Council.. Bastids..

[uk_senator]

Anyone local got access to a 2 wheel dolly? Lift it's back wheels and tow it somewhere safe. Or is that theft ?

It has no steering lock & can be opened with a blunt spoon, it could be moved down the road quite easily, but as I said, I'm avoiding doing anything overtly `illegal`, even if my intentions are good.. I doubt it`d wash in court..

[richardmorris]

Anyone local got access to a 2 wheel dolly? Lift it's back wheels and tow it somewhere safe. Or is that theft ?

What happened to the resident legal brain?!

 

I think you need to have the intention to permanently deprive the rightful owner though. So keeping it safe wouldnt* satisfy. But how do you then go about contacting the owner if you don’t know where they live?

 

Actually, do you think the owners club may be able to help? Contact their membership dept with car reg and explain the situation. They may be able to call the owner.

[Lord Sterling]

Anyone local got access to a 2 wheel dolly? Lift it's back wheels and tow it somewhere safe. Or is that theft ?

Or even just turn to it around and give it a quick wipe over with a wet rag.

[eddyramrod]

I'd keep the "white lie" option as a very-last-resort.  You'd really need to have the owner's name, at the very least, because you WILL be asked.

 

As a former roadsweeper, I'm disgusted by the buildup of leaves around the car.  That would never have happened on my round!  Isn't there supposed to be a sweeper working the area?  Clearing them away will help the car's case, and may give you a clue (mildew/moss patterns) as to how long it's been sitting.

 

Definitely try housecalls at different times, in the hope of catching someone in.

 

Good luck!

[uk_senator]

I'd keep the "white lie" option as a very-last-resort.  You'd really need to have the owner's name, at the very least, because you WILL be asked.

 

As a former roadsweeper, I'm disgusted by the buildup of leaves around the car.  That would never have happened on my round!  Isn't there supposed to be a sweeper working the area?  Clearing them away will help the car's case, and may give you a clue (mildew/moss patterns) as to how long it's been sitting.

 

Definitely try housecalls at different times, in the hope of catching someone in.

 

Good luck!

I could just say I live up the road & dont know the owner, but know he`s in hospital, but thats a fair way down the list of options.

 

And yes, the council havent been bothering with street sweeping much in this borough for a couple of years, or weed-killing duty, so its got pretty scraggy in places.

 

 

[3VOM]

Anyone local got access to a 2 wheel dolly? Lift it's back wheels and tow it somewhere safe. Or is that theft ?

I would suggest it is TWOCing not theft. But still not a good idea.

[Alusilber]

 

Local pub landlords, small car repair garages and MOT stations also tend to know owners of such vehicles. An email to the TSSC HQ might also be worth doing, if the car is known to them or the local Area Organiser, it may be possible to alert the owner that way.

 

I was going to say you could look up the MoT testing station of its most recent MoT and enquire there, but it seems the www.check-mot.service.gov.uk website has stopped giving out the testing station details lately... "Test location: unavailable until further notice".

[Captain Furious]

Just spitballing here, but if somehow this were to end up becoming the latest autoshite going concern then colour me interested in donating to the syndicate (I don’t know how that could happen, but this place...etc). My dad had several of these in his youth and couldn’t praise them highly enough. I’d love to have a go in one and see what all the fuss was about.

[stephen01]

if you couldn't locate owner within a couple of days I'd clean the bugger, and move it a few car places down with a note in the window stating that it's not abandoned.  

[wuvvum]

I'd keep the "white lie" option as a very-last-resort.  You'd really need to have the owner's name, at the very least, because you WILL be asked.

This.

 

[forddeliveryboy]

Shame councils aren't as interested in removing abandoned or rarely-used houses.

 

Wouldn't be at all surprised if the owner isn't ill.

[forddeliveryboy]

Shame councils aren't as interested in removing abandoned or rarely-used houses.

 

Wouldn't be at all surprised if the owner isn't ill.

[warren t claim]

WILL PASS JERSEY MOT

[strangeangel]

WILL PASS JERSEY MOT

 

?

 

It's already got a UK one.

[warren t claim]

Sorry. An In joke amongst a few shiters.

[Ghosty]

FFS.

Meanwhile up here the council won't get rid of decrepit mouldy cars with flat tyres and peeling vinyl illegally(?) advertising some beavertail overloading pikey plonker's recovery business unless someone* bricks the windows and nicks the petrol cap.

