Parked up no MOT - council not interested
Discussion
Turns out my council won't do anything about an abandoned car unless the tax has expired.
Someone has left a knackered 1 Series in the cul-de-sac I live on with all tyres flat and generally looking done for.
On checking the MOT has expired a while ago but it is taxed until June.
The council website says they won't even think about looking at it unless I upload a screen shot showing its untaxed. They specifically say if it has no MOT but is taxed they won't do anything.
The police seem uninterested unless its being driven.
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked. Seems to me the Council aren't exercising any duty of care.
Any tips to get it dealt with before June when presumably they won't be able to re tax it due to no MOT?
Someone has left a knackered 1 Series in the cul-de-sac I live on with all tyres flat and generally looking done for.
On checking the MOT has expired a while ago but it is taxed until June.
The council website says they won't even think about looking at it unless I upload a screen shot showing its untaxed. They specifically say if it has no MOT but is taxed they won't do anything.
The police seem uninterested unless its being driven.
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked. Seems to me the Council aren't exercising any duty of care.
Any tips to get it dealt with before June when presumably they won't be able to re tax it due to no MOT?
trickywoo said:
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked.
That cannot be correct. Bear in mind you can drive a car without an MOT to a pre-booked MOT test.A parked car that is "unroadworthy" may be removed by the Council if it's a hazard to other people but the absence of an MOT does not, of itself, mean the car is unroadworthy.
Panamax said:
That cannot be correct. Bear in mind you can drive a car without an MOT to a pre-booked MOT test.
A parked car that is "unroadworthy" may be removed by the Council if it's a hazard to other people but the absence of an MOT does not, of itself, mean the car is unroadworthy.
Doesn't mean you can store a car without an MOT on the road.A parked car that is "unroadworthy" may be removed by the Council if it's a hazard to other people but the absence of an MOT does not, of itself, mean the car is unroadworthy.
https://www.gov.uk/getting-an-mot
"You cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if the MOT has run out. You can be prosecuted if caught."
trickywoo said:
Turns out my council won't do anything about an abandoned car unless the tax has expired.
Someone has left a knackered 1 Series in the cul-de-sac I live on with all tyres flat and generally looking done for.
On checking the MOT has expired a while ago but it is taxed until June.
The council website says they won't even think about looking at it unless I upload a screen shot showing its untaxed. They specifically say if it has no MOT but is taxed they won't do anything.
The police seem uninterested unless its being driven.
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked. Seems to me the Council aren't exercising any duty of care.
Any tips to get it dealt with before June when presumably they won't be able to re tax it due to no MOT?
Contact your MP with a photo of the car. Explain you are worried the car could be vandalised/set on fire, children could start to play on it and be injured.Someone has left a knackered 1 Series in the cul-de-sac I live on with all tyres flat and generally looking done for.
On checking the MOT has expired a while ago but it is taxed until June.
The council website says they won't even think about looking at it unless I upload a screen shot showing its untaxed. They specifically say if it has no MOT but is taxed they won't do anything.
The police seem uninterested unless its being driven.
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked. Seems to me the Council aren't exercising any duty of care.
Any tips to get it dealt with before June when presumably they won't be able to re tax it due to no MOT?
MP's need to know this sort of lack luster approach by police and councils is going on.
It does need an MOT by law to be on the road parked.
trickywoo said:
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked. Seems to me the Council aren't exercising any duty of care.
You are correct, but it's not the council's role to enforce that. No MOT is a police matter, but it's understandable if clearing up shoddy cars that are parked up and doing no harm beyond spoiling the view ranks quite low on the list of police priorities. The council DO have a duty to deal with abandoned cars, but the law gives then a fair amount of latitude in how they decide whether a car is abandoned. No MOT is one criteria that they might use, but only one of many.
Must say if it's been taxed in the last 3 months and not un-taxed then it doesn't sound THAT abandoned. I wouldn't be very happy if I went abroad for a couple of months, forgot to renew my MOT and got back to find the council had scrapped my car.
Panamax said:
What exactly are you seeing as the "problem" that needs to be addressed here?
These dumped vehicles do not get moved quickly because the legislation is not strong enough to get them moved early.Councils have to wait too long before they are moved.
This is a common problem across the UK.
trickywoo said:
Turns out my council won't do anything about an abandoned car unless the tax has expired.
Someone has left a knackered 1 Series in the cul-de-sac I live on with all tyres flat and generally looking done for.
On checking the MOT has expired a while ago but it is taxed until June.
The council website says they won't even think about looking at it unless I upload a screen shot showing its untaxed. They specifically say if it has no MOT but is taxed they won't do anything.
The police seem uninterested unless its being driven.
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked. Seems to me the Council aren't exercising any duty of care.
Any tips to get it dealt with before June when presumably they won't be able to re tax it due to no MOT?
How do you define "abandoned"? And what is the acutal problem here?Someone has left a knackered 1 Series in the cul-de-sac I live on with all tyres flat and generally looking done for.
On checking the MOT has expired a while ago but it is taxed until June.
The council website says they won't even think about looking at it unless I upload a screen shot showing its untaxed. They specifically say if it has no MOT but is taxed they won't do anything.
The police seem uninterested unless its being driven.
As far as I know its illegal to have an un-MOTed car on the public road even if its parked. Seems to me the Council aren't exercising any duty of care.
Any tips to get it dealt with before June when presumably they won't be able to re tax it due to no MOT?
kestral said:
Contact your MP with a photo of the car. Explain you are worried the car could be vandalised/set on fire, children could start to play on it and be injured.
MP's need to know this sort of lack luster approach by police and councils is going on.
It does need an MOT by law to be on the road parked.
Start with a councillor, then leaves the MP as an escalation. MP's need to know this sort of lack luster approach by police and councils is going on.
It does need an MOT by law to be on the road parked.
Councillors like "easy" wins.
Controversial view.
Councils (and plod) are generally short of money.
The op hasn't really set out any particular reason why the car needs moving, other than it is illegal.
So the council seem to be pragmatic rather than dogmatic, and are only using tax payer funds where there is geniune cause.
Yes, society may be ever so slightly the poorer due to this car owner breaking a particular rule and not being punished, but unless the car is causing a nuisance I agree with the councils view of save the cash for real problems.
Councils (and plod) are generally short of money.
The op hasn't really set out any particular reason why the car needs moving, other than it is illegal.
So the council seem to be pragmatic rather than dogmatic, and are only using tax payer funds where there is geniune cause.
Yes, society may be ever so slightly the poorer due to this car owner breaking a particular rule and not being punished, but unless the car is causing a nuisance I agree with the councils view of save the cash for real problems.
Inbox said:
Curious why the OP's nose is out of joint over this? How long has it been there?
The car could have been stolen and dumped there with the owner away so oblivious to what has happened.
Maybe it's a bit of an eyesore, lowers the tone and is an open invitation to vandalism; further accentuating the previous points?The car could have been stolen and dumped there with the owner away so oblivious to what has happened.
I wouldn't want that kind of s
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