Abandoned Car
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Discussion

bobski1

Original Poster:

2,084 posts

134 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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There is a car park opposite where I live with an abandoned Alfa 156. It has been there the whole time I have lived there & never seen anybody go near it, the rust on the brakes, spider webs, year old tax & other signs indicate it has been there for some time. Don't want to mention it to the council as it makes a good spot to park next to & not have my doors dinked.

My question is, how can I go about claiming this, want it to restore & work on as a hobby but not sure what the law states about claiming it or how I can do it.

crashley

1,574 posts

210 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Funny - a mate has a 156 GTA that he left parked outside his own house whilst he was having some work done and came home from work one day with a note asking if it was abandoned! Cheeky feckers.

marshalla

15,902 posts

231 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Becoming the registered keeper is fairly easy. Fill in a V62, send it back to DVLA and wait. They should try to contact the previous RK before issuing a new V5C - at which point you become liable for having an untaxed, untested and probably uninsured car parked in a publicly accessible place.

Becoming the owner, however, is a whole other matter.

(I'd start by checking the MOT history site, DVLA database and askmid to find out when the car was last tested and taxed and whether it's currently insured or not).


bobski1

Original Poster:

2,084 posts

134 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
marshalla said:
Becoming the registered keeper is fairly easy. Fill in a V62, send it back to DVLA and wait. They should try to contact the previous RK before issuing a new V5C - at which point you become liable for having an untaxed, untested and probably uninsured car parked in a publicly accessible place.

Becoming the owner, however, is a whole other matter.

(I'd start by checking the MOT history site, DVLA database and askmid to find out when the car was last tested and taxed and whether it's currently insured or not).
Well the car park isn't attended as there are no tickets & it's in such a state that it'd have been removed by now.

Planning to become the owner, SORN it & work to restore it, the body still looks in good condition as does the interior, minus the spiders.

marshalla

15,902 posts

231 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

156 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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bobski1 said:
Planning to become the owner
It's very tricky to become the legal owner, rather than just the registered keeper.

By all means become the keeper, and spend your money and time restoring it, but you will always have a risk of the actual owner popping up and saying "You've nicked my car!"...

For something relatively prosaic like a 156, I'd be regarding it as a lot easier to just find another one...

andburg

8,746 posts

199 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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TooMany2cvs said:
For something relatively prosaic like a 156, I'd be regarding it as a lot easier to just find another one...
This

If you really want to claim it then leave a note on the windscreen and see if the owner responds. It may well not be abandoned, but stuck where it is due to ill health, loss of license or many other reasons.

If you can get the reg and the chassis number you might be able to find a friendly MOT centre to look up where it was last MOT'd and contact them for info. Don't know whether this is possible still though

Amateurish

8,280 posts

252 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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marshalla said:
Becoming the registered keeper is fairly easy. Fill in a V62, send it back to DVLA and wait.
Wouldn't this be fraudulent? The OP has no claim which would allow him to become registered keeper.

jshell

12,106 posts

235 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Amateurish said:
Wouldn't this be fraudulent? The OP has no claim which would allow him to become registered keeper.
Don't be silly, claiming something that belongs to someone else isn't fraudulent.

nitrodave

1,262 posts

168 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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There is a really nice alfa gt parked round the corner from me that has never moved in the time I've been there.

It's filthy dirty and looks to be abandoned. Just last weekend it had a window put in and the local scum bags have had a rummage around inside it.

Shame, as it's a stunning car.

Batfink

1,032 posts

288 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Amateurish said:
Wouldn't this be fraudulent? The OP has no claim which would allow him to become registered keeper.
Yes and no, all you are doing is saying you are the registered keeper, not the owner.

You need to pay the DVLA for the owners details, then at minimum make a proper attempt at getting in touch with the owner.

marshalla

15,902 posts

231 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Batfink said:
Amateurish said:
Wouldn't this be fraudulent? The OP has no claim which would allow him to become registered keeper.
Yes and no, all you are doing is saying you are the registered keeper, not the owner.

You need to pay the DVLA for the owners details, then at minimum make a proper attempt at getting in touch with the owner.
DVLA don't have the owner's details (being pedantic).

Some Gump

13,018 posts

216 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Doesn't mean that it's abandoned and you can just "claim" it.

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Indeed. That would not be law, that would be anarchy. Finders are not keepers, except in some instances to do with ancient treasure, and in the law of marine salvage.

OP, there is no way that you can become the owner of the car, other than by agreement with whomever owns it*. There is no sure way of finding out who that is, because there is no national register of car ownership.

156s are cheap to buy. Buy one.


* There might be a convoluted way, if whomever owns the car park takes steps under the T(IWG)A 1977 to sell the car, but for all you know the car may be parked in a spot that the car's owner owns.

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
marshalla said:
DVLA don't have the owner's details (being pedantic).
DVLA might have the owner's details (being double pedantic).

marshalla

15,902 posts

231 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
marshalla said:
DVLA don't have the owner's details (being pedantic).
DVLA might have the owner's details (being double pedantic).
But won't know that they do, and don't admit that they do. (treble)

Batfink

1,032 posts

288 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
I'm sure most registered keepers are in fact the owners, so the address details are quite useful after all - until people start taking abandoned cars biggrin - is that quadruple pedantic?

simion_levi

257 posts

252 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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Breadvan72 said:
Indeed. That would not be law, that would be anarchy. Finders are not keepers, except in some instances to do with ancient treasure, and in the law of marine salvage.
There's your answer OP: Ancient it may be, but 'treasure' is harder to substantiate. So you need to punt the Alfa into the Solent and you can then claim it. Might wash the spiders out too!

If anyone questions you, tell them a Barista told you it was OK.

marshalla

15,902 posts

231 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
quotequote all
Breadvan72 said:
Indeed. That would not be law, that would be anarchy. Finders are not keepers, except in some instances to do with ancient treasure, and in the law of marine salvage.
So, you're saying that if he becomes a Freeman On The Land he can claim it since only marine law applies to them ?

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 11th November 2015
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I am liking this plan.