What are the laws on unused cars kept on public roads

[Mestar]

Hello there, just a general enquiry. My friend's neighbour has a very old car parked outside their house which they do not use and keep it there apparently to stop other people parking there. This car is over 50 years old and has not moved now for several years. A check online shows its last MOT was nearly 6 years ago. We don't know if it is meant to have an MOT or tax or even insurance but it blocks the view of the road when my friend tries to pull off her drive and she has had several near misses in the past. The car is covered in mould and is an eyesore. Is it legal for it to be kept on the public road like this?

[AJB88]

I'd say no.

[MTech535]

Generally, needs to be taxed and insured if on the road.

Not sure what the rules are on taxing a vehicle that old, but will still need to be insured.

[tr7v8]

Won't need an MOT but will need tax, albeit free and insurance to be even parked on the public road. Askmid will tell you if it is taxed

[TooMany2cvs]

Mestar said:

Hello there, just a general enquiry. My friend's neighbour has a very old car parked outside their house which they do not use and keep it there apparently to stop other people parking there. This car is over 50 years old and has not moved now for several years. A check online shows its last MOT was nearly 6 years ago. We don't know if it is meant to have an MOT or tax or even insurance but it blocks the view of the road when my friend tries to pull off her drive and she has had several near misses in the past. The car is covered in mould and is an eyesore. Is it legal for it to be kept on the public road like this?

How much "over 50 years old"? If it's pre 1960, it doesn't need an MOT.

But, yes, it needs to be taxed (even though free), it needs to be insured (which will cost buttons), and it needs to be roadworthy.

It also needs to not be causing an obstruction to traffic - but that's a different thing from being in somebody's sightline.

Let's see a pic. It should be on Streetview, right...?

[caelite]

As long as it is taxed and insured then it has a right to sit on a public highway. However the only circumstance in which it can be moved is if it has a pre-booked MOT test, and is being transported directly to the MOTing garage.

[Mave]

Unless there is some loophole due to the age (I don't think there is) then it should be taxed to be left on the road - and to be taxed it needs Mot and insurance. If it's not taxed then it should be SORNed and taken off the road.

[WokingWedger]

I would be interested in the answer as we have a similar situation with our neighbour , but its not a public road, but its not on her property it is on the road.

Corrected its not a council adopted road (but not sure if that makes it private)

Edited by WokingWedger on Tuesday 14th March 17:11

[RizzoTheRat]

Has to have VED to be parked on the road surely? In which case it has to also have an MoT and insurance.

However if it's more than 40 years old its exempt from VED but I'm nut sure if that just means you renew it every year for £0 and still need insurance and MoT unless you SORN it.

[andymc]

RizzoTheRat said:

Has to have VED to be parked on the road surely? In which case it has to also have an MoT and insurance.

However if it's more than 40 years old its exempt from VED but I'm nut sure if that just means you renew it every year for £0 and still need insurance and MoT unless you SORN it.

a car doesnt need to be insured to get tax

[RizzoTheRat]

andymc said:

a car doesnt need to be insured to get tax

Never know that, is that a loophole that you have jump thorough some hoops to get to or a standard thing? I had my VED refused some years ago as the insurance company had a letter wrong in my registration number so it wasn't on the database and I'd potentially been driving around without insurance for a year

[TooMany2cvs]

andymc said:

RizzoTheRat said:

Has to have VED to be parked on the road surely? In which case it has to also have an MoT and insurance.

However if it's more than 40 years old its exempt from VED but I'm nut sure if that just means you renew it every year for £0 and still need insurance and MoT unless you SORN it.

a car doesnt need to be insured to get tax

No, that changed about five years ago - but it does need to be insured to HAVE tax. Even if that tax is free.

Free tax works exactly the same as paid-for tax, but you just don't pay for it. Doesn't matter if it's free because it's low CO2, free because the driver's disabled, free because it's a fire engine, or free because it's old.

If it's on the road, it needs to be currently taxed and insured and MOTd (if required).
If it's currently taxed, it needs to be insured, whether it's on the road or not.
If it needs an MOT, the MOT is checked for validity at the start date of the tax.
If it isn't currently taxed, it needs to be SORNed and off the road.

[drdel]

Inform your Council there's an abandoned car parked on the public road.

[AJB88]

drdel said:

Inform your Council there's an abandoned car parked on the public road.

I went through the DVLA website to do it last year.

They came, stuck a police aware sticker on the car, the owner ripped the sticker off and then a few weeks later came and removed it when the owner was at work.

[Cold]

Along with all the above paperwork it'll need to be roadworthy too. So no bald tyres, knackered brakes or holey rusty metal*.


(*Batman)

[Mandalore]

Ironically, the old exempt car scenario is often suggested by people as a legal solution for inconsiderate people over parking and blocking a driveway on a regular basis.

If they are truly causing an obstruction, fair do's.

But, if this simply a situation of somebody else coveting the space for their own parking benefit, then as it's been said many times, it's not owned by anyone and any legal car can park (and remain parked) there.

[AmaSmi]

Mandalore said:

But, if this simply a situation of somebody else coveting the space for their own parking benefit, then as it's been said many times, it's not owned by anyone and any legal car can park (and remain parked) there.

Exactly. Once a vehicle is MOT'd, taxed and insured, then LEGALLY it can park on the Public Highway, as long as it's not causing obstruction. I have to laugh at people complaining about others parking on the street in front of their house etc. I once had a neighbour like that who was very territorial over the street in front of the house they were renting, to the point where if anyone came to visit me and parked there, I'd get a note through the door! Then a friend of mine was going away for a year and I said she could park her car in front of my house for the duration and I'd keep an eye on it for her. Well, the aforementioned neighbour nearly had a fit when he saw the car! Oh well .....

[loose cannon]

We’re is the picture of said old car I’m intrigued to see it in all its glory and what it is ?

[SHutchinson]

loose cannon said:

We’re is the picture of said old car I’m intrigued to see it in all its glory and what it is ?

They may have moved it in the year since the original post on this thread.

[Vocal Minority]

Mestar said:

My friend's neighbour has a very old car parked outside their house which they do not use and keep it there apparently to stop other people parking there.

I know its an aside but as the question has been broadly answered already.....why?! The net result is a car outside their house be it theirs or someone else's....they clearly don't need the space as all they use it for is storing a car they never use....with the express purpose of stopping other people using it.....

The only difference being this one looks (presumably) a lot crapper than one in constant use. The only viable reason I can think of is noise from it starting - but how intolerant of others going about their business do you have to be? I can't think of a security angle....

The narrowness of some minds astounds me...