Has anyone successfully appealed a car being towed?

Sadb

Ds bought a car during the week.

We live in an estate of terraced houses with no driveways so on street parking only. There is also a square yard area behind each block of houses for access to the back of each house. Ds parked the car behind the house.

Friday night ds noticed the car was gone, we wouldn’t be out the back on a daily basis and this is not directly behind our house as there is a small alleyway between our back garden and square.

So it turns out that it was towed for having no tax (a neighbour must have complained) but ds doesn’t even have the log book yet to be able to buy tax. It also means that he can’t get the car back until the log back arrives.

This seems utterly ridiculous as he couldn’t buy tax until the log book arrives and we don’t have the option of parking the car on a driveway. He hasn’t driven it with no tax as the car was delivered by the garage. So has anyone successfully appealed after their car was towed and how did you go about it?

User1998

I can’t really see a successful appeal. I leave untaxed cars all over the place but technically if the car is untaxed it can’t be parked or used on a public road

Atlantic Dawn

How long was it untaxed for? It shouldn't be towed unless it was out for 2 months, that might be your best hope. If no expired tax disc was shown they may be able to assume it's over 2 months.

Also was a valid insurance and/or NCT disc displayed. If no insurance displayed it can be towed right away.

Sadb

It expired on Dec and that disc was still in it. There was no insurance disc though as it wasn’t insured yet so prob no chance.

Sadb

Sorry, there is NCT and that was displayed.

silver2020

Couldn't be towed for no tax if only out a month and not on a public road.

Are you certain it was towed?

Maybe it was reported as abandoned and with your name not showing yet, it wasn't seen as a local car.

I'd definitely be appealing if this was the reason.

Sadb

You see I don’t know what is classed as a public road, like you wouldn’t class it as a road but there is public access. There’s only one way in and out though.

I definitely think a neighbour reported it, as I know the neighbour that would do this type of thing. Guards would not randomly be in this area checking tax, especially not at the back of the houses.

eta yes, the guards confirmed it was towed.

Sir Galahad

What part of Ireland was this in ? In the current climate it'd be extremely rare for a parked up car not causing an obstruction to anyone to be towed away. Ask the local station where it is so you can get "important documents" from it. You'll have to pay towing and storage charges but you should appeal.

JazzyJ

There's been a couple of abandoned cars in our estate over the past couple of years. No tax, no insurance, flat tires and general shite accumulating on them.

They were reported to the county council (Dun Laoghaire), who apparently attempted to contact the owners - one was legitimate owner, so they did nothing; the other they couldn't get contact so put stickers on it saying it would be towed. Stickers got ripped off, stickers were put on... multiple times. Eventually the car moved around the corner - so I guess someone still owns it!

So, here, there's plenty of chances given to the car owners by the council - other councils might have different policies though. Could it have been causing some manner of obstruction?

Ultimately though, if you've left an untaxed car in a public place, you likely have little comeback if its been towed.

zg3409

Get car back asap. There may be daily storage fees. When you get car back then you can try argue fees, reasons etc. I doubt they will easily refund anything.

Sadb

Thanks all. No, it definitely wasn’t causing any obstruction. It’s in Cork.

We can’t collect it as the log book hasn’t arrived yet, we are probably just going to have to leave it with them now as the fees will be more than what the car is worth. Pita like, we are very far from flush. I feel so sorry for him, he was saving since last summer for the car and insurance.