Abandoned vehicles

horsebox7

How long does it usually take for abandoned vehicles to be dealt with? Vehicle in my mothers estate has been parked on the public road for over 4 months now. She reported it to garda about 1 month ago but it is still in the same place with no tax or insurance and is now an eyesore as it now looks dirty and grubby with rust patches on it etc.

Polo_Mint

horsebox7 wrote: »

How long does it usually take for abandoned vehicles to be dealt with? Vehicle in my mothers estate has been parked on the public road for over 4 months now. She reported it to garda about 1 month ago but it is still in the same place with no tax or insurance and is now an eyesore as it now looks dirty and grubby with rust patches on it etc.

If its parked on a Public Rd you can report it to the local council

nullzero

We're the registration plates to go missing some night and the the car reported to Gardai as having been abandoned and having no reg plates it would typically be removed quite quickly, so I've heard.

horsebox7

She reported it to the council too but they said it is a matter for the guards as it still has its number plates on it.

horsebox7

Just wondering how long it usually takes for it to be dealt legitimately going through the official procedure etc.

spurious

We had a wreck dumped on our street for over a year. The local youth used to jump on its roof to amuse themselves. Coming close to Halloween, the plates must have blown off one night and the council took it shortly afterwards.

Atlantic Dawn

spurious wrote: »

We had a wreck dumped on our street for over a year. The local youth used to jump on its roof to amuse themselves. Coming close to Halloween, the plates must have blown off one night and the council took it shortly afterwards.

That northerly wind can be bad in the middle of the night alright

horsebox7

Does anyone know anyone Guards that are helpful with this type of thing?

Losty Dublin

The Gardaí won't generally concern themselves with such a car if it's not illegally or dangerously parked or if it warrants some sort of an investigation (Linked to a crime or to a missing person, say.) or if it constitutes some manner of a genuine nuisance. A car that you'd consider to be an eyesore isn't a nuisance, untaxed or otherwise, so you ma as well get used to it being there.

horsebox7

Thanks.

From what you say it sounds like there is little or no enforcement of the law on abandoning a vehicle without tax or insurance on a public road.. Seems quite a poor service.

horsebox7

"1.—(1) On and after the 1st day of January, 1953, there shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be charged, levied and paid in respect of mechanically propelled vehicles used on public roads duties of excise at the rates specified in the Schedule to this Act."

Little CuChulainn

They can ticket the car without towing it.

horsebox7

Thanks.

Hopefully this may help.

seamus

You're right that a vehicle parked in any public place requires tax and insurance. However the Gardai tend to fob off complaints about this and if it's a managed estate they'll usually bull some nonsense about private property, which is completely incorrect. They just couldn't be arsed dealing with it.

So you can be persistently annoying about it and they may come and take a look.

Problem is that property can only be considered "abandoned" if it's not possible to identify or contact the owner. This is why the council will take it away when there are no plates - because historically it would no longer be possible to identify the owner (even though you could now use the VIN).

horsebox7

Thanks. The guards told her it belongs to a neighbour so not much can be done.

GM228

Why is it the council will allegedly move a car quickly when the plates have been removed blown away?

If it's "abandoned" what difference does the plates actually make? My understanding is the council need to verify if it is abandoned or not and if it has plates or not they still need to verify that by contacting the owner etc.

If there are no plates they still need to verify the registration details via Revenue and establish if it's abandoned etc by contacting the owners.

horsebox7

If she decides to call the guards again and gets thru to someone who is not overly helpful can she ask to speak to someone higher up the chain of command?

ohnonotgmail

horsebox7 wrote: »

If she decides to call the guards again and gets thru to someone who is not overly helpful can she ask to speak to someone higher up the chain of command?

if the car still has its plates what is it you think that a more senior guard is going to do?

horsebox7

Still no movement yet.

horsebox7

The Gards have said they are happy enough for the abandoned vehicle to remain where it is as it is close to the owners residence. What can you do? Even if the plates go missing the identity and ownership of the car will be know. I don't think there are any solutions unfortunately.

Little CuChulainn

horsebox7 wrote: »

The Gards have said they are happy enough for the abandoned vehicle to remain where it is as it is close to the owners residence. What can you do? Even if the plates go missing the identity and ownership of the car will be know. I don't think there are any solutions unfortunately.

Not really sure why you thought they would move it. It's neither abandoned nor a danger. Being an eyesore is not really reason to have your property seized by the state. A Garda can fine them for having no tax but all the owner has to do is claim it's broken down and the Gardaí can't even do that.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Esel

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

Not really sure why you thought they would move it. It's neither abandoned nor a danger. Being an eyesore is not really reason to have your property seized by the state. A Garda can fine them for having no tax but all the owner has to do is claim it's broken down and the Gardaí can't even do that.

Are you sure about that?

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Little CuChulainn

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Are you sure? If it's no longer capable of being mechanically propelled does the law still apply? I know there was a loophole for this sealed up for vehicles following collisions but I wasn't aware of it being sealed for insurance.

Spanish Eyes

Wouldn't find an abandoned rusty wreck outside a Co Co worker or Garda house, now would you?

Different when it's outside someone else's house though, so it seems.

Should be litter laws or something to help here.

I always thought the Gardai would take it off to the Pound. But I am obviously wrong about that.

Sorry for OP. Try your best to keep the neighbourhood clean and tidy and this happens with no solution.

foggy_lad

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

Not really sure why you thought they would move it. It's neither abandoned nor a danger. Being an eyesore is not really reason to have your property seized by the state. A Garda can fine them for having no tax but all the owner has to do is claim it's broken down and the Gardaí can't even do that.

To be off the road whether broken down or not the vehicle must be literally off the road in a garage and not on the public road or paths.

OP get onto the local council and tell them the vehicle is not taxed and then contact your local Gardai superintendent and inform them that the vehicle is untaxed on the public road and that his officers are aware of this yet have for some reason decided not to act, suggest that they should act in accordance with the powers they have to deal with untaxed vehicles.