Abandoned vehicles
An abandoned vehicle is one which has not been moved or attended to for a long time. There may be visible damage to suggest a crash or signs the vehicle has been stolen, such as:
- significantly damaged
- run-down or un-roadworthy including being rusted
- missing or suspicious number plates
- broken window, flat tyres
- has a lot of rubbish inside it
- broken or loose ignition
- broken steering column
Abandoned vehicles can cause a nuisance by obstructing roads, traffic and pedestrians. The sight of a damaged or slowly rusting car can also be an eyesore in your community, so it’s understandable you might want it to be removed.
What you can do about abandoned vehicles
If you know the vehicle owner, our first advice would be to ask them politely to move it. After all, they may not be aware they’re causing a problem. However, do not take the law into your own hands by intervening, such as making physical threats or attempting to move the vehicle yourself. You may make the situation worse and even risk committing an offence yourself.
If you find an abandoned vehicle that doesn’t appear to be stolen, please report it online to us and we will aim to trace the vehicle’s owner and arrange for it to be removed.
Call 101 if you find an abandoned vehicle that you believe could be stolen to Lincolnshire Police.
Owner of abandoned vehicles
If you are the registered owner of a vehicle we believe to be abandoned we will send you a letter asking you to remove the vehicle.
If we don't hear from you (the owner) within seven days the vehicle will be removed.
We will then invoice the last known keeper for the cost of removing the vehicle.
If your vehicle is removed you should contact Lincolnshire County Council (the disposal authority) as they will crush the vehicle after a period of time.