Odd situation - recovering a non-running abandoned car

Odd situation - recovering a non-running abandoned car

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TUS373

Original Poster:

4,939 posts

296 months

Yesterday (18:37)
quotequote all
Family friend's husband passed away a few weeks ago. Some months back, the husband dropped his car off at a garage - hundreds of miles away from home, to fix the automatic gearbox. The garage was pretty hopeless, but happily took a chunk of money to do the repair. He nagged them for progress reports but heard nothing. He then died.

Last week, the garage emailed to say that their premises had been repossessed so they took the car out and abandoned it on a road, with the keys on the wheel. Our friend picked up the email, and is already distressed enough to not have to deal with this rubbish. The car has not been fixed so it is not driveable. It is some 200 miles away, so no sure fire way of knowing it is where it is supposed to be, or if it has been moved by someone else.

You could not make this stuff up.

The lady is very upset and asked us for advice. We are pretty stuck too. We could drive there to find...nothing. If there IS a car there, we still cannot move it.

Would it be best to try and contact a garage in the area that does recoveries and ask them to go look for it, and collect it? Any other ideas.

For info...we have been given a road name in Surry saying that is where the car was left! Thank you.

davidexige

541 posts

221 months

Yesterday (19:05)
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Where abouts roughly is the car? if it s anywhere near me I would happily go and see if the cars there, I’m Dundee ish.

Sorry I ve just noticed you say it’s in Surrey, perhaps someone else more local would be able to help.

Edited by davidexige on Wednesday 16th July 19:07


Edited by davidexige on Wednesday 16th July 19:08

Benmac

1,560 posts

231 months

Yesterday (19:27)
quotequote all
What a horrid situation.

I’m sure someone relatively local on here would be up for going and finding it and securing the keys. From there a decent transport company should be able to shift it. If they want it fixed then if you can find a decent garage (maybe a specialist if it’s something interesting) would likely know a trustworthy transporter.

Good luck.

MattsCar

1,763 posts

120 months

Yesterday (20:21)
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What is the rough value of the car? Are we talking a couple of grand or £10k?

Oceanrower

1,147 posts

127 months

Yesterday (20:26)
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I’m in Ash, near Farnham. If it’s anywhere near me I can, at least, check if it’s still there and secure the keys.

Feel free to message me.

FarmerJim

597 posts

174 months

Yesterday (20:29)
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I'm in north Cotswolds, near Moreton-in-Marsh, if that helps.

Mr Tidy

26,863 posts

142 months

Yesterday (23:10)
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I'm in Windlesham, Surrey so probably only about 20 miles away.

PM me if you'd like me to take a look at it.

n3il123

2,712 posts

228 months

1 Tell us the rough area

2 Find a friendly PH'er to locate based on more specific location

3 If it is there and hasn't been trashed and the keys are there and (lots of ands) you actually want it back then get on shiply and ask for a quote to get it shipped back to the poor widow.

4 Then in all likely hood leave it on the widows drive way for 6 months and call someone to take it away and get it scrapped.

You could save some time effort and money and skip step 3


hemidom

1,319 posts

161 months

Also happy to go locate it / keys, in West Sussex but it's potentially not far at all

ClaphamGT3

11,742 posts

258 months

If it's of value and she wants it fixed, call Dave at A1 Premier Transmissions in Biggleswade. He is a whizz with auto transmissions and will happily arrange recovery to get a car to his workshop

TUS373

Original Poster:

4,939 posts

296 months

Thank you everyone. It is very kind of many people to offer help under these rather unusual and cruel circumstances.

I will have a chat with the lady in question and see if we can formulate a plan.

The car is in Redhill, Surrey - somewhere!

rallycross

13,533 posts

252 months

TUS373 said:
Thank you everyone. It is very kind of many people to offer help under these rather unusual and cruel circumstances.

I will have a chat with the lady in question and see if we can formulate a plan.

The car is in Redhill, Surrey - somewhere!
I can give you the number of my recovery guy he is very good and low rates based in surrey and can load up non runners. He usually charges us £80 to £120 for local jobs depending on how many miles. They do need to get it collected soon before someone complains and the council stick a disposal notice on it to be crushed within 7 days.

Unreal

7,138 posts

40 months

TUS373 said:
Thank you everyone. It is very kind of many people to offer help under these rather unusual and cruel circumstances.

I will have a chat with the lady in question and see if we can formulate a plan.

The car is in Redhill, Surrey - somewhere!
I can do Redhill tomorrow in terms of a check. I can possibly help with storage if that becomes a problem, which it might if the car is lacking tax, insurance, etc and is going to attract the attention of local residents. I can't help with transport but I suspect that will be the least difficult problem once the car is located.


HiddenUser

4,610 posts

186 months

TUS373 said:
Thank you everyone. It is very kind of many people to offer help under these rather unusual and cruel circumstances.

I will have a chat with the lady in question and see if we can formulate a plan.

The car is in Redhill, Surrey - somewhere!
This is just up the road to me, happy to go see when you have an idea of where it is