Report an abandoned vehicle
We work closely with Sussex Police and the DVLA to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles. For a vehicle to be treated as abandoned it has to be untaxed, on a public road and not have been moved for at least two weeks.
You may check the tax status of any vehicle by using the DVLA vehicle enquiry service on Gov.uk. This gives information on whether the vehicle is taxed and if it has a current MOT certificate.
What is an abandoned vehicle?
An abandoned vehicle is one that appears to have been left without anyone taking responsibility for it. Indicators that a vehicle may be abandoned include:
- It is untaxed (you can check whether a vehicle is taxed online).
- It appears to have no identifiable owner.
- It has remained in the same location for a significant period of time.
- It is significantly damaged.
- It has been burnt out.
Our responsibilities
Under Section 3 of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, we have a duty to investigate and remove abandoned vehicles that are located on land in the open air within the District.
If a vehicle is taxed
If a vehicle is currently taxed, we will not usually investigate it further.
If a vehicle has no MOT
We do not investigate or enforce MOT offences.
If a vehicle has no MOT and is being driven, this is a matter for the Police and can be reported online to Sussex Police.
Report an abandoned vehicle in Lewes district
You can report an abandoned vehicle online using our reporting form.
Report an abandoned vehicle in Eastbourne
You can report an abandoned vehicle online using our reporting form.
What happens after a vehicle has been reported?
We will carry out preliminary checks and may close reports that do not meet the criteria for an abandoned vehicle investigation.
Where appropriate, we will visit the location to assess the vehicle. If an investigation is required, we will inspect and photograph the vehicle and may place a notice on it.
Where possible, we will contact the registered keeper to establish the status of the vehicle.
Following the appropriate investigation, we may instruct our contractor to remove the vehicle and place it into storage for seven days before it is disposed of.
There are several legal steps that we must follow when investigating abandoned vehicles, which means the vehicle may remain in place for some time while these processes are completed.
If the vehicle is claimed at any stage during the investigation, it will no longer be considered abandoned and our investigation will cease.
Anti-social driving
You can report anti-social driving, such as speeding, using mobile phone or under-age drivers, to Sussex Police through Operation Crackdown.
Report an untaxed vehicle
If a vehicle is in good condition, has no valid tax, and has been in the same location for less than one month, it should be reported to the DVLA as an untaxed vehicle. Go to the Gov.uk report an untaxed vehicle web page for more information.
Road safety issues
We do not deal with parking issues outside of our public car parks.
If you believe a vehicle's position poses a serious risk to other road users, please report this to Sussex Police.
How do I dispose of a vehicle?
If you wish to dispose of your own vehicle, please follow the Government's guidance on scrapping a vehicle and insurance write-offs.
Scrapping your vehicle and insurance write-offs: Scrapping your vehicle and insurance write-offs - Gov.uk
