Abandoned vehicles
Find out how to report vehicles that you think have been abandoned, untaxed vehicles, dangerously parked or obstructive vehicles, and caravans and trailers on the public highway.
Report a vehicle that you think has been abandoned
If you think a vehicle has been abandoned, you can report it using Operation Crackdown, the public reporting service.
We use this information to assess whether a vehicle has been abandoned. We work alongside Sussex Police when dealing with reported vehicles.
We appreciate that it can be frustrating to residents when a vehicle remains static for a significant amount of time.
If there are no parking restrictions on a road, vehicles holding current road tax can legally park at any time.
Being untaxed, unroadworthy, or illegally parked does not necessarily make a vehicle abandoned.
How we assess whether a vehicle is abandoned
We have a duty to arrange the removal of vehicles that are abandoned 'within the meaning of the law'. This means that all rights and concerns in a vehicle have been given up and that no one responsible for the vehicle can be traced.
If we cannot find anyone responsible for the vehicle, and its condition suggests that it has been abandoned, we may remove it.
If we remove a vehicle that is not abandoned 'within the meaning of the law', we may become liable for any claims for compensation.
If we think that a vehicle may have been abandoned, a council officer will attend and make an assessment.
Our process for the removal abandoned vehicles
Please note that the vehicle removal process can take up to 30 days as follows.
- The council officer attends and makes an assessment.
- The council officer then asks Sussex Police to write to the registered keeper (we do not have access to these details)
- If the registered keeper does not make contact within 7 to 10 days, we attach a 7 day notice to the vehicle. This gives any owner a further opportunity to claim it.
- If there is still no response after this, we apply to the police for permission to remove the vehicle.
- Once we have permission, we arrange for one of our approved contractors to remove the vehicle.
Vehicles abandoned in car parks, on housing land or on private property
The council has a duty to remove abandoned vehicles on the public highway. For other land, such as car parks or private property, we need written permission from the landowner or their agent before we can investigate. The vehicle must be in the open air, we do not deal with vehicles under cover.
Vehicles without road tax or MOT
On GOV.UK you can:
The DVLA are responsible for dealing with untaxed vehicles.
Report a vehicle that is dangerously parked or obstructive
You can report a vehicle parked where it should not be to our parking services team.
If it's an emergency you should call Sussex Police.
Caravans and trailers
It is illegal to store a caravan, trailer or similar vehicle on the public highway in Brighton & Hove.
Find out what you can do if you own a caravan or report one on the public highway.
Contact us
For more information you can send an email to abandoned.vehicles@brighton-hove.gov.uk