Found an abandoned vintage car, how can I claim it.

[AlwynMike]

I had to Google "urbexing" 😊

[speedking31]

Pay £10 to look at the deceased's will on line. They may have left the car to you. (about equal to the probability that you can legally acquire it by removing it.)

[Shuvi McTupya]

Who is to say you didn't pay the owner in cash for it while he was still alive but only just got round to collecting it?

It is not like it is ever going to be reported stolen or missed by anybody if what the OP says is true.

Sounds like a total non crime to me.

[Pericoloso]

What car is it and do you have a pic ?

Just interested.....nosey...

[threespires]

My sister has a similar situation. She bought a cottage in France. The owner had died without any living relatives. In the garage is a Mini. She's been unable to get it transferred into her name. She'd love to sell it but as it doesn't belong to her, she's a bit stuck.

[selmahoose]

the tribester said:

OP, you grab the car, I'll claim the house.
Finders keepers!

I've done this. And more than once. And I've currently got another one in the pipeline.

People DO abandon properties, and in my experience are happy enough for you to take them over as long as you pick up the cost of doing it.

[anonymous-user]

Derek Smith said:

To be theft, the property must have an owner.

Abandoned property has no owner by definition. If you have a reasonable, and supportable, belief that the owner of the vehicle abandoned the vehicle then you may take possession of it.

There are some civil caveats re property. These may or may not have an effect on whether you can be sued. I have no idea.

There is a classic case where a woman threw away a present she had been given by her boyfriend. It landed in a garden. A neighbour saw the contretemps and liberated said item. The neighbour was charged with theft but the defence of no owner was upheld.

Ignore this utter tosh.

[4rephill]

Derek Smith said:

To be theft, the property must have an owner.

Abandoned property has no owner by definition........

According to the OP, the previous owner of the vehicle died and did not have any friends or family to leave it to. If that is true, then as stated by Breadvan72, the vehicle has become the property of the state - so it does have an owner!

Derek Smith said:

If you have a reasonable, and supportable, belief that the owner of the vehicle abandoned the vehicle then you may take possession of it.......

That sounds right up there with: "possession is 9/10ths of the law"

Taking possession of something doesn't automatically make it yours!

[Shuvi McTupya]

If someone abandons an old fridge in a ditch by the side of the road do the same rules apply, it becomes the property of the crown?

Or does the dumped property have to be on private property in order for the crown to assume ownership? And how long does private property remain private if it is abandoned?

So many questions , and who really cares

[Flumpo]

Could always try this:

1: take car
2: ring 101 and report yourself for theft
3: be given a crime number
4: be told the case has been closed during the call due to lack of evidence
5: live life as normal but with a new car

[Boosted LS1]

Strange that councils don't claim ownership of abandoned property.

[selmahoose]

4rephill said:

According to the OP, the previous owner of the vehicle died and did not have any friends or family to leave it to. If that is true, then as stated by Breadvan72, the vehicle has become the property of the state - so it does have an owner!

Well, sort of. If it's really worth it to the OP he needs to get in touch with a bloke called 'The Queen's and Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer'. His office will explain what needs done next if he wants to take over ownership.

He will need about 2-3 grand for a lawyer, a private detective, and if he gets to the takeover point, a 10 year insurance policy to the value of his costs/expenditure in the matter just in case someone turns up who does have a prior right to title.

(ETA: The above is in Scotland. In England instead of QLTR's office it's probably the Treasury Solicitor).

(Ps: IMO it'd be simpler to just steal it and get DVLA to send you a replacement logbook. No-one's going to give a st about it and most likely no-one even knows about it or it would already have been stolen).

Edited by selmahoose on Wednesday 16th January 21:34

[silverfoxcc]

Methinks custard could be called for

White is the make/model/year at minimum info

[InitialDave]

threespires said:

My sister has a similar situation. She bought a cottage in France. The owner had died without any living relatives. In the garage is a Mini. She's been unable to get it transferred into her name. She'd love to sell it but as it doesn't belong to her, she's a bit stuck.

Would her purchase of the property not cover any contents within it at the time?

[rallycross]

threespires said:

She's been unable to get it transferred into her name. She'd love to sell it but as it doesn't belong |https://thumbsnap.com/9n4QK2XH[/url]

Refer to thread about Ebay logbooks, mini can be revived on new ID,then use it and enjoy it.

[silvermills997]

If you can discretely get the car away do so, apply for the log book and bobs you uncle its yours, I dont suppose you can get into the empty house ? if you can ( ie if its derelict ) you could get the letter sent by dvla and thus down the line the ultimate executor wont find it ( the dvla letter ) and ask questions.

[Shuvi McTupya]

silvermills997 said:

If you can discretely get the car away do so, apply for the log book and bobs you uncle its yours, I dont suppose you can get into the empty house ? if you can ( ie if its derelict ) you could get the letter sent by dvla and thus down the line the ultimate executor wont find it ( the dvla letter ) and ask questions.

1: Break in.
2: Check the mail.
3: Change your name by deed poll to what ever his name was.
4: Profit

[poo at Paul's]

Shuvi McTupya said:

silvermills997 said:

If you can discretely get the car away do so, apply for the log book and bobs you uncle its yours, I dont suppose you can get into the empty house ? if you can ( ie if its derelict ) you could get the letter sent by dvla and thus down the line the ultimate executor wont find it ( the dvla letter ) and ask questions.

1: Break in.
2: Check the mail.
3: Change your name by deed poll to what ever his name was.
4: Profit

While in the house, get the keys and the full service history. check the freezer, the fish fingers will be good for a few years.

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

silvermills997 said:

If you can discretely get the car away do so, apply for the log book and bobs you uncle its yours

What, you mean apply for a V5C, the document that has the words “This document has fk-all to do with ownership” * in big letters at the top? Stealing the car doesn’t make you its owner, and getting the V5C doesn’t change that.

* I may have misquoted the precise wording

By the way, you mean “discreetly”. Discrete is a different word with a meaning that makes no sense in this context.

[Hol]

Shuvi McTupya said:

If someone abandons an old fridge in a ditch by the side of the road do the same rules apply, it becomes the property of the crown?

Or does the dumped property have to be on private property in order for the crown to assume ownership? And how long does private property remain private if it is abandoned?

So many questions , and who really cares

No - that's fly tipping.

Unless, you are a part of the most secretive Underground (overground) Gang in South London.