louis_2012

I believe you can do this legally but what is the correct way?

There is a 58 reg Focus thats been dumped in a layby near mine since before Christmas, tax is out on it, tyres half flat, and its absolutely caked in road grime and tree crap. I rang the police non emergency to enquire about it, where I was told it wasnt stolen, and no police interest in it. Its not taxed nor insured, gotta be worth a few grand and even if somethings wrong with it its worth a gamble.

What the correct procedure, I heard you have to get some type of form from post office to apply at DVLA ? Then is it just a case of putting a window through on it and dragging it off?

dojj

iTrader: (3)

Remove it if it's easy enough to do so

Once you've got it tucked away apply for the log book from the dvla and then it might be yours

Some boiler done it with an escos a while back exactly the same way

stuart148

lol how can you take some thing that's not yours

it's not your so leave it be
how would you like it happening to you

STeve

iTrader: (11)

leave it be as it would make you no better than a vulture as you know nothing about why it was left there

shauns

Is there no way of finding the owner

Cos500

I don't think removing it would be a good idea, if whoever left it there comes looking for it you could be in for a dry bumming.
Leave it be, will be crushed soon enough and you won't have to look at it anymore.

HaggisTurbo

There may be more to this than it seems. Is it still on public land? If it is I'm surprised plod or the dvla haven't removed it yet. You might find its owner has maybe crashed and later died or is maybe even in the clink.

Your call mate but if someone doesn't move it you can be rest assured some we scrote will torch it.

JayCC

You must live in a posh area if it's been there for that amount of time and is still intact!!

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

LOL @ all the "leave it", "it's not yours", etc responses. This, coming from people on a forum obsessed with barn finds

Paul_RS

iTrader: (4)

Pretty sure Chip was able to claim something a few years ago. Was a nice car from what I remember?

dojj

iTrader: (3)

barn finds are different, they are "classic" cars that should be saved for future generations and not for getting a nice motor for yourself on the free

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

That's semantics Dojj. The end result is the same - looking to obtain a car for free.

But because this isn't a Cosworth or RS, the people who normally rave over barn finds say this isn't right. When in reality it's entirely the same.

Stage6

LOL at everyone saying leave it etc...

why the hell would u just leave it when you could apply for the logbook and make a few grand off it ??? the owners obviously couldnt give a shit about it. so whats the harm in doing so ? If he doesnt get the logbook back in his name then oh welll---was worth a try !!

If he gets it, fuck it, drag it home, clean it up, and sell it on make a few extra grand to help out with life. Why not.

If it was my car , YES id be pissed off... BUT id be kind of asking for it if id left my car parked somewhere with flat tyres, no tax/insurance and probably no Mot since last year! and for someone to leave a newish car worth a few bob just abandoned as such.... fuck em. must have money to burn.

that amount of time, im shocked the windows havnt been done.

IMO- Take it ...and best of luck in whichever route you choose!

fuzzy

to remove it now would need some sort of breaking and entering or twoc ing as I doubt the owner left the keys in the car.
good luck with that.

Cos500

It's theft, surely if I want to park my rs500 up at the side of the road until it gets towed and crushed that's my decision, it's mine.
Just because someone thinks it's a waste blah blah blah its nothing to do with them, it's someone's property and should be left to its fate.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Likewise with barn finds...

gcfcos

I used to do this many years ago. Dumped cars or ones with council notices on I used to wait for the 28 days I think it was and on the last day I used to take it before the council got there (just after midnight) and it was legal back then, not sure about nowadays though. I'd apply for the log book and leave it sat there and if the log book comes through before it's been taken away jobs a goodun. Worth risking the Ł25 application fee for log book

gcfcos

Only other thing is the log book makes u the registered keeper not the owner :-(

focusv8

And liable for fines for no tax, insurance etc. while it's still sat in the layby.

Cos500

Yes unless you can trace an owner, some people are no better than pikeys

focusv8

And you'd be legally entitled to recover the car from the new "Owner", regardless of any money they'd spent on it.

And you'd still be entitled to recover it from anyone else the new "Owner" had sold it to, just as Finance and Logbook loan companies do.

gjh

Ye but generally you buy a barn find, just hopefully for a bargain of a price, 2 very different things IMO.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Not always, no. There's been plenty of mentions about finding x car in a barn/field/whatever and no way to trace an owner, and the general response has been "rescue it". Of course the word "rescue" is used because it's a it's a car close to the heart of the enthusiasts discussing it. When it's not a car close to those hearts, it's classed as theft...

