Abandoned Car

thedavman009

Hi hope someone might be able to shed some light on this for me.

I live in Riverwood and the house beside me is rented. A previous tenant has abandoned their car in the communal parking space at the front between the houses. I always hoped they may come back and collect it but after a year of it sitting idle I do not anticipate it will now be collected.

The car is falling into disrepair and is beginning to look unsightly. The car has foreign plates and all the discs on the windscreen are also foreign. It does not appear to have been insured/ taxed in Ireland.

Who should I contact about this? I would prefer not to be looking at this vehicle for another year.

Thanks for any advice.

chucknorris

thedavman009 wrote: »

Hi hope someone might be able to shed some light on this for me.

I live in Riverwood and the house beside me is rented. A previous tenant has abandoned their car in the communal parking space at the front between the houses. I always hoped they may come back and collect it but after a year of it sitting idle I do not anticipate it will now be collected.

The car is falling into disrepair and is beginning to look unsightly. The car has foreign plates and all the discs on the windscreen are also foreign. It does not appear to have been insured/ taxed in Ireland.

Who should I contact about this? I would prefer not to be looking at this vehicle for another year.

Thanks for any advice.

The guards usually check it out and arrange a tow if outstanding monies etc, however if it belongs to someone and that's communal parking the guards maybe unable to do anything with it and may have to leave it there for a set period of time with a formal notice on it.

Aenaes

You could contact your local authority. Any vehicle that is not taxed is able to be removed and stored for a certain amount of time, then scrapped if not collected.

I'm not sure how it will apply here because I'm guessing it's in a private housing estate? I do know of cars that have been removed from housing estates before though, so contacting the environmental department of the council is probably your best bet.

thedavman009

Aenaes wrote: »

You could contact your local authority. Any vehicle that is not taxed is able to be removed and stored for a certain amount of time, then scrapped if not collected.

I'm not sure how it will apply here because I'm guessing it's in a private housing estate? I do know of cars that have been removed from housing estates before though, so contacting the environmental department of the council is probably your best bet.

I am pretty sure that all of Riverwood has been taken in charge by the Council therefore it is public property.

Has anyone contacted Fingal Council about this previously?

fox_1973

you can also contact the litter warden if its on public property, which by what you're saying it is, i had the same problem where i worked and the litter warden got it removed

thedavman009

Thanks for the responses. I would be delighted to have it removed and get rid of all the weeds and tidy the whole area of the accumulated litter.

BostonB

Last time I tried to get a abandoned car moved the authorities Gardai/Council weren't interested. Wouldn't touch it if it had plates. Despite the Tax and Insurance being expired. I wonder would you have better luck with the local environmental officer, due to the risk of petrol/oil pollution. Or simply let some local "scrappers" know its there.

are you serious

If the car happened to have no licence plates and the council were notified they would remove the car... just sayin!

thedavman009

BostonB wrote: »

Last time I tried to get a abandoned car moved the authorities Gardai/Council weren't interested. Wouldn't touch it if it had plates. Despite the Tax and Insurance being expired. I wonder would you have better luck with the local environmental officer, due to the risk of petrol/oil pollution. Or simply let some local "scrappers" know its there.

Why would they not remove the car with plates?

Cheers for all the responses.

cursai

Hire some skangers to burn it out
Or
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:LKlecoKWaJ8J:fixyourstreet.ie/reports/view/3020+abandoned+car+with+no+reg+plates&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

are you serious

thedavman009 wrote: »

Why would they not remove the car with plates?

Cheers for all the responses.

They wont because a car can be identified and unless it is reported stolen there is nothing wrong with it being parked in a public place!

However without plates it can not definitely be identified, hence they will tow it away, to try identify it. . .

oblivious

are you serious wrote: »

If the car happened to have no licence plates and the council were notified they would remove the car... just sayin!

or if it not taxed, but plate can be the fastest method

conor-mr2

My understanding was that if a car is located on a public road (either driving or parked) then it needs to be taxed. If this car is on a public road and not taxed then that is illegal.

are you serious

conor-mr2 wrote: »

My understanding was that if a car is located on a public road (either driving or parked) then it needs to be taxed. If this car is on a public road and not taxed then that is illegal.

