by griffonmark » Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:39 pm
I once had a car left on my company car park. I contacted the police who didn't want to know. I then contacted DVLA who for £2.50 gave me the registered keeper's details. I wrote to him with a bill for storage and he wrote back saying I could have the car, a broken down Carlton. I gave it to a local scrapyard and got my parking space back.
The vehicle will be some person's property until that person no longer wants it. Under the new environmental laws, I think they were brought in April about 2 years ago, any vehicle no longer wanted by its owner automatically becomes hazardous waste, regardless of condition. At that point the vehicle can only be disposed of by a properly licensed waste disposal company.
I think the first step is to contact the last registered keeper and get their permission to take over the vehicle. There is no way you can own somebody else's car without their permission and if you do it up to sell you could be sued by the owner for the car back. Vehicles are an exception to most stolen goods in that title does remain with the owner. I have handled lots of cases on that basis and they are very complicated to resolve, especially when the new 'owner' improves a vehicle he has obtained in 'good faith'. I remember dealing with a mini cooper years ago that had been stolen and was then sold in good faith to someone who rebuilt the car. The police took the car off him and a 2 year battle ensued over ownership. Eventually the new owner had to buy the vehicle again.
You could try and apply for a reg doc as at one time you would be sent one if the previous keeper did not respond to a letter from DVLA advising them there had been an application. This system may have tightened though with the new reg docs.
Regards
Mark