Abandoned and untaxed vehicles

Jump to:

• Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q1. How do I know if a vehicle is abandoned?
  • Q2. Is abandoning a vehicle a criminal offence?
  • Q3. How do I report an abandoned vehicle?
  • Q4. Do the Police have a role in abandoned vehicles?
  • Q5. What are the statutory notice periods after which vehicles can be removed from the highway?

Woking Borough Council has a statutory duty under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 and Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Act 1986 to remove vehicles that have been abandoned on the public highway, on Council owned land or on "any land in the open air".

Under regulation 3 of the 1978 Act, a vehicle that is considered abandoned will be given a seven-day notice (if it is on a public road) or a 15-day notice (if it is on private land). Within 24 hours expiry of the notice, the vehicle will be removed and stored or destroyed. Under the 1986 regulations, Woking Borough Council will remove a vehicle if it is likely to cause a danger.

Woking Borough Council will place 24-hour notices on abandoned vehicles with a value of less than £500 and remove from the site to be recycled.

The council has a team of seven Neighbourhood Officers who will investigate reports of abandoned vehicles. These will be processed according to the situation, including affixing the relevant notice. When appropriate, vehicles are removed from site by the Council's approved recycling dismantler.

If ownership of the vehicle is known, under normal circumstances Woking Borough Council cannot classify the vehicle as abandoned. However, we will review the report and forward the details to the relevant agency i.e. DVLA; Surrey Police.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I know if a vehicle is abandoned?

• One or more tyres flat
• Presence of litter, weeds etc under the vehicle indicating that it has not been moved for a considerable period of time
• Rusty brake discs, indicating vehicle has been in position for a long period of time
• Broken windscreen or any of the windows broken
• Presence of mould on either the inside or outside of the vehicle
• Presence of waste eg tyres inside the vehicle
• Absence of number plates
• Whether the vehicle is currently licensed *(and is subject to one or more of the above conditions)

Q2. Is abandoning a vehicle a criminal offence?

Yes, under section 2(1) of the 1978 Act. the maximum penalty for abandoning a vehicle is a fine of £2,500 or 3 month's imprisonment or both.

Q3. How do I report an abandoned vehicle?

If you consider a vehicle to be abandoned, you should report it to the Council. You can do this online, or alternatively please call the number below. If however, the vehicle is currently unlicensed, and does not appear to have been abandoned, please report to the DVLA. You can report directly to the DVLA here. If you suspect the vehicle to have been stolen, please report to the police.

Q4. Do the Police have a role in abandoned vehicles?

Under the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986 the Police have powers to remove any vehicle which is left in breach of local traffic regulation orders, or is causing an obstruction or likely to cause a danger or which is broken down or abandoned without lawful authority. Information from Surrey Police relating to abandoned vehicles can be found here.

Q5. What are the statutory notice periods after which vehicles can be removed from the highway?

For vehicles that are in a condition meriting their destruction the statutory notice period is 24 hours. For vehicles that Woking Borough Council consider have some value, the written notice sent to the last registered keeper is 7 days. These changes were introduced through the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles (England)(Amendment) Regulations 2002 which came into force on 9 April 2002.

If you have any queries regarding abandoned vehicles, please contact Environmental Services either by email or telephone.