Your right dead right Conor.... But to get the authorities on to every car that is parked on a public road without tax would be impossible!!!

conor-mr2

gotta start somewhere

daymobrew

I have reported a number of abandoned cars in the Riverwood estate and had them removed. There is a lot of "passing the buck" between FCC and the Gardai. It's a very frustrating process.

If it has registration plates the litter warden has to verify that it is actually abandoned. For Irish registered cars they have to give the owner the opportunity to move it. I think that they have been burned badly in the past for removed a car that wasn't abandoned.

conor-mr2 wrote: »

My understanding was that if a car is located on a public road (either driving or parked) then it needs to be taxed. If this car is on a public road and not taxed then that is illegal.

This is correct. A parked car must also display a valid insurance disc (my brother-in-law got a ticket for display an expired disc).

are you serious wrote: »

However without plates it can not definitely be identified, hence they will tow it away, to try identify it. . .

All vehicles have a VIN, normally visible through the windscreen. This number is tied to the registration plate so, it is possible to identify the car.
Having said that, when I am trying to get an obviously abandoned car removed, I'm happy that FCC make the "no plates, no identity" claim

A car can be removed for 75 euro by FCC:
http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Environment/LitterControl/VehicleRemoval/

thedavman009

Unfortunately the Council have been a complete waste of time.

I have hereunder copied the body of recent email correspondence.
All personal date has been removed. All local councillors were cc'd to emails of today.

I am not holding my breath as to achieving a prompt result with the Gardai.



Me to Council
Jul 16

Dear Sirs,

I wish to report an abandoned vehicle.

The vehicle is a white Volkswagen Lupo/ Fox which does not have any registration plates.

It is located in the parking space between DELETED Castleknock, Dublin 15.

I would be obliged if you could please advise when the vehicle will be removed.


Me to Council
10:26 AM (2 hours ago)

Dear Sirs,

I refer to my below email and confirm that I have not received response nor has the vehicle in question been removed. This vehicle has become a nuisance in the neighbourhood, it detracts from the community and encourages the dumping of litter in the vicinity.

Please confirm at your earliest convenience when this vehicle will be removed?

The Fingal County Council website advises as follows:

"We also remove abandoned cars subject to conditions. We will only remove abandoned vehicles from public property and will not enter private property or estates that are not taken in charge to remove such vehicles." (http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Environment/LitterControl/VehicleRemoval/)

I have confirmed that this area of the Estate was taken in charge by the Council a number of years ago and accordingly I do not understand the delay or lack of communication in this matter.


Response from Council
11:57 AM (1 hour ago)

Dear X

We received an anonymous complaint on the 16thJuly last, about an abandoned white vehicle with no registration plates parkedbetween DELETED Castleknock, Dublin 15
The Litter Warden investigated the complaintand reported that the foreign registration plates which had been on the vehiclewere removed.

The procedure with allegedly abandoned cars is that we write to the Motor Tax Office toestablish who is the registered owner of this vehicle & then contact theregistered owner regarding whether the vehicle is abandoned or not. In the caseof vehicles with foreign registration plates there is nothing we can do.

We do not remove cars without the consentof the owner. A vehicle parked on a public road without valid tax orinsurance is a matter for the Gardai under the Roads Traffic Acts.

Regards

X


Me to Council
12:11 PM (56 minutes ago)


Dear X,

Thank you for your prompt response. I would have been obliged to have received an equally prompt response to my first email which, I note, was not sent to the local councillors.

Your email does not advise whether the County Council has brought this matter to the attention of the Gardai. Please now advise whether this matter has been brought to the attention of the Gardai?

If the County Council has not informed the Gardai to date, who does the responsibility to advise the Gardai rest with?

I would welcome the input of the County Councillors in this matter.


Response from Council
12:59 PM (9 minutes ago)

Dear X

The County Council does not advise theGardai, it is up to the individual complainant to do so. The Council wouldadvise members of the public who phone in with such complaints accordingly


Regards

Dravokivich

I don't get it, you were told what to do by some people who replied above, ignored them and went to the council anyway to be told the same information already provided.

What did you expect the council to do?

thedavman009

chucknorris wrote: »

The guards usually check it out and arrange a tow if outstanding monies etc, however if it belongs to someone and that's communal parking the guards maybe unable to do anything with it and may have to leave it there for a set period of time with a formal notice on it.

Aenaes wrote: »

You could contact your local authority. Any vehicle that is not taxed is able to be removed and stored for a certain amount of time, then scrapped if not collected.

I'm not sure how it will apply here because I'm guessing it's in a private housing estate? I do know of cars that have been removed from housing estates before though, so contacting the environmental department of the council is probably your best bet.

fox_1973 wrote: »

you can also contact the litter warden if its on public property, which by what you're saying it is, i had the same problem where i worked and the litter warden got it removed

daymobrew wrote: »

I have reported a number of abandoned cars in the Riverwood estate and had them removed. There is a lot of "passing the buck" between FCC and the Gardai. It's a very frustrating process.

If it has registration plates the litter warden has to verify that it is actually abandoned. For Irish registered cars they have to give the owner the opportunity to move it. I think that they have been burned badly in the past for removed a car that wasn't abandoned.

This is correct. A parked car must also display a valid insurance disc (my brother-in-law got a ticket for display an expired disc).
All vehicles have a VIN, normally visible through the windscreen. This number is tied to the registration plate so, it is possible to identify the car.
Having said that, when I am trying to get an obviously abandoned car removed, I'm happy that FCC make the "no plates, no identity" claim

A car can be removed for 75 euro by FCC:
http://www.fingalcoco.ie/Environment/LitterControl/VehicleRemoval/

Dravokivich, I was advised to contact the litter warden not the Gardai. Re-read the posts it could not be clearer.

At the very least I expected the Council to respond to my email to advise me that the Litter Warden checked the abandoned car and that I should contact the Gardai to have it removed.

Awesome-O

Any response from the Gardaí yet?

Triangla

1 Find out who your nearest local councillor is.

2 Tow the car to outside their house.

3 Watch it get collected pretty soon after.

thedavman009

Fortunately, a local Councillor has taken up the case for me and is tryingtheir hardest to have the offending vehicle removed. They have already been outto see the vehicle and brought the Gardaí with them.

I understand that presently the Gardaí and Council are disputing who isresponsible for removing the vehicle. The Gardaí are adamant that it is theCouncil's responsibility.

(Un)/ surprisingly only one of the Councillors which I emailed actually responded.

jack presley

thedavman009 wrote: »

[Fortunately, a local Councillor has taken up the case for me and is tryingtheir hardest to have the offending vehicle removed. They have already been outto see the vehicle and brought the Gardaí with them.

I understand that presently the Gardaí and Council are disputing who isresponsible for removing the vehicle. The Gardaí are adamant that it is theCouncil's responsibility.

(Un)/ surprisingly only one of the Councillors which I emailed actually responded.

Pity there's no election looming. They'd be jumping over themselves to help you then

daymobrew

thedavman009 wrote: »

Dravokivich, I was advised to contact the litter warden not the Gardai. Re-read the posts it could not be clearer.

At the very least I expected the Council to respond to my email to advise me that the Litter Warden checked the abandoned car and that I should contact the Gardai to have it removed.

A few months ago I spoke with a guy who lived beside the parking bay where the Lupo was parked (it could have been thedavman, I don't know). I told him to email FCC Environment and explained their process. The car had registration plates at the time (Italian IIRC).

A few weeks ago I was onto one of the Community Gardai Sergeants who said that she would send a car around to investigate. She did arrange to speak with another car owner (out of date NCT, tax and insurance) and they took a week to comply!
I never heard any more about the Lupo.

Basically both FCC and the Gardai both are very poor with their communication.