Abandoned Vehicles

Torbay Council has a duty to remove abandoned vehicles under the Refuse disposal (Amenity) act 1978.  The council investigates vehicles to ascertain whether they consider them to be abandoned or not and issues notices to registered keepers, prior to the vehicles being removed.  The normal period of notice is 7 days.  In cases where the officer deems the vehicle to have no value (e.g. burnt out) a 24 hour notice can be issued.

Abandoned Vehicles often get confused with nuisance vehicles.  A nuisance vehicle is not necessarily abandoned and often cannot be removed by the authority.  Common 'nuisance' vehicles are:

• Poorly parked;
• Causing an obstruction;
• Involved in residential parking disputes;
• Broken down;
• Untaxed.

If a vehicle is untaxed but not abandoned, the local authority has no powers to remove it from the Highway.  In this instance, please contact the local DVLA office, or visit their website to report the vehicle.

To assist with identifying vehicles that may be abandoned the following checklist could be used:

• Is the vehicle untaxed? (this should not be the sole consideration but should be considered with other points below)
• Are any of the tyres flat or wheels been removed?
• Is there litter or detritus under the vehicle, indicating that it hasn't been moved for some time?
• Are any of the windows or windscreen broken?
• Is there any mould on the inside or outside of the vehicle?
• Does the vehicle contain items of waste e.g. tyres, old newspapers, general rubbish?
• Does the vehicle have number plates?
• Has the vehicle been vandalised? Exterior vandalism may include graffiti or dents, interior could be seats slashed or the radio removed.
• Is the vehicle one that your neighbours or you have never seen before and suddenly appears in your road with no-one claiming ownership?

Reporting an Abandoned Vehicle

If you suspect a vehicle has been abandoned you should collect the following information before reporting it.

• Vehicle make, model and colour.
• Vehicle registration number (if known - it may be on the tax disc if the number plates have been removed)
• Condition of the vehicle.
• Presence or not of the tax disc and whether it has expired.
• Location of the vehicle - be as specific as you can.  Also note if the vehicle has been left in a location that may cause obstruction or danger.
• How long the vehicle has been in its current location (if known)

If you believe that a vehicle has been abandoned you should contact Torbay Council to report it using the details below.  If during the investigation an owner claims a vehicle that otherwise appears to be abandoned, the Council may not be able to remove it.

Retrieving an Abandoned Vehicle

If your vehicle has been removed by Torbay Council you can call us to confirm its status.