Abandoned vehicles

Abandoned vehicles and vehicle removal guide

We have a duty to remove vehicles that have been abandoned on the highway, in support of our aims and priorities for a safe, clean, and healthy environment.

This guidance sets out how an appropriate council officer will deal with vehicles that are deemed to be abandoned, including but not limited to the adopted public highway and any land owned or is under the responsibility of the council.

Burnt out, obstructive or dangerously parked vehicles must be reported to the police on 101 as they can arrange for the vehicle to be dealt with immediately, irrespective of whether the vehicle is taxed or not.

Removal of an abandoned vehicle from private land or a private road

If a landowner wants a vehicle removed from their property (private land or private road), we advise that they try to trace the owner of the vehicle and check to see if the vehicle is taxed and has an MOT. This can be done on the Gov.UK website.

We'll remove an abandoned vehicle on behalf of a landowner only if it's in the public interest, and if they can show that they've made all reasonable efforts to contact the vehicle owner (for example, quoting a police incident number and providing us with copies of any correspondence). The landowner will also need to produce Land Registry documents, including the register view and title plan of the land.

The costs incurred by Shropshire Council in officer attendance, administration, vehicle recovery, storage and disposal will be chargeable to the landowner following their request to have a vehicle removed from their private land or a private road. For more information refer to the fees and charges table on this page.

How to report an untaxed vehicle

The landowner can report a vehicle that has no tax on the Gov.UK website. 

Definitions

Carriageway

For the purposes of this guidance, the meaning of 'carriageway' shall be the definition as contained in the Highways Act 1980.

Legislation

For this guidance - Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 (as amended).

Vehicle

For this guidance, a 'vehicle' is any of the following:

Any mechanically propelled vehicle(s) for use on roads, whether or not it's in a fit state
Any trailer adapted for use as an attachment to a vehicle
Any chassis or body with or without wheels, that may have formed part of a vehicle or trailer (eg vehicles with wheels removed)
Anything attached to such a vehicle or trailer
Motorcycles
Caravans

Vehicle owner

The 'vehicle owner' is presumed to be the last registered keeper of the vehicle unless that person can provide evidence to the contrary.

Land occupier

For the purposes of this guidance the 'occupier' is deemed to be the tenant or licensee, or anyone who has legal possession of and control over premises.

Obstruction

Is deemed to be whereby a vehicle is parked in such a way that is obstructive or dangerous.

Nuisance vehicle

For this guidance examples of ‘Nuisance’ are deemed as being a vehicle that is being advertised for sale, under repair, advertising a business, poorly parked or causing an obstruction.

Council's representative

For the purposes of this guidance the 'council's representative' shall mean a member of staff or any agent acting on behalf of Shropshire Council.

In practice very few vehicles that are reported are abandoned, they're more likely to be untaxed, without an MOT, causing minor obstructions, or parked irresponsibly, or have become the object of neighbour disputes.

Where a vehicle is abandoned, we have a duty to remove the vehicle. Failure to remove an abandoned vehicle would be a breach of the duty, but this doesn't cover vehicles abandoned on private land or a private road. We're not required to remove a vehicle situated otherwise than on a carriageway. If the cost of removing an abandoned vehicle is considered high, this duty is removed.

When is a vehicle ‘abandoned’?

We'll form an opinion by reviewing information provided to us and/or gathered through inspection of the vehicle. We'll consider factors during inspection that will help us to determine whether to consider a vehicle ‘abandoned.’ Factors used to determine if a vehicle is abandoned may include, but aren't limited to:

The vehicle being significantly damaged, run down or unroadworthy (this can include vehicles with flat tyres, wheels removed or broken windows)
The vehicle being burnt out
The vehicle lacking one or more of the registration number plates
The vehicle containing waste materials
The vehicle not having a valid road fund licence
The vehicle is SORN
The vehicle having no current registered vehicle keeper on record
The vehicle being unsecure or unlocked

Reporting abandoned vehicles

Abandoned vehicles need be reported to us online. Information you'll be asked to provide to help us investigate is as follows:

Make, model and colour
Vehicle registration number
Exact location of the vehicle
How long it has been at the location
Reasons why the vehicle is believed to be abandoned (eg wheels missing, broken window etc)

Vehicle categories

For the purposes of this guidance vehicles reported to us as 'abandoned' will be categorised as either:

