Tracing owners

[escortmad79]

I know all the spiel about data protection etc, but pretty sure I read somewhere about if you contact the DVLA about an apparent abandoned car which you're interested in, they can forward info onto the last registered keeper & if they no longer want the car they can send you the logbook or pass details of your interest?

Anyone know anymore about this?

[justanotherhigh]

I contacted the local council about an abandoned Midget, they contacted the owner but I never heard anything...
Try them? ;D

[dannyb]

I'm going to keep an eye on this thread

i want to find this





not been used since '99 though probably dead

[escortmad79]

The vehicle isn't abandoned on the side of the road so the council option isn't an option, it's in an abandoned workshop but is nothing to do with who owns the building

[adam3442]

What car is it fella?

I heard a long time ago that if you needed the details of the owner of a car you could ring the DVLA and tell them that you had been involved in an accident with the car you need the details of and you were wondering if the owners details could be passed to you as they drove off.

How true that is I don't know? Also how legal it is I don't know. I guess you could ring the DVLA and tell them you have been involved in an accident and just wondered if they could help without giving any other details.

If you have a Police friend I'm sure they may be able to help too.

Adam

[johnnyboy1987]

what if the vehicle has been off the road for a while they might be like ahem how did you crash into it sir when it hasnt been on the road in 5 years haha

[adam3442]

How would they know its off the road? There are lots of untaxed vehicles on our roads, just watch Road Wars

[escortmad79]

It's been off the road for a few years

[dungbug]

I'd be very careful bud, I know from experience this is a 'sticky' subject with alot of 'grey area's'. I was made aware of a motor (classic) that had been 'dumped' in a village hall car park, I called the caretaker of the hall who told me the vehicle had been there for about 4 months (had been vandalised etc....In this time) & was told that the scrappy was going to be called at the end of that week to take it away. I said it was a classic & should be saved, the caretaker gave me the phone number for the local Police and asked me to call the. I did this & they said to call the DVLA and see where they stood on it, but they said it wasn't listed as stolen so morst likely it had been abandoned. I called the DVLA and they said I could remove the vehicle & apply for the log book. I owed the car home at 3pm (kids coming out of the school across the road so I was seen by lots of locals). I applied for the log book & had the Police knock on the door at 6.45 in the morning about 3 weeks later, they arrested me under suspicion of theft. I was booked in, interviewed and eventually released without charge as my 'story' seemed correct. The owner lived a couple of roads down from the village hall, I did ask the officer why he'd left it in the car park for months without a roof (it was a convertible & had about 2" of water inside ), untaxed and also mentioned that the caretaker would have scrapped it if it hadn't of been removed.

To be honest I wouldn't touch another 'abandoned' motor no matter what it was, the last registered keeper will be contacted be contacted & if it's been removed without their permission you're in the s**t. I know there's people that wouldn't look to 'register' it and do all the legal stuff so they'd get away with it, but I'm not that way and acted on what I was told by the Police & the DVLA & it still earnt me a day in the cells and an anxious wait waiting to find out if/what they were going to charge me with.

My advice, leave well alone, do some digging around. The owner of the build it's in must no something about it's owner.

[Jenn]

You can apply to the DVLA for details under certain circumstances, you have to fill in a form and provide the details you have of the vehicle, make reg etc. There is a fee for this I think and it is at their disgression whether they release the details, I think usually they would contact the owner.

[dungbug]

Oct 17, 2009 23:21:34 GMT Jenn said:

You can apply to the DVLA for details under certain circumstances, you have to fill in a form and provide the details you have of the vehicle, make reg etc. There is a fee for this I think and it is at their disgression whether they release the details, I think usually they would contact the owner.

That's interesting, like you say it's up to the DVLA if they provide anything. I know of a lovely old Zodiac that's been parked up for a number of years & no one know's who it belongs to, sad thing is that it'll probably get 'lifted' at some point.

[ab5olut]

Its possible if you go through the right channels but its all a matter of luck if the previous owner doesn't come back for it maybe when you have finished fixing it up .

passionford.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62326

[joda]

if your looking for a project chap, i know where there is a mk1 escort estate, sitting in a garden in the east neuk of fife, next to a comer horse box !!

[Lankytim]

Tell the DVLA the truth... The cars parked on private property and needs to be removed.

[Lankytim]

Oct 19, 2009 5:22:38 GMT ab5olut said:

Its possible if you go through the right channels but its all a matter of luck if the previous owner doesn't come back for it maybe when you have finished fixing it up .

passionford.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62326

^^^WHAT A SPAWNY GIT!^^^

[popuptoaster]

I was doing car recovery and my boss had a contract with a supermarket chain to remove abandoned cars from their car parks, he would be notified of the vehcile, but had to wait for written permission from the supermarket to remove them, it often took several months and the cars would quite often be gone by then. car parks can be a conveniant dropping off point for storage of your happy to take the risk of damage, or if the price of scrap is so low you'd have to pay to have them cubed.

Ive tried to gain ownership of "abandoned" cars a few times over the years, its generally not worth the effort or risk, your better off just buying one in the end.

[alexg]

Leave a note on the car is a good idea, or just do some local door knocking. Also phone the DVLA and just ask if the car has a registered keeper. The DVLA won't tell you who owns the car, but they will tell you if it is registered to someone. Many cars are not, and if so you are half way there to owning.

[fredtransit]

remember the V5 does not prove ownership, it only proves who the keeper is, two different thing in the eyes of the law.