Enquiring about abandoned vehicles

[Mini_Lund]

Hi all,

For the past 2years (that I have worked at the hospital) there has been a Land Rover Discovery and an Audi S2 Coupe in the staff car park (key fob entry). The vehicles appear abandoned/disowned - tax expired, flat tire etc as they have remained there for at least two years

I'm interested in enquiring about taking ownership of the Audi. How do I approach this matter?

I performed a quick Google search that generally displayed council disposal and crushing of abandoned vehicles, not really what I'm after.

Has anyone been in this situation before, what did you do?

Regards,
Tom

[MondeoMan1981]

You could technically apply to the DVLA for a V5, but then that would only make you the registered keeper, not the owner.

What about asking security staff at the hospital - would they know who the car belongs to ?

[Mini_Lund]

MondeoMan1981 said:

You could technically apply to the DVLA for a V5, but then that would only make you the registered keeper, not the owner.

What about asking security staff at the hospital - would they know who the car belongs to ?

I'll most definitely enquiry at the hospital, however I doubt they'll let me know who's vehicle it is due to confidentiality. Worth a try though. How am I able to apply for the V5, is there a process online?

Edit:

I found an online V5C form, there's a fee of £25 to apply for the vehicles V5, I'm going to enquire at the hospital first, (its free ) and get back to you..

Edited by Mini_Lund on Thursday 24th June 20:07

[Mini_Lund]

Just to reiterate, the Audi is a 1994 16V coupe, tax expired April this year (it must have been taxed for a full year), however it has remained unmoved for longer. No such luck enquiring in work. I typed the vehicle registration into a DVLA enquiry, there's no insurance and it appears to be declared 'SORN not due'.

The DVLA obviously won't give me the owner details, has anybody ever filled out a v62 form (Application for a vehicle registration certificate) in an attempt to contact the owner?

[MarkRSi]

Mini_Lund said:

The DVLA obviously won't give me the owner details...

I thought they did? For a small fee (<£5 I think?)

Edited by MarkRSi on Sunday 4th July 09:45

[Mini_Lund]

MarkRSi said:

Mini_Lund said:

The DVLA obviously won't give me the owner details...

I thought they did? For a small fee (<£5 I think?)

I though all vehicle owner details are confidential?

EDIT, thats interesting:

DVLA said:

Reasonable cause – when DVLA can release information
By law, DVLA must protect your personal details held on the registers. DVLA can however, under Government regulations, disclose information from the vehicle register to those who can demonstrate ‘reasonable cause'. Enquiries must give full details of why they want the information and how it will be used.
Some of the circumstances considered to be ‘reasonable cause’ include:
matters of road safety
events that occur as a result of vehicle use
the enforcement of road traffic legislation
the collection of taxes

Edited by Mini_Lund on Sunday 4th July 09:48

[AndrewW-G]

Mini_Lund said:

MarkRSi said:

Mini_Lund said:

The DVLA obviously won't give me the owner details...

I thought they did? For a small fee (<£5 I think?)

I though all vehicle owner details are confidential?

EDIT, thats interesting:

DVLA said:

Reasonable cause – when DVLA can release information
By law, DVLA must protect your personal details held on the registers. DVLA can however, under Government regulations, disclose information from the vehicle register to those who can demonstrate ‘reasonable cause'. Enquiries must give full details of why they want the information and how it will be used.
Some of the circumstances considered to be ‘reasonable cause’ include:
matters of road safety
events that occur as a result of vehicle use
the enforcement of road traffic legislation
the collection of taxes

Edited by Mini_Lund on Sunday 4th July 09:48

Reasonable cause is a pretty vague definition and I've found that it depends on the person who processes the application and the perceived value of the car

Plenty of scenarios that be reasonable, for example if you were to claim that the car had caused some damage to yours, that would normaly be reasonable cause etc

[Mini_Lund]

AndrewW-G said:

Mini_Lund said:

MarkRSi said:

Mini_Lund said:

The DVLA obviously won't give me the owner details...

I thought they did? For a small fee (<£5 I think?)

I though all vehicle owner details are confidential?

EDIT, thats interesting:

DVLA said:

Reasonable cause – when DVLA can release information
By law, DVLA must protect your personal details held on the registers. DVLA can however, under Government regulations, disclose information from the vehicle register to those who can demonstrate ‘reasonable cause'. Enquiries must give full details of why they want the information and how it will be used.
Some of the circumstances considered to be ‘reasonable cause’ include:
matters of road safety
events that occur as a result of vehicle use
the enforcement of road traffic legislation
the collection of taxes

Edited by Mini_Lund on Sunday 4th July 09:48

Reasonable cause is a pretty vague definition and I've found that it depends on the person who processes the application and the perceived value of the car

Plenty of scenarios that be reasonable, for example if you were to claim that the car had caused some damage to yours, that would normaly be reasonable cause etc

Hi Andy,

Just printed off a V888 form, that should do the trick. All I need is a name really, I can do the rest!