Vehicles that are immediately deemed not to be abandoned.
Vehicles that are potentially abandoned (and may be deemed abandoned after inspection and enquiries)
Vehicles that are immediately deemed to be dangerously abandoned
Vehicles that may be untaxed, causing minor obstructions, parked irresponsibly or are the object of neighbour disputes

Vehicle disposal

For the purposes of this guidance disposal of abandoned vehicles (selling, breaking up or crushing) will usually be undertaken at any time after we've taken steps to find the person appearing to us to be the owner of the vehicle and either:

We've failed to find such a person; or
The vehicle owner has failed to comply with a notice served on them by the council requiring them to remove the vehicle within the prescribed period from their custody. This would usually mean disposal after 14 days of the owner being informed that the vehicle has been removed to a storage site. In the event that we've been advised that the vehicle has recently been sold, additional time to reclaim the vehicle may be provided

Reclaiming an abandoned vehicle

To reclaim a vehicle that's removed as ‘abandoned’ by the council, the following documents must be produced:

Proof of ownership
Vehicle registration document (DVLA V5C, or equivalent for foreign-registered vehicles); and
A valid insurance document (electronic version is acceptable); and
Proof of identity – one of the following: a current valid driving licence or passport

Where one of the supplied documents doesn't contain the owner’s current name and address (or there is a different address on the two documents or no address on one document) the following is also required:

Utility bill (will need to be dated within the last three months); or
Bank statement (must be dated within the last three months); or
Telephone or mobile bill (needs to be dated within the last three months); or
Benefits letter (must be dated within the last three months)

Electronic versions of these are acceptable.

Supporting evidence

In addition, before the abandoned vehicle can be reclaimed:

The vehicle must show as taxed on the DVLA website; or
You must provide a receipt showing the vehicle tax has been paid
If it's a foreign-registered vehicle, proof it can be legally driven on UK roads

Fees and charges

Charges in relation to the removal of vehicles

The costs incurred by us in terms of officer in attendance and administration fees will be applied for each individual vehicle, which include the cost of an initial site visit by a council officer or representative for requests received that are on private land or roads.

Fee type: Officer attendance fee
Price: £30 per event

Fee type: Administration fee
Price: £70 per event

Vehicle position and condition: Vehicle on road, upright and not damaged or any two-wheeled vehicle whatever its condition or position on or off the road
Vehicle equal to or less than 3.5 tonnes MAM: £150
Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tonnes: £200
Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 MAM: £350
Vehicle exceeding 18 tonnes MAM: £350

Vehicle position and condition

Vehicle, excluding a two-wheeled vehicle, on road but either not upright or substantially damaged or both

Vehicle equal to or less than 3.5 tonnes MAM

£250

Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tonnes

£650

Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 MAM

Unladen - £2,000
Laden - £3,000

Vehicle exceeding 18 tonnes MAM

Unladen - £3,000
Laden - £4,500

Vehicle position and condition

Vehicle, excluding a two-wheeled vehicle, off road, upright and not damaged

Vehicle equal to or less than 3.5 tonnes MAM

£200

Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tonnes

£400

Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 MAM

Unladen - £1,000
Laden - £1,500

Vehicle exceeding 18 tonnes MAM

Unladen - £1,500
Laden - £2,000

Vehicle position and condition

Vehicle, excluding a two-wheeled vehicle, off road but either not upright or substantially damaged or both

Vehicle equal to or less than 3.5 tonnes MAM

£300

Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tonnes

£850

Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 MAM

Unladen – £3,000
Laden - £4,500

Vehicle exceeding 18 tonnes MAM

Unladen - £4,500
Laden - £6,000

"Maximum authorised mass (MAM) means the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road.This is also known as gross vehicle weight (GVW) or permissible maximum weight."

Vehicle weights explained - Gov.UK

Charges in relation to the storage and disposal of vehicles

Vehicle position and condition: Storage cost per day
Vehicle equal to or less than 3.5 tonnes MAM: £10
Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tonnes: £20
Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 MAM: £30
Vehicle exceeding 18 tonnes MAM: £35

Vehicle position and condition

Disposal cost

Vehicle equal to or less than 3.5 tonnes MAM

£75
Two-wheeled £50

Vehicle exceeding 3.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 7.5 tonnes

£100

Vehicle exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAM but equal to or less than 18 MAM

Unladen - £125

Vehicle exceeding 18 tonnes MAM

Unladen - £150

Report online

If you know a car has been abandoned, you can report it online.