Claim an abandoned vehicle
Abandoning a vehicle on a public road is an offence under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978. You may be fined, given a fixed penalty notice or even a custodial sentence if you do it.
If a warning notice has been put on your vehicle you can call us on 01454 868000 to find out why it is considered to have been abandoned.
After we have issued a notice we will remove your vehicle if we do not hear from you within the 7 days.
We may then dispose of it immediately if we consider it only fit to be destroyed.
Otherwise, we store it for a limited period, to allow an owner to come forward to claim it, after which we dispose of it.
How to claim your vehicle
If we have removed it you can claim it back by providing proof of identity and ownership. You can email or post copies of these documents to:
- waste.management@southglos.gov.uk
- Waste Management, Department for Place, PO Box 1954, Bristol, BS37 0DD
It is your responsibility to arrange how to take your vehicle away if it is not roadworthy.
Charges and costs
Whether you claim your vehicle back or not you must pay the costs to us of removing, storing or destroying it. Charges start at £150 and increase every day a vehicle is stored.
You are liable for these costs even if you do not want your vehicle back.
If you receive a bill from us but you no longer own the vehicle you must:
- notify DVLA of a change of ownership
- let us know in writing and include the name and address of the person who took possession of the vehicle with any evidence that may support your case