Abandoned vehicles

Worried about a vehicle being abandoned? There are a few things you can check to help you decide who to contact. 

When to contact the DVLA

If you find a vehicle on the public highway that is untaxed or declared 'off the road', report it to the DVLA. They are the only authority with powers to remove these types of vehicles. 

• Check if a vehicle is taxed
• Check if a vehicle has been declared as off the road

A SORN vehicle should not be left on the public highway. 

When to contact the Police

Call 101 if a vehicle is:

• causing an obstruction on the highway e.g blocking your drive
• is suspicious and may have been stolen or burnt out

When to contact the Council

We have a duty to remove abandoned vehicles. It is up to us to decide whether a vehicle has been abandoned. We may class a vehicle as abandoned if it has:

• no current vehicle keeper on DVLA records, or no traceable owner
• not moved in a long time
• been left damaged, vandalised or burnt out
• been left in a location or position that suggests it has been abandoned

If you find a vehicle that you think is abandoned, please fill in our online form or email streetscene@fenland.gov.uk. 

We can remove a vehicle that we believe is abandoned on a public road without notice if it is an imminent risk. In most cases, we will write to the vehicle's registered keeper (if it has one) to give notice before we do. If no contact is made, the vehicle is collected and we can dispose of it after 21 days. If a vehicle is on private land, we need to get permission from the landowner. 

We can't take action on vehicles that are:

• taxed, but appear to have been involved in a road traffic accident or collision. The owner is expected to take action to get the vehicle removed 
• owned by a local resident or neighbour, and parked on a public road with no parking restrictions