[AndrewW-G]

Mini_Lund said:

Hi Andy,

Just printed off a V888 form, that should do the trick. All I need is a name really, I can do the rest!

Hi Tom,

If the DVLA refuse, pop round and I'll plonk all our details on the application, sometimes they seem far happier to give out details if your registered, although they were a bit awkward recently about giving me the details of a Bugatti (fake as it turns out) until I explained the size of the fraud involved

[Deva Link]

AndrewW-G said:

Plenty of scenarios that be reasonable, for example if you were to claim that the car had caused some damage to yours, that would normaly be reasonable cause etc

I wouldn't write anything down on an official form that was untrue - that's a can of worms that could misfire bigtime, especially as there's a connection to the OP's employment.

[Mini_Lund]

Deva Link said:

AndrewW-G said:

Plenty of scenarios that be reasonable, for example if you were to claim that the car had caused some damage to yours, that would normaly be reasonable cause etc

I wouldn't write anything down on an official form that was untrue - that's a can of worms that could misfire bigtime, especially as there's a connection to the OP's employment.

Oh I wont be doing that. Although the form does have a section that details exactly this. I needn't fill out that part as I'm interested in taking ownership of the vehicle, rather than have it sat unsightly in a hospital car park.

[Deva Link]

I would guess, although you might know how likwly this is, that they belong to foreign staff who have gone home. So even if you find the name & address of the RK's then that's not likely to be helpful as they'll have long left that address.

[Mini_Lund]

Deva Link said:

I would guess, although you might know how likwly this is, that they belong to foreign staff who have gone home. So even if you find the name & address of the RK's then that's not likely to be helpful as they'll have long left that address.

I'm also in agreement with this, it is very likely to be the case, worth £2.50 though. As long as I can get a name. Generally all email address's follow the same type of format e.g. '.nhs.uk'. If it comes to it I can post on the hosp intranet, somebody somewhere will know!

[Deva Link]

Mini_Lund said:

Deva Link said:

I would guess, although you might know how likwly this is, that they belong to foreign staff who have gone home. So even if you find the name & address of the RK's then that's not likely to be helpful as they'll have long left that address.

I'm also in agreement with this, it is very likely to be the case, worth £2.50 though. As long as I can get a name. Generally all email address's follow the same type of format e.g. '.nhs.uk'. If it comes to it I can post on the hosp intranet, somebody somewhere will know!

I was thinking they'll have gone back abroad, so the NHS email address won't help. I suppose the hospital might have a forwarding address, which they probably won't give you, but they might send a letter on for you.

[Mini_Lund]

Deva Link said:

Mini_Lund said:

Deva Link said:

I would guess, although you might know how likwly this is, that they belong to foreign staff who have gone home. So even if you find the name & address of the RK's then that's not likely to be helpful as they'll have long left that address.

I'm also in agreement with this, it is very likely to be the case, worth £2.50 though. As long as I can get a name. Generally all email address's follow the same type of format e.g. '.nhs.uk'. If it comes to it I can post on the hosp intranet, somebody somewhere will know!

I was thinking they'll have gone back abroad, so the NHS email address won't help. I suppose the hospital might have a forwarding address, which they probably won't give you, but they might send a letter on for you.

Quite possibly true. They're also likely to have friends in the trust that may know of there whereabouts/contact information/personal email address.

[TallPaul]

Why not tell DVLA the truth, the car appears dumped in the hospital carpark & you're trying to contact the owner. If, after they supply you with the RK's details, you find out the owner has indeed returned home abroad, just apply for the V5. Job done, all above board & legal.

[Mini_Lund]

TallPaul said:

Why not tell DVLA the truth, the car appears dumped in the hospital carpark & you're trying to contact the owner. If, after they supply you with the RK's details, you find out the owner has indeed returned home abroad, just apply for the V5. Job done, all above board & legal.

Thats exactly what I intend on doing!

[Mini_Lund]

It has been towed and I haven't heard anything from the DVLA.

[R11ysf]

TallPaul said:

Why not tell DVLA the truth, the car appears dumped in the hospital carpark & you're trying to contact the owner. If, after they supply you with the RK's details, you find out the owner has indeed returned home abroad, just apply for the V5. Job done, all above board & legal.

This has been covered 100 times. Just because you want the car and even register it in you name you DO NOT become the legal owner.

[alfa pint]

Mini_Lund said:

It has been towed and I haven't heard anything from the DVLA.

It was probably a ph'er who read this and tracked it down! Gazumped!