advice on an abandoned car?

[VLC86]

hey guys.

On the way home today I passed a VL with the front crushed in a bit, it had obviously been in an accident, but it seemed to have a fair few good parts left on it. I knocked on the door of the house it was outside and he told me it had been there for months. They found documents in the glovebox and called the owner who refused to pick it up or get it towed. And would not give any details, other than that he lived in Bardon, which is about half an hour from where the car was dumped.

It has lots of spare parts on it that would be very useful and has been used as a dumping point for some smashed beer bottles and things.

How should I contact the police or the owner of the car. Can the car just be removed if he doesnt want it and then be scraped for parts? (obviously there's legal problems there)

advice would be helpful. thanks

[sik_dose]

If your going to pull parts of abandoned cars. Be careful. I got knicked for it when I was a kid, no charges just a stern talking to. Its not worth the hastle.

[Jugoslovak]

Well if thats the case, just take it mate! Toss out anything with a serial number on it and use or sell the rest.

[wraith]

Go talk to the police or the council. They will be able to help you out. Could offer the old owners some cash for the parts you want though? Can't hurt.

[DANNY8]

We found an abandoned VK not far from our place. The wheels were already pinched and people had jumped on the panels and made a mess of it already. Was just gonna throw some wheels on it and tow it home (still had a motor, trans and diff in it) but thought we'd do the right thing. Went to the cops and they said they knew about it and the owner didn't want it, and if we wanted it we'd have to go see the council and there was a process we had to go through to be able to get it and would take a while. Bugger that, so went home got the tow rope, and when we got back to it someone else has already towed it away, was towed to a house around the corner.

So next time, not gonna worry bout all the bullshit, will just go tow it home.

[wraith]

We found an abandoned VK not far from our place. The wheels were already pinched and people had jumped on the panels and made a mess of it already. Was just gonna throw some wheels on it and tow it home (still had a motor, trans and diff in it) but thought we'd do the right thing. Went to the cops and they said they knew about it and the owner didn't want it, and if we wanted it we'd have to go see the council and there was a process we had to go through to be able to get it and would take a while. Bugger that, so went home got the tow rope, and when we got back to it someone else has already towed it away, was towed to a house around the corner.

So next time, not gonna worry bout all the bullshit, will just go tow it home.

All well and good unless by chance they do end up wanting it back and then charge you with the theft. Not likely but why bother taking the risk.

[tim005]

depends what your taking mate i guess.
if your taking some big items like panels and wheels then it could get iffy.
if its something small like a wiper stalk haha just go for it.

[Calaber]

depends what your taking mate i guess.
if your taking some big items like panels and wheels then it could get iffy.
if its something small like a wiper stalk haha just go for it.

The laws probably vary between the states, but if the last owner can be identified, then they remain the owner of the car, regardless of its condition. Helping yourself to parts without the owner's permission would be theft if you were caught. That goes for taking the whole car away too.

If the council has placed a derelict vehicle sticker on it (as happens in NSW), the owner has a limited period in which to remove the vehicle or it will be removed to a holding facility for disposal by auction, or taken directly to the tip if it's obviously worth nothing.

If you find a car that is obviously dumped and has a council sticker on it, and would like to get parts from it, you would need to get written permission from the owner, which in effect transfers the entire vehicle to you and it then becomes your responsibility to remove the whole car within the terms specified on the sticker. You can't just take the bits you want - you will be liable to remove the entire carcass.

No matter how small the part you want, don't listen to those who have said "help yourself" - it will be classed as theft, regardless of the part or its value.

[S.T.K.E]

Why don't you just try and get a hold of the owner.

Never hurts to ask the question of I'll get ride of your POS for free if you like.

[ari666]

how do you get in touch with the owner of a car? you cant just get their details from vicroads...

[Rear Admiral]

Mate, as some have already said, you're essentially committing a theft if you just go and start ripping panels off the VL.

If you speak to the Police, they might end up getting the thing towed if it's a recovered stolen vehicle - that does depend on a few things though. If they do talk to the owner, ask them if they'd pass on your details to him so you can make some sort of arrangement to take the car or whatever. He might be too flyblown to afford the towing costs, or have some valid reason for not coming and getting it... lol maybe he's a really dumb crook and he left his own personal documents in the car!

That way if he says it's all good, you can change the car into your name as well etc. Do it the right way or you'll probably just end up getting bent over for it in the end. Cheers.

[calais24/7]

Get the number off the neighbour whos house its as. Ring the owner. Ask if he would like a small sum of money id say 50 ish. But i have no idea on the cars condition. All he/she can say is no. And for all i know they could just say take it i dont want anythin to do with it lol

[ClairBear]

So next time, not gonna worry bout all the bullshit, will just go tow it home.

That would be illegal and classed as theft.

[dylanstone]

just tow it, far out

[kuzman89]

agree tow it, its only theft if you get caught or the owner cares. Go for it!

[bogan_vk]

just towing it regardless of being abandoned is theft of motor vehicle ,taking parts off it is theft from motor vehicle regardless of your state unless you get the owners permission.

[ClairBear]

just tow it, far out

What stupid advice. What if it actually isn't abandoned but broken down or dumped because it was stolen? Think outside the square - just because it is at the side of the road for a while doesn't give anyone automatic ownership rights by hooking up a tow rope. Some people are strapped for cash and may have to wait for a pay day to organise towing of the vehicle. They do that and come back to find some low life has helped themselves.

[RichoKidd]

In WA. An orange sticker saying "CAR HAS BEEN REPORTED" is slapped on the rear windscreen. Generally, but under no official law, its fair game from that point until it gets towed

[ssv 08 ute]

some classic advise from a few dodgy members..
Ide love to see your reaction if it was your car !!
Its not rocket science.
You either need permission from the owner or the police..

[VLC86]

hmm just about what i was expecting. i might get the number of owner and see if i can offer to take it off his hands for free/little money

[dylanstone]

What stupid advice. What if it actually isn't abandoned but broken down or dumped because it was stolen? Think outside the square - just because it is at the side of the road for a while doesn't give anyone automatic ownership rights by hooking up a tow rope. Some people are strapped for cash and may have to wait for a pay day to organise towing of the vehicle. They do that and come back to find some low life has helped themselves.

even though the OP stated that the owner wanted nothing to do with it

and true if it has one of those stickers it will last 1-2 weeks before being a chassie lol, why let it go to waste?

[bogan_vk]

just talk to the owner and the cops and youll probably get it legally at least your arse will be covered then.

[kuzman89]

if the owner doesn't want it (as has already been stated in this thread) then go for it.

Everyone saying "how would u feel"... If I abandoned my car on the side of the road for two months I obviously don't want it so I would feel fine lol

[db_notso]

you need to get owner to sign a reciept to say change of ownership
take the rego down or vin and ask the queensland transport for information if they wont help you can do it through the police

the cops wont tow it if its registered and has 4 inflated tyres on it....
so if you wanted rid of it take plates and pop tyres

but thats another argument for another time.... that guy was pissed but the car was there for 6 months and on a main road one night the cops just stopped and took plates and let down tyres next day they came and took car ????

[boordy_23]

You could always argue a right to possession, i.e. you found it, your in possession of it and you have made plenty of reasonable efforts to contact the owner therefore you can have it. If so, usually with goods (not certain about cars) you will gain a possessory right to the goods which gives you a title to sue, rather than ownership. (i.e. find a wallet on the ground, hand it to the police (they try and contact the owner, but can't) you actually have better rights to the wallet than the police do.)

I dunno, thats from a legal point of view regarding a basic trespass to goods.