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

Having your name on the V5 just means you are responsible for keeping it taxed and MOT'd etc, it does NOT make you the legal owner.

So although yes, you can get a V5 for the car in your name, it's still theft to tow it away!

An example of this is I purchased my wife's car, the receipt has my name and signature on it. The V5 is registered in her name. If we were to go our separate ways, I own the car, as I can prove I paid for it, having her name on the V5 means fuck all.

focusv8

Try telling that to her divorce Lawyer..

dojj

iTrader: (3)

Nope, I still say that barn funds, because they are historical artefacts in need to rescuing, shouldn't be the same as road finds, simply because if you left your car in the road it means it's not worth caring for yet if you lock your pride and not in a rickety old barn, you are obviously worth some dosh and it's like a great big fuck you to your kids

Davemurphy007

When you apply for the V5 (on a car that isn't registered to you) don't they write to the current registered owner and give them chance to 'claim' the car? If they don't hear from the current registered owner then they issue the V5 to you as you've applied for it?

You can't tax, insure, scrap or sell/transfer a car without the V5 these days so i'd personally say posession is 9/10ths! If you have the vehicle AND the V5 there's very little anyone can do. DVLA won't (as i understand it) issue a new V5 to someone without contacting the current registered keeper first so if they haven't taxed, insured or looked after the car AND they haven't updated the V5 (or can't be bothered replying to the DVLA) - then why not make it yours before someone else does (including the police) or it gets wrecked in another way.

Cos500

Still can't make it yours as the v5 stated in large letters on the front is not proof of ownership, plus if anyone did this kind of thing to me after leaving my car to rot I'd trace it, burn it plus the house it was sat at.
If you want a car go buy one pikey bstards

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

On second thoughts, it's a hyundai, she's welcome to it lol

focusv8

gcfcos

I'm pretty sure u can pay a fee to dvla for the owners details etc. my mate done it ages ago when he found an rs1600i dumped and also people find old owners for the classics they own. Can't remember the name of the form though

Davemurphy007

The data protection act means the DVLA cannot just hand over people's personal details to anybody - but they will release them, for a fee, to someone who has a legitimate reason to request them. Normally it's been clamping/private parking companies who want to chase you for payments/fines. Just have a good reason ready when they ask you.

I understand the V5 doesn't make you the legal owner but I've never got my head around how you actually proveownership of a car without a certificate that has your name on it, provided by someone who holdsa database of such things - a receipt is hardly concrete proof as anyone can knock one up.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Leaving a "classic" car in a barn to rot and be covered in pigeon shit can also mean the owner doesn't think it's worth caring for.

Regardless of where the car is left, and regardless of the cars age, if it's dumped, it's dumped.

HaggisTurbo

What did you decide to do in the end mate?

focusv8

A receipt for anything not just a car should be traceable back to the seller, so should have their name and a valid address on.

Ideally when you buy a car you should see the receipt the seller got when they bought it.

Eigdoog

+1

I remember reading that! So yeah do the same.

GVK.

So a rotten old Cortina in a shed is now the Mona Lisa..

louis_2012

Waiting for the DVLA to get back to me.

Kind of thinking it may have belonged to someone in the old folks settlement opposite, maybe passed away. Who knows, but all the time its been there clearly its not going anywhere soon apart from the crusher or up in flames.

Stage6

At the end of the day, if you can get away with 'obtaining' the car, and possibly selling it on to make a bit of extra money ( who says no to practically free money in this country? ), and not getting in any kind of trouble with the police, or anyone else for that matter, then fair play, its worth a try !!

STAFFY OWNER

To me a barn find is totally different as somebody at some point has obviously put the car away rather than just dumping it in a layby/roadside/car park or any other public area and who said barn finds are free to the next owner? Most barn finds are usually sold on (yes, people actually pay money for them) because the current owner may have had a change of plans, they may have died so the wife or husband wants to get rid of it or many other reasons but very rarely are they just given away. Fuck me if you were allowed to just help yourself to old vehicles found in barns there'd be a lot of farmers missing their tractors.
I would have thought the most common sense way to get an answer to the OP's question would have been for him to ring the DVLA in the first place rather than believe 30 odd different suggestions on a forum.