Notice Requirements

For vehicles that the authorised officer considers to be have some value, steps are taken to trace the owner of the vehicle and, if successful, give them 7 days written notice that the authority intends to dispose of the vehicle if it is not collected within that time.

For vehicles that the authorised officer considers to have no value – the statutory notice period is 24 hours.

For vehicles that do not display a current licence or registration mark, they may be removed and destroyed immediately. The Isle of Wight Council has no obligation to trace or inform the owner.

If a vehicle is abandoned on land that is occupied, the local authority must give the occupier 15 days notice that they propose to remove the vehicle. The local authority is not entitled to