Car abandoned in communal spaces?

BobbleBrunette · 23-01-2014 12:33AM #1

Hi all!

Not sure where to post this and if there is anything I can do.

I live in an apartment complex, I think there's 50+ apartments, every apartment has one designated parking space. There are also six communal spaces (for visitors, second cars etc.) The communal spaces are out in the open, on the public road that runs through the estate.

There has been a car abandoned in one of the communal spaces since April last year. Literally has not moved. All four wheels are flat and there is moss starting to grow on the windows. It irritates me and I suspect many others because it is taking up one of the six spaces.

Tax, insurance and NCT are all long gone but a friend of mine who is a Garda says there's very little the guards can do except give it a ticket.

Have thought about contacting the management company but is there anything they can do?

I have noticed a few little notes left on the windscreen of the car, "THIS IS NOT A LONG TERM CAR PARK." etc. So I'm not the only resident feeling this way.

Any suggestions?

dutopia · 23-01-2014 12:44AM

This is a common enough problem in apartment complexes nowadays. In our complex car park, there are 4 abandoned cars that have been there since I moved in nearly a year ago. Two were removed recently after someone smashed the windows... maybe they had to take them away for safety reason then? Not sure who would be responsible for abandoned cars.

Del2005 · 23-01-2014 12:44AM

Call the management agent. They'll ask you to stick a note on the car to contact them, they'll send a circular to all the units and in a fee weeks they'll remove it. I've done it to a few cars dumped in my complex.

Del2005 · 23-01-2014 12:47AM

dutopia wrote: »

This is a common enough problem in apartment complexes nowadays. In our complex car park, there are 4 abandoned cars that have been there since I moved in nearly a year ago. Two were removed recently after someone smashed the windows... maybe they had to take them away for safety reason then? Not sure who would be responsible for abandoned cars.

The complexs are private property if you own an apartment you are responsible for them through the management company. There are a few steps that need to be taken to remove them.

corktina · 23-01-2014 12:47AM

Del2005 wrote: »

Call the management company. They'll ask you to stick a note on the car to contact them, they'll send a circular to all the units and in a fee weeks they'll remove it. I've done it to a few cars dumped in my complex.

it's on the public road...call the Council

bobbysands81 · 23-01-2014 12:51AM

BobbleBrunette wrote: »

Hi all!

Not sure where to post this and if there is anything I can do.

I live in an apartment complex, I think there's 50+ apartments, every apartment has one designated parking space. There are also six communal spaces (for visitors, second cars etc.) The communal spaces are out in the open, on the public road that runs through the estate.

There has been a car abandoned in one of the communal spaces since April last year. Literally has not moved. All four wheels are flat and there is moss starting to grow on the windows. It irritates me and I suspect many others because it is taking up one of the six spaces.

Tax, insurance and NCT are all long gone but a friend of mine who is a Garda says there's very little the guards can do except give it a ticket.

Have thought about contacting the management company but is there anything they can do?

I have noticed a few little notes left on the windscreen of the car, "THIS IS NOT A LONG TERM CAR PARK." etc. So I'm not the only resident feeling this way.

Any suggestions?

If there is no registration plate on the car, and the common areas in your estate have been taken in charge by your local authority, then they will get rid of the car.

If estate is not taken in charge and common areas are owned by Management Co then get the agents to chase it up with a view to getting the owner to take the car away or dispose of it legally.

Either way it will take someone (like yourself) to drive the issue.

Del2005 · 23-01-2014 12:56AM

corktina wrote: »

it's on the public road...call the Council

There are no public roads in managed estates, just because they are open to the public doesn't mean that they are public. I can happily drive around my completely open estate with no tax and nothing can be done, but if I drive 20 meters from where I park I'm on a public road and will be fined.

bobbysands81 · 23-01-2014 12:59AM

Del2005 wrote: »

There are no public roads in managed estates, just because they are open to the public doesn't mean that they are public. I can happily drive around my completely open estate with no tax and nothing can be done, but if I drive 20 meters from where I park I'm on a public road and will be fined.

You're wrong mate... unless you live in a gated complex.

Google 'taking in charge'.

corktina · 23-01-2014 01:12AM

Del2005 wrote: »

There are no public roads in managed estates, just because they are open to the public doesn't mean that they are public. I can happily drive around my completely open estate with no tax and nothing can be done, but if I drive 20 meters from where I park I'm on a public road and will be fined.

He SAYS it's a public road.

Fred Swanson · 23-01-2014 01:12AM

This post has been deleted.

Del2005 · 23-01-2014 01:15AM

bobbysands81 wrote: »

You're wrong mate... unless you live in a gated complex.

Google 'taking in charge'.

I know what taken in charge is and I know how to remove cars from private complexes as I've had several removed.

Del2005 · 23-01-2014 01:24AM

Fred Swanson wrote: »

The Road Traffic Acts apply on private land that the public have the right to access. As said you need a gate to stop that.

I never said that the Road Traffic Act doesn't apply. I said that you can't be done for no motor tax on private land and you don't need a gate for land to be private. A car parked on an ungated driveway doesn't need motor tax.

SleeperService · 23-01-2014 03:39AM

Bobby sands first post here looks like the amswer to me.
The positive skew on this is that you must live somewhere nice. Guarantee a car parked like that wouldn't have lasted 9 days unmolested in my particular part of lovely limerick, nevermind 9 months.

MugMugs · 23-01-2014 09:41AM

Del2005 wrote: »

There are no public roads in managed estates, just because they are open to the public doesn't mean that they are public. I can happily drive around my completely open estate with no tax and nothing can be done, but if I drive 20 meters from where I park I'm on a public road and will be fined.

Are you suggesting I could drive pissed around my housing estate, run over a dog and injure a child out on their bike and not be done ?

hoodie6029 · 23-01-2014 09:47AM

Pump up the tyres, get a couple of mates to bounce it out into the road and see how long it lasts!

Del2005 · 23-01-2014 10:36AM

MugMugs wrote: »

Are you suggesting I could drive pissed around my housing estate, run over a dog and injure a child out on their bike and not be done ?

No.

The Dagda · 23-01-2014 10:42AM

MugMugs wrote: »

Are you suggesting I could drive pissed around my housing estate, run over a dog and injure a child out on their bike and not be done ?

:rolleyes:

It's obvious he's not suggesting any of that. He specifically mentioned motor tax...

dr.fuzzenstein · 23-01-2014 10:52AM

If you know the "right" people, ask them to take it away, they will only be to happy to sell it for scrap. Gone in a day.

H3llR4iser · 23-01-2014 11:27AM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

If you know the "right" people, ask them to take it away, they will only be to happy to sell it for scrap. Gone in a day.

That is the thing I can't quite figure out: assuming it's not stolen, why do people abandon cars? worse case scenario, you can always get rid of it as scrap. We used to have a relevant problem with this in the office's car park; Every now and then, we'd have people just driving in at night and leaving cars there forever. According to the Gardai, none of them was stolen

MugMugs · 23-01-2014 11:42AM

Del2005 wrote: »

No.

So how is driving without tax any different?

dr.fuzzenstein · 23-01-2014 11:45AM

H3llR4iser wrote: »

That is the thing I can't quite figure out: assuming it's not stolen, why do people abandon cars? worse case scenario, you can always get rid of it as scrap. We used to have a relevant problem with this in the office's car park; Every now and then, we'd have people just driving in at night and leaving cars there forever. According to the Gardai, none of them was stolen

Laziness and ignorance I'd say.
Too much bother to sell it or scrap it, so just dumphertheretofook, be grand.
Have you any idea how many horses are dumped in this country? Same principle but worse, to my mind.
Selfish, stupid, ignorant pricks.

djimi · 23-01-2014 12:12PM

H3llR4iser wrote: »

That is the thing I can't quite figure out: assuming it's not stolen, why do people abandon cars? worse case scenario, you can always get rid of it as scrap. We used to have a relevant problem with this in the office's car park; Every now and then, we'd have people just driving in at night and leaving cars there forever. According to the Gardai, none of them was stolen

What I dont get is the people who abandon cars and leave the plates on them. Do they not realise that the things can be traced back to them or something?

H3llR4iser · 23-01-2014 12:18PM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

Laziness and ignorance I'd say.
Too much bother to sell it or scrap it, so just dumphertheretofook, be grand.
Have you any idea how many horses are dumped in this country? Same principle but worse, to my mind.
Selfish, stupid, ignorant pricks.

Still, people go absurd lengths to save 100 Euro in motor tax, then pass up the opportunity to get 100/150 Euro from just selling a car for scrap steel?

Also, some of the cars I saw abandoned were still worth quite a bit on the used market; e.g. somebody dumped a Peugeot 207 CC, registration 2007 with nearly perfect bodywork, decent tires and alloy wheels - just the wheels+tires would sell on DoneDeal.ie for 200/300 Euro.

One thing that comes to my mind is that maybe, a lot of non-Irish nationals don't know you can sell for scrap; Getting rid of an old car in Italy, for example, will COST you about 200 Euro...

SleeperService · 23-01-2014 12:26PM

djimi wrote: »

What I dont get is the people who abandon cars and leave the plates on them. Do they not realise that the things can be traced back to them or something?

Shur it'll be traced anyway by vin numbers if it has to be in the absence of reg plates.

The Dagda · 23-01-2014 01:02PM

MugMugs wrote: »

So how is driving without tax any different?

You don't understand how running over a dog, or injuring a child on a bike, with your car, is different from driving a car on private property without motor tax?!

MugMugs · 23-01-2014 01:26PM

The Dagda wrote: »

You don't understand how running over a dog, or injuring a child on a bike, with your car, is different from driving a car on private property without motor tax?!

In the context of the above, no.

Of course I know the differences however look at the below.

The Road Traffic Acts set out the main provisions for motoring in Ireland. This legislation deals with issues such as vehicle licensing, vehicle standards, your obligations and responsibilities, etc. Motoring offences can include drink driving, speeding, driving without evidence of insurance or motor tax, driving without due care and attention and driving without a seatbelt. A new offence of driving while holding a mobile telephone was introduced in 2006.

Link

So why can I drive around with no tax in an estate but not do my above reasons?

It's the same law.

ba_barabus · 23-01-2014 01:30PM

MugMugs wrote: »

It's the same law.

Out of interest does that law relate to cars driven in a public place or on a public road?

If it's one or the other you would indeed need motor tax to drive in a housing estate. I recall someone posting here that a public place was anywhere a member of the public can enter without restriction (or something like that) under law in Ireland.

dr.fuzzenstein · 23-01-2014 01:31PM

H3llR4iser wrote: »

Still, people go absurd lengths to save 100 Euro in motor tax, then pass up the opportunity to get 100/150 Euro from just selling a car for scrap steel?

Also, some of the cars I saw abandoned were still worth quite a bit on the used market; e.g. somebody dumped a Peugeot 207 CC, registration 2007 with nearly perfect bodywork, decent tires and alloy wheels - just the wheels+tires would sell on DoneDeal.ie for 200/300 Euro.

One thing that comes to my mind is that maybe, a lot of non-Irish nationals don't know you can sell for scrap; Getting rid of an old car in Italy, for example, will COST you about 200 Euro...

I wonder is there any way to take possession of an abandoned car, i.e saying I bought it and seller never sent log-book and now has vanished...

MugMugs · 23-01-2014 01:33PM

ba_barabus wrote: »

Out of interest does that law relate to cars driven in a public place or on a public road?.

It's both I believe

ba_barabus · 23-01-2014 01:36PM

MugMugs wrote: »

It's both I believe

That's what I understood from it.

While I won't comment on a specific case I know of someone who got done for drink driving on private property that was open to the public. They're argument that they weren't on a public road didn't wash as it was a road which was open to the public.

keithclancy · 23-01-2014 01:38PM

MugMugs wrote: »

So how is driving without tax any different?

Because you need Motor Tax to drive your vehicle on a Public Road, not have it in a Public Place.

Car abandoned in communal spaces?

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