Abandoned Vehicles

The Council aims to keep the number of abandoned vehicles on our streets to a minimum and welcome co-operation from the public to help us do this.  The Council also aims to provide the best service possible in response to complaints of abandoned vehicles.

The purpose of these pages is to provide an insight into the procedures used by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council when dealing with abandoned vehicles using legislation - Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978.

If you believe a vehicle to be abandoned you can report it online.

Online Form: Report an abandoned vehicle

Telephone: 01743 281111

What we need to know:

We will ask you to tell us about the vehicle:

• where the vehicle is
• make, model and colour
• the registration number (if it has one)
• the date on the tax disc (if it has one)
• what condition the vehicle is in

Taxed abandoned vehicles

Unfortunately the Council does not have legal powers to remove taxed vehicles, if the vehicle is in dangerous condition, or is an obstruction to the public, please contact Shrewsbury Police Station (08457 444 888) who will give further advice.

Untaxed abandoned vehicles

An abandoned vehicle is one that appears not to be in regular use and/or is not displaying a valid road disc (unless on private land with the landowner or occupier's permission) for which no owner can be found.  To be classed as an Abandoned Vehicle it must meet more than one of the following criteria:

• It has been left unattended for at least one week
• It does not display a valid tax disc
• One or more flat tyres
• Presence of weeds/litter etc under vehicle
• Rusty brake disks
• Broken windscreen/windows
• Mould on inside/outside
• Presence of waste in vehicle
• Absence of number plates

It is not considered abandoned if:

• If it is frequently moved, (even if it doesn't have a valid tax disc)
• It has a valid tax disc; the owner has the legal right to leave a taxed vehicle on the highway
• Many of the vehicles reported to us cannot be regarded as abandoned; make sure that the criteria in the section above is met
• Untaxed vehicles that are not abandoned can be reported direct to the DVLA (please follow this link) or you can call the national untaxed vehicles telephone hotline - the freephone number is 0800 0325 202. 
• Vehicles that have current road tax cannot legally be removed from street, (even by police)
• Even without a valid tax disc the Council has no power to remove a claimed vehicle. A claimed vehicle is one that the owner has contacted us to say it has not been abandoned
• The notice we place on the car does state that the owner must notify us if they do not wish the car to be removed
• Vehicles found abandoned may be taken away and destroyed following the established legal procedure. If we find a vehicle that we believe to be abandoned we are legally required to attach a notice to the vehicle giving the owner a chance to remove it before we do
• Sometimes taxed and relatively new vehicles or those that have a great value have been stolen. If you have suspicions you can contact the Police or your local community police officer who can confirm if the car has been reported as stolen.

How to reclaim a vehicle

You will have to satisfy the Council that the vehicle was not abandoned and prove that you are the legal, registered keeper.  If the vehicle is in storage, you will be required to pay any outstanding costs incurred before the vehicle is released.  If you are responsible for the abandonment of any vehicle you may also be prosecuted.  If found guilty, you could be fined up to £2,500 or face up to 3 months imprisionment.

How does the Council respond to a complaint of an Abandoned Vehicle?

Our Enforcement Officer will:-

• Visit the vehicle within 2 working days after receiving the notification.
• Assess the vehicle and if in the opinion of the Council it appears to be abandoned and is on the public highway, the appropriate notice will be attached to the vehicle i.e. 7 day disposal/destruction notice or a 24 hour destruction notice (wreck).
• On all other land in the open air, a 15 day notice is placed on the vehicle, to inform the registered keeper of the vehicle and/or the owner/occupier of the land, that the vehicle is being viewed as abandoned.
• Take all necessary steps to trace the owner of the vehicle.  If the registered keeper/owner cannot be traced then, on expiry of the notice, the vehicle will be removed and impounded or destroyed.
• If the owner of the vehicle comes forward, no futher action can be taken by the Council in normal circumstances.  Where the vehicle concerned is untaxed, the DVLA should be informed.