[Clanger]

I would suggest it is TWOCing not theft. But still not a good idea.

Without doing a huge in depth analysis of TWOC and/or any theft statutes there is one basic element that must be present to constitute an "illegal taking" - and that would be the intent of the person performing the act.  Traditionally theft requires the intent to permanently deprive the owner of their property - moving the vehicle across the street does not satisfy the element.  TWOC also has a "taking" element but it requires more than moving the vehicle slightly - the statutory language requires that the person "takes the conveyance for his own or another's use."

 

The other thing to consider is that the owner is well aware of the situation and is a miserable old cunt that parks the car there to annoy his neighbors... if that is the case and you did move it you may have a civil action on your hands.

 

All of the above may be bollocks...

[Clanger]

I wouldn't broadcast it in public for security reasons. 

 Good thinking... let's not jeopardize it's secure location... on a public street in that there London

 

I'm curious what part of Barnet, just coz I grew up there but, I will survive without this knowledge.

[adw1977]

Hopefully this thread will make everyone with cars parked in the street think - If I was suddenly hospitalised, who would be making sure that my precious chod isn't being towed away?

[Lankytim]

I’d imagine that as soon as you washed or tried to

move it the owner will make themselves known by sprinting out of their home and asking what’s going on.

 

Can’t you just peel the council notice off? Used to work in Birmingham, the council would have to reapply the notice starting the 7 days notice period again.

 

Also the idea of moving the car, it may not be theft or TWOCIng but you could still be arrested and detained while the police look into wether you’ve been naughty or not.

[BorniteIdentity]

Difficult one this eh? Props to the OP for getting involved though.  

 

I'd give it a quick wash with that water-less stuff.  I'd probably have written down upon your person what you're doing - so if you get asked by the owner, you can show your intention was to wash the car because of your concerns and nothing else.

 

Ultimately, the council aren't saying that they're going to scrap the car - are they?  Just have it removed.  

 

One of my old crocks is street parked - I'm now going to start leaving it in slightly different locations because paranoid.

[captain_70s]

I read a while ago about a Moggy 1000 which had been reported as abandoned and gained a council sticker after being parked in a street for a whole week. Turned out the owner had gone on holiday and left it outside a friend's house for safekeeping!

 

On the flipside my street has had a few non-road legal cars parked on it for months at a time, either SORN'd or simply on lapsed MOT/tax and it seems nobody cares despite a massive lack of parking...

[STUNO]

Careful all well-intentioned fellows. The council may well have been in contact with the owner, and already been told not to touch it. Or not.

[UltraWomble]

And yet SRBC took a whole year to remove a festering Pug 206 with flat tyres and no MOT/Tax.

 

Mind you, it probably wasnt reported by a NIMBY.

[BavarianRetro]

How do we know it is NOT abandoned?

[Parky]

Maybe the owner wants it lifted so he can then sue the council for mega bucks?

 

"You lifted my fully roadworthy concours Triumph worth ££££££ - £7000 will avoid court action"

 

Surely the council can't lift a road legal vehicle if it isn't parked illegally? Considering we can ascertain a vehicles status in seconds on a phone, I am surprised the Council folk either can't do that, or can't be arsed to do that.

[Pillock]

Remember if you're screenshotting insurance to show the council you need to pay for that service.

There's a whole load of warnings on free service about how it's for the driver of a car only or somesuch.

 

I think there's fines associated with using the wrong service.

[strangeangel]

Surely the council can't lift a road legal vehicle if it isn't parked illegally? Considering we can ascertain a vehicles status in seconds on a phone, I am surprised the Council folk either can't do that, or can't be arsed to do that.

 

Because councils don't have any money, they farm these functions out to 3rd party companies who run the service* as a means of generating profit. Hence the egregious practice of towing perfectly legal cars because they've not been washed in a few weeks.

[andy18s]

Maybe the owner's trying to piss someone off,that nosey neighbour who moans about crappy old cars parked everywere?

[DodgeRover]

I'm pretty sure this is the same council that took / stole a transit camper from someone's front garden, then denied it, it then spent a year and a half in their yard while the owner and police were trying to find it - it only came to light when somebody who knew the vehicle spotted it and the owner was able to get physical proof they had it. He still had to pay for it being returned to get it back!