Removal of SORN car from in-laws driveway

[200bhp]

Hello from Australia.

My in laws live in Derbyshire and have reached out for some help because they don’t know what to do. Unfortunately being in Australia there’s not much I can do directly.

My brother in law has abandoned a Mondeo on their driveway and walked away. Apparently he doesn’t have space to keep it.

MOT expired in July 2025 and it’s SORN

He claims he’s tried to sell it but there’s no interest. My in laws don’t have a car anymore so he decided to dump it on their driveway.

He’s now not answering their phone calls.

What options do they have to get it removed? Will a scrap man take it away if it’s not owned by them?

Registration number is FD03WGE

[ashenfie]

Maybe simpler to call a scrap yard and get them to collect it. You will need the V5, but will get some money in exchange.

[df76]

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

[mmm-five]

Advertise it on Facebook as spares or repair...and mention you've lost the keys/V5C, so they'll need a trailer.

[sixor8]

df76 said:

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

They won't remove it from private property. But if it should get broken into and rolled out into the road.....

[350Matt]

most scrappies will come and take it away on the land owners say so, once its been on your property for 3 weeks I think you can do what you like with it

[ExBoringVolvoDriver]

All above good ideas although whatever they decide to do, I would personally send a recorded delivery letter to the owner of the car saying that he has 2 weeks to remove it otherwise it will be disposed of by whatever means necessary.

Then there can be no come back - it sounds like he doesn’t want it.

[Jamescrs]

Id say most people who advertise locally as buying scrap cars will come and take it quite happily and will probably pay a couple of hundred for it. I've sold a couple of MOT failures to these people in the past and usually they really aren't too fussed about a log book.

[ashenfie]

sixor8 said:

df76 said:

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

They won't remove it from private property. But if it should get broken into and rolled out into the road.....

Removed mine from private property, just needed the V5.

[Doesitdrive]

I do scap recovery, but wouldn't touch a car without keys or V5, not registered to the collection address.

If the owner reports it stolen it is a world of agg for very little money.

Just not worth the hassle and fking relationship with the scrap yard.

[Cold]

Apply for a new V5C in their name via the DVLA website. It will notify the son in law that this is underway so might prompt him to make contact with them. If it doesn't, and he raises no objections to the V5C application, then they'll have the necessary docs to get rid of the car.

[sixor8]

ashenfie said:

sixor8 said:

df76 said:

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

They won't remove it from private property. But if it should get broken into and rolled out into the road.....

Removed mine from private property, just needed the V5.

If you have the V5, it's not really abandoned though, is it. Council action is designed for cars that are just that, nobody knows who's it is or where it's from.

[Decky_Q]

You cant scrap it but you can deliver it on a low loader to his own address and tell him not to bring it back.

[Sebring440]

350Matt said:

once its been on your property for 3 weeks I think you can do what you like with it

What....?