but the tyres are flat"
I left work early to have a look and the bodywork and interior meant it was far too good to be broken, so at 08.00 the next morning I was there with four spare wheels, put them on, tested the brakes and they were just working enough to tow it home.
I parked it at the side of my house in full view of the road, and sent off for a log book to become the registered keeper, before I did anything to the car.
Three weeks later I had a visit from two policemen and was accused of stealing the car! The Doctor had been notified of my request for the log book and reported it as stolen. Because I had not tried to conceal the car, the Police agreed that this was not a case of stealing but of rescuing, but they were obliged to tell the owner where the car was.
A few days later I got a call from the Doctor, I explained that if I had not intervened his car would by now have been crushed, and made him an offer to buy it. His pompous reply was that he wanted the car back, but could I keep it for a month until it was convenient for him to collect it.
At this point I lost it totally and told him that unless he removed it within three days I would call the breakers myself! I put his flat tyres back on the car, and two days later he arrived when I was at work to put the car on a trailer. I had told my son who was at home, not to help him, and he stood watching while the Doctor struggled for over an hour to drag the car onto the trailer, and away it went.
I have checked the just checked he DVLA site and the last tax disc expired on 01 01 1991.
So he never got it back on the road!!
So if you ever rescue a car with no documents, get a V5 before you start working on it, but remember the original owner can still reclaim it.
/quote]
You can become the registered keeper, but this is not the same thing as the legal owner
Back in 1992, my wife worked in our local hospital, the Fire Brigade called in and said that there was an abandoned car blocking a fire access. Her boss gave her the task of locating the owner and getting it moved. It was discovered that the car had been left 18 months previously by a Doctor who had left the hospital. She tracked him through three different hospitals, but then the trail went cold. She told her boss who instructed her to call a local breakers to get them to take it away, but before making the call she went to look at the car and called me instead.
The call went "On the back it says Triumph Vitesse 2 litre overdrive, but the tyres are flat"
I left work early to have a look and the bodywork and interior meant it was far too good to be broken, so at 08.00 the next morning I was there with four spare wheels, put them on, tested the brakes and they were just working enough to tow it home.
I parked it at the side of my house in full view of the road, and sent off for a log book to become the registered keeper, before I did anything to the car.
Three weeks later I had a visit from two policemen and was accused of stealing the car! The Doctor had been notified of my request for the log book and reported it as stolen. Because I had not tried to conceal the car, the Police agreed that this was not a case of stealing but of rescuing, but they were obliged to tell the owner where the car was.
A few days later I got a call from the Doctor, I explained that if I had not intervened his car would by now have been crushed, and made him an offer to buy it. His pompous reply was that he wanted the car back, but could I keep it for a month until it was convenient for him to collect it.
At this point I lost it totally and told him that unless he removed it within three days I would call the breakers myself! I put his flat tyres back on the car, and two days later he arrived when I was at work to put the car on a trailer. I had told my son who was at home, not to help him, and he stood watching while the Doctor struggled for over an hour to drag the car onto the trailer, and away it went.
I have checked the just checked he DVLA site and the last tax disc expired on 01 01 1991.
So he never got it back on the road!!
So if you ever rescue a car with no documents, get a V5 before you start working on it, but remember the original owner can still reclaim it.
NateWM said:
TheTurbonator said:
Fair enough.
All you will become is the Registered Keeper. That entitles you to essentially "look after" the car, but you would never officially be the owner until you pay for the car and fill in the change of owner section on the V5 along with the owners signature. Thats why V5's say "This is not proof of ownership" in great big letters along the top.Personally, I hate people who do it, and at one point lots of people done it, especially the Ford lads. I would hate to park my car somewhere I thought it would be safe, only for me to go travelling for a year to find out my cars gone...
One guy done it to an Escort Cosworth. He got the car for free, spent time and money fixing up the crash damage and modifying it, and then sold it for £17k! He must of been happy.
Another Ford guy wasn't though. He done the same with a 3dr Cossie that he thought was abandoned. Again, an absolute fortune was spent on the car as he wanted to keep it, and in the end it was a super tidy example running big power. He ran the car like that for 18 months, until one day the owner turned up! Despite the many thousands spent, there was nothing the guy could do. The owner just turned up, shown proof he was the owner and drove away with a Cossie that was 10 times better than when he left it. Turns out the owner in the navy, and was out at sea for the past 18 monthss, hence why the DVLA couldn't get hold of him.
Anatol said:
If you send off the paperwork requesting issue of a V5, DVLA will write to the current keeper (if any). If they don't respond within (IIRC) 2 weeks then a V5 will be issued to you.
This will make you the registered keeper (with all the associated legal responsibilities), but not the owner.
If you appropriate the vehicle - ie move it, start driving it - basically exercise any property rights over it, but do so honestly, it will not be theft. The Theft Act 1968 specifically states that you are not in law dishonest if you:
honestly believe you have a legal right to, or
believe the owner would consent if they knew of your appropriation and its circumstances, or
believe the owner cannot be found by taking reasonable steps.
Making all reasonable enquiries to locate the owner and get their permission would therefore stop you from being guilty of theft. DVLA will sell you the current keeper details, for a lawful purpose - you can download the paperwork off their website.
This is NOT the same as making you the owner. Very little in English law will transfer genuine title away from a previous owner without their consent. Which means that if someone does turn up in future, claiming to be the owner at the time you took the abandoned car, chances are you will have to return it to them, despite any money you may have spent on it, so be warned...
Obligatory disclaimer - I am not a lawyer (any more!)
Tol
PS (edit)- Thinking about it, of course, it being a conveyance, you'd have to avoid the TWOC offence too. No legal requirement of dishonesty, but a statutory defence of either:
believing you have a legal right to take it
believing the owner would consent to the taking if they knew of it and the circumstances
NO defence of believing the owner can't be located with reasonable steps...!!
This will make you the registered keeper (with all the associated legal responsibilities), but not the owner.
If you appropriate the vehicle - ie move it, start driving it - basically exercise any property rights over it, but do so honestly, it will not be theft. The Theft Act 1968 specifically states that you are not in law dishonest if you:
honestly believe you have a legal right to, or
believe the owner would consent if they knew of your appropriation and its circumstances, or
believe the owner cannot be found by taking reasonable steps.
Making all reasonable enquiries to locate the owner and get their permission would therefore stop you from being guilty of theft. DVLA will sell you the current keeper details, for a lawful purpose - you can download the paperwork off their website.
This is NOT the same as making you the owner. Very little in English law will transfer genuine title away from a previous owner without their consent. Which means that if someone does turn up in future, claiming to be the owner at the time you took the abandoned car, chances are you will have to return it to them, despite any money you may have spent on it, so be warned...
Obligatory disclaimer - I am not a lawyer (any more!)
Tol
PS (edit)- Thinking about it, of course, it being a conveyance, you'd have to avoid the TWOC offence too. No legal requirement of dishonesty, but a statutory defence of either:
believing you have a legal right to take it
believing the owner would consent to the taking if they knew of it and the circumstances
NO defence of believing the owner can't be located with reasonable steps...!!
Edited by Anatol on Monday 17th July 08:15
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