Abandoned vehicles

Report an abandoned vehicle

To make an abandoned vehicle report you will need to create a MyNelincs account.

We will investigate the vehicle within five working days of it being reported. If we determine that there is no local registered keeper, we may remove a vehicle and dispose of it via recycling.

Before you report a vehicle

Everyone has the right to park their car on a public highway, even if they do not live in the area.

If the vehicle is owned by a local resident or neighbour, the Council cannot take action as the vehicle is considered “owned.” Similarly, if the vehicle is parked on a public road without parking restrictions, no action can be taken since it is “owned” and not in violation of any parking rules.

The council will not intervene in residential disputes about vehicles parked outside your property, or if you simply dislike a particular vehicle in your street.

Vehicles that are parked badly or left in a troublesome place, for example obstructing your driveway, do not necessarily fall under the definition of abandoned.

Please check the following:

Has the vehicle been:

Does the vehicle meet one of these descriptions? If yes, report it:

The Council will make the final decision about whether a vehicle has been classed as abandoned based upon multiple factors, and not just necessarily if one of the above is met.

Untaxed / SORN vehicles

If a vehicle is taxed, it is generally not considered abandoned. Sometimes, vehicles may remain in the same location for an extended period because the owner has chosen not to use them for various reasons.

The DVLA is the only authority with the power to remove untaxed or SORN vehicles parked on public roads. SORN stands for Statutory Off Road Notification, which is a formal declaration to the DVLA that you are taking your vehicle off the road and, therefore, do not need to renew car tax or insurance.

If you come across an untaxed or SORN vehicle parked on a public road, you can report it to the DVLA.

Vehicle with no MOT

You need a valid MOT to tax your car. If a vehicle has a valid Tax but no MOT, you can report this to the DVLA once the Tax has expired.

If the vehicle is being driven with no valid MOT, then please report this to the Police on 101.

Scrap your car

If you need to dispose of your car you must use an Authorised Treatment Facility (ATF), authorised by the Environment Agency.

Some ATF’s will collect the vehicle for you if you are unable to take it to them and they may even give you some money for it. They will issue you with a Certificate of Destruction. There is a public register of ATF’s where you can search for a local provider.

For more information go to GOV.UK – Find a vehicle scrapyard.

Disposal of an abandoned vehicle

Authorities can dispose of an abandoned vehicle immediately if either of the following applies:

In all other cases, they must try to find the owner.

If they find the owner, authorities must give the owner 7 days’ written notice to collect the vehicle before disposing of it. They must return a vehicle to its owner if the owner claims it and pays the authorities’ costs of removal and storage.

If the owner cannot be found or fails to comply with a notice to collect the vehicle, authorities may dispose of the vehicle.

Claiming costs of removal, storage or disposal

Authorities can claim prescribed amounts for the removal, storage and disposal of abandoned vehicles.

Read more GOV.UK.