Let’s back up a bit and make sure we understand everything. To begin, let’s define exactly what we mean when we say a car has been abandoned.
In most cases, you can tell that a car has been abandoned since it has been sitting in one area for a very long time. The problem is that no one agrees on how many days or months must pass before a vehicle is labeled “abandoned.”
There are two common causes of an abandoned car being inoperable or destroyed. The car was either in terrible state when its owner parked it or it deteriorated while sitting there for an extended period of time.
Nonetheless, an automobile that has been sitting in one place for a week or two is not always abandoned. There are a variety of reasons why someone can go months without using their vehicle.
Note: If you have a cars that is not in use, you can sell it to the Ford wreckers Sydney.
Is It Legal To Claim Possession Of An Abandoned Vehicle On Your Property?
First, to answer a persistent question: no, you cannot claim ownership of abandoned vehicles on private land. Remember that you are not the legal owner of the car, even if you are the legal owner of the property where the car is parked.
It’s not as simple as most would imagine to claim ownership of a discarded car. Abandoned cars are still a common sight in NSW and the rest of Australia.
It’s the same everywhere else in the world, even the most advanced countries. Abandoned cars are a common sight in any city or town, but even the rustiest and ugliest of them all belong to someone.
Simply put, only the car’s previous owner has the legal right to take possession of it again or have it towed.
Is it safe to assume that the car will remain in that spot indefinitely? Fortunately, there are solutions to alleviate the pressure.
How to Properly and Lawfully Handle Abandoned Vehicles?
First, you should let the authorities know about the vehicle so they can try to track down the owner.
Even if that doesn’t work, there’s always the option of selling the car at auction (more on that below) if you have the legal right to do so. Then you can haul it away, dismantle it for bits, or even sell it to a junkyard.
Fixing the Problem of a Deserted Vehicle on Your Property
So, how do you handle the situation if you find an abandoned vehicle on your lawn? Well, it turns out that the method isn’t applicable everywhere. The local laws and regulations must be considered, but so must the helpfulness of the local authorities.
1. The Ideal (Simplest) Case
For the greatest results, contact a local towing service to come and haul away the unwanted automobile.
Sadly, not all towing services will assist you in this way. In many cases, they will only comply with requests made by the vehicle’s registered owner.
Even if the vehicle is parked legally on private land, the towing business could face legal consequences if they remove it without the owner’s permission.
However, all it takes to get rid of the car is a fast phone call to one of the available towing services.
2 .General case
Abandoned vehicle reports to local officials, such as police and government, are the more likely outcome.
The authorities do have a few options.
- The first thing the police will do is see if the vehicle has been involved in any crimes. Alternately, the city or county government may investigate if the vehicle has been left on public land. In either of those cases, they’ll probably haul away the vehicle for you.
- There isn’t much they can do, though, if the vehicle isn’t theirs and it’s parked on your land. They will probably track down the last known owner of the vehicle and ask them to take it away.
Notification of Goods Left Uncollected Certificate
Thankfully, an Uncollected Goods Certificate can be obtained from said local authority. The ability to legally remove an abandoned vehicle from your property requires what is sometimes called a “Abandoned Goods Certificate.”
Different regions have different necessities for obtaining this certification. In certain places, for instance, eligibility is contingent on the car having been left unused for at least three months.
