Doncaster Council

About abandonded cars

Abandoned cars are unsightly and can be dangerous as well as being an annoyance.

What is an abandoned vehicle?

The Council must be satisfied that a vehicle is abandoned before it can be dealt with. Normally you can tell if a vehicle has been abandoned by looking for the following signs:

• It may not have moved for a long time (weeks or months),
• It is not taxed,
• It may have been vandalised (broken windows, flat tyres or other parts missing),
• It may be neglected and in poor condition generally,
• It may be burnt out or have had a crash.
• It may be lacking one or more of it's number plates
• It may contain waste                          

Any or all of these signs may apply to abandoned vehicles. The more that apply, the more likely it is that the vehicle is abandoned.

How to report an Abandoned Vehicle

If you see a vehicle that you think may be abandoned you can report it by ringing the FLAG Hotline on (01302) 736050 or by emailing us or writing to us at the address shown above.

Tell us:

• Where it is  
• What it is                     

and FLAG will clear it.

Alternatively you can report it to us using the online form:

Please click onto the link below:

Online report form

When we receive a report of an abandoned vehicle we aim to investigate the report within 2 working days.

If the inspector thinks the vehicle is abandoned or dangerous it is removed as soon as possible (normally within 24 hours), provided it is on public open land or the highway.

If the inspector thinks the vehicle is abandoned, but not dangerous, a notice is fixed to the car giving the owner 7 days to remove the vehicle if it is on the highway or public land. If the vehicle is not dangerous, but is on private land, a 15-day notice is affixed where the vehicle.

At the same time we make checks to:

• Identify the owner
• See if the vehicle is of interest to the police                     

After the vehicle is removed, it is stored and the last registered keeper is given a chance to reclaim it on payment of a fee. That is, unless the vehicle is of no apparent value, in which case it is destroyed.

What can the Council do?

The council works in partnership with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to combat abandoned/untaxed vehicles.

When we receive a report of an abandoned vehicle we aim to investigate it within 2 working days.

If we are satisfied that a car is abandoned/untaxed it can be dealt with in a variety of ways:

• Untaxed car on a highway - The car is immediately removed and impounded when approval is granted by DVLA. If the car is not reclaimed it is destroyed. DVLA approval will not be granted when;
  
• • The car has been untaxed for less than 28 days
  • A registered disabled person owns the car
  • The car is a historic vehicle
    
• Untaxed car on public (non highway) land - The car is immediately removed and impounded using powers under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act. If the car is not reclaimed it is destroyed.
  
  
• Untaxed car on private land - 15-day notice served on the occupier(s) of the land prior to removal as required by the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act. If the car is still present on expiry of the notice it will be removed.
  
  
• Car torched/heavily vandalised - car removed and destroyed immediately as as required by the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act.   

In some cases where a car is impounded, the owner is able to reclaim the car, but will be required to pay a release fee and storage charges. In some case where the vehicle is only fit for destruction then it may be destroyed immediately.