Abandoned Vehicle Removal.

There’s no single legal definition of an abandoned vehicle, so each case turns on the evidence gathered on site. When we attend, our agent inspects and photographs the vehicle and records indicators that support abandonment – typically some combination of untaxed status, missing or false plates, flat tyres or missing wheels, significant damage, no MOT, and no evidence of recent movement. DVLA checks confirm whether the registered keeper is contactable. If the evidence isn’t strong enough to justify removal, we’ll tell you before the notice stage rather than expose you to a later claim.

Empty caravans and trailers are covered – they fall within the same statutory framework as cars and vans. Lived-in vehicles are not: if a vehicle is being occupied as accommodation, this becomes a Traveller Evictions matter rather than an abandoned vehicle case. We don’t exclude any particular vehicle type on the basis of size or value – any vehicle can be assessed under this service, provided it isn’t occupied. If your site has a mix – some vehicles clearly abandoned, others occupied – we’ll assess on attendance and confirm the right route.

We need enough information to attend and assess. That typically means the site address and access details, a list of vehicles (registration numbers where visible, plus any photographs you’ve already taken), your position on the land (owner, managing agent, tenant with landlord authority), and a signed instruction form. We also require a land registry search before attending, rather than relying on a managing agent’s word on title.

We typically attend within 24 hours of instruction. Once our agent has served notice, a statutory notice period of 14 days must run before the vehicle can lawfully be removed. Total instruction-to-removal time is typically up to 30 days, though this varies with factors like access, recovery contractor scheduling and whether the keeper is traced. Where a vehicle is a fire risk, blocking essential access, or otherwise unsafe, we’ll flag routes that may allow faster action.

That’s the notice working as intended. If the registered keeper collects the vehicle during the notice period, the client remains liable for our fee for the work already carried out – attendance, notice service and any DVLA checks. There’s no formal condition of release: the vehicle sits on the site throughout the notice period, so the keeper can simply attend and collect it themselves. If the owner disputes that the vehicle was abandoned, we can advise on next steps.

You can, but councils rarely act quickly on private land and can refuse where specialist recovery is needed. Where they do act, they still charge the landowner and typically require a 15-day notice period before entering your land. A private enforcement route under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977 gives you direct control over timing, documentation, and legal protection, and lets you instruct one contractor to run the process end to end rather than coordinate with the council’s schedule.

We handle these situations together. If the vehicles are part of an unauthorised encampment, the primary route is Traveller Evictions rather than abandoned vehicle removal. If people are living in structures or buildings on the land, that’s Squatter Evictions. If unauthorised occupiers have already left but their vehicles remain, we can move directly to abandoned vehicle removal. Tell us the full picture on instruction so we can scope the right combined service.

On private land, abandoned vehicle removal proceeds under the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act 1977, which sets out how a landowner – as involuntary bailee of a vehicle left without consent – can lawfully deal with property on their land. Strikes acts on your written authority and follows the statutory procedure: formal notice, evidence collection, DVLA checks, and a documented notice period. All our agents are Certificated Enforcement Agents who complete regular training and renew their court certification every two years. That documented trail is what makes removal defensible if the keeper later comes forward.

We cover England and Wales. Our main office is in Newark, with active case studies across Bristol, Leeds, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Bradford. Attendance is not usually affected by distance – we route the nearest available agent. Tell us the site address on instruction and we’ll confirm attendance timing before you commit.