can i claim an abandoned car?

[dba7108]

This car has been sat outside a factory round the corner for over a year now. Moss growing on it and tyres going flat. The company went bust a year ago.

[marshalla]

It's taxed and insured. Sounds like someone has an interest in it.

[W00DY]

It's got an MOT until June. So how has it not moved in over a year?

[dba7108]

No idea but two tyres are flat and mould on the screen and round doors.

[jonah35]

If we could all just claim cars that have been parked a while!!

[omgus]

dba7108 said:

This car has been sat outside a factory round the corner for over a year now. Moss growing on it and tyres going flat. The company went bust a year ago.

This sounds familiar, hasn't something similar happened before.

[W00DY]

dba7108 said:

No idea but two tyres are flat and mould on the screen and round doors.

So does my Beetle, but you can't fking have that!


It's MOT'd, taxed and insured and it's on private property and you think you can just have it because no-ones using it?

[mph1977]

W00DY said:

So does my Beetle, but you can't fking have that!


It's MOT'd, taxed and insured and it's on private property and you think you can just have it because no-ones using it?

especially as it's not on *your* property

people who manage to successfully claim stuff generally do so when it;s been left on property they own / are in control of - consequently as storage charghes rack up claiming it and then either adopting it as your own ( for your own use) or disposing of it are seen as recompense forthe unpaid storage charges

if it was on your property you would have a leigitmate reason to seek the keeper details from the DVLA and could then contact the keeper to determine w the disposition of the vehicle / settlement of storage fees ...

[S0 What]

dba7108 said:

No idea but two tyres are flat and mould on the screen and round doors.

Can you BS and steal a car? if you want to (you've already got the BS part sorted), it'd make you a bit of a though.

[Mouse1903]

On a related note, why do some people simply abandon their cars rather than selling or scrapping them?

[cars1993]

Mouse1903 said:

On a related note, why do some people simply abandon their cars rather than selling or scrapping them?

Likely someone died/went to jail/left the country and the company had more important things to deal with when winding down the company rather than selling a jag

[aw51 121565]

cars1993 said:

Mouse1903 said:

On a related note, why do some people simply abandon their cars rather than selling or scrapping them?

Likely someone died/went to jail/left the country and the company Receivers had more important things to deal with when winding down the company rather than selling a jag

It will be sold off by them in time (assuming it is a company asset), no doubt.

[WCZ]

mph1977 said:

especially as it's not on *your* property

people who manage to successfully claim stuff generally do so when it;s been left on property they own / are in control of - consequently as storage charghes rack up claiming it and then either adopting it as your own ( for your own use) or disposing of it are seen as recompense forthe unpaid storage charges

if it was on your property you would have a leigitmate reason to seek the keeper details from the DVLA and could then contact the keeper to determine w the disposition of the vehicle / settlement of storage fees ...

plenty of people have claimed cars including cosworths that weren't on their private property, some have made £20k out of nothing but meh

[The Turbonator]

I'm sure I remember a familiar thread, where it was concluded that you can never become the owner of an abandoned car.

You may be able to get a V5 for it but a V5 isn't proof of ownership, so if the real owner approaches you 20 years down the line, and has proof of ownership, it's bye bye car.

I think there was an example where someone found an old Ford, spent loads on it and when the owner wanted it back, he didn't have a leg to stand on.

[mph1977]

The Turbonator said:

I'm sure I remember a familiar thread, where it was concluded that you can never become the owner of an abandoned car.

You may be able to get a V5 for it but a V5 isn't proof of ownership, so if the real owner approaches you 20 years down the line, and has proof of ownership, it's bye bye car.

I think there was an example where someone found an old Ford, spent loads on it and when the owner wanted it back, he didn't have a leg to stand on.

hence the comment about if it;s on your property you are in a much stronger position due to having a debt against the owner of the car from the storage ...

[soad]

marshalla said:

It's taxed and insured. Sounds like someone has an interest in it.

To take it anywhere, or to remove any part of it, would be theft.

[DaveCWK]

WCZ said:

plenty of people have claimed cars including cosworths that weren't on their private property, some have made £20k out of nothing but meh

They haven't claimed them at all... they have exploited some loophole that resulted in them them getting a V5 with their name on because the registerd keeper did not respond to a DVLA request in time, and proceeded to further exploit this by selling it.
They had no right to, they didn't own it, the current owner they sold it to dosen't own it, and if the original owner ever thinks 'wonder what happened to my old car - i'll check with DVLA and get the current keeper details!' then they will get THEIR car back, the current owner will be left thinking 'wtf! I bought this in good faith for £20k' and the chap who originally 'claimed' it & sold it may very well find himself in front of the courts explaining the nice paper trail that leads back to him.

It's theft. theiving scummy theft.

[Sheepshanks]

DaveCWK said:

It's theft. theiving scummy theft.

I see it more as recycling.

[anonymous-user]

Someone found a TVR in a barn once, might be worth finding that thread.

[Sheepshanks]

W00DY said:

It's got an MOT until June. So how has it not moved in over a year?

I know someone who got an MOT by post.

To be fair, it wasn't recently.