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.

We appreciate that it can be frustrating to residents when a vehicle remains static for a significant amount of time. However, if there are no parking restrictions on a road, vehicles holding current road tax can legally park there at any time.

Vehicles we don’t investigate as abandoned 

Being untaxed, unroadworthy, or illegally parked does not necessarily make a vehicle abandoned.  

  • If a vehicle holds current road tax, we won’t investigate it as being abandoned.
  • We won’t investigate a vehicle as being abandoned if the road tax expired recently within the last 3 months 
  • We won’t investigate a vehicle as being abandoned just because it is dangerously parked or obstructive 

If you suspect that a vehicle has been stolen, this is a matter for Sussex Police (101 non-emergency number) 

Vehicles without road tax or MOT

The DVLA are responsible for dealing with untaxed vehicles. On GOV.UK, you can: 

The police are responsible for dealing with vehicles without a valid MOT. On GOV.UK, you can:   

Report a vehicle that you think has been abandoned

Information we need before we can investigate whether a vehicle may have been abandoned

We need the following information to start and carry out any investigations. 

  • The vehicle registration plate details
  • The make, model and colour of the vehicle
  • The exact location of the vehicle 

If the vehicle does not have registration plates, then the investigation will take longer.  

If you think a vehicle has been abandoned, please report it to us through our online report form. This provides the information we need to assess whether a vehicle may have been abandoned and to investigate where necessary. If we think that a vehicle may have been abandoned, a council officer will attend and make an assessment.

 Report an abandoned vehicle

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 remove a vehicle that is not abandoned 'within the meaning of the law', the council may become liable for any claims for compensation. 

If we can’t find anyone responsible for the vehicle, and its condition suggests that it has been abandoned, we may remove it. 

Our process for the removal of abandoned vehicles from the public highway

Please note that the vehicle removal process can take up to 30 days as follows. 

  1. A council officer will attend and make an assessment.
  2. If the officer thinks that the vehicle may have been abandoned, they will attach a high-visibility notice to it. This gives the owner an opportunity to claim it.
  3. If there is no response to the notice within 15 days, the officer will then apply to obtain the registered keeper’s details (we don’t have immediate access to this information)
  4. The officer will then write to the registered keeper to see if they claim the vehicle.
  5. If the registered keeper does not make contact within 7 to 10 days, we will begin arrangements for an approved contractor to remove and store the vehicle for a short period.
  6. If the vehicle is not claimed, it may be destroyed.

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. 

No matter who owns the land, the law states that the vehicle must be in the open air. We don’t investigate vehicles that are under cover. 

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

Abandoned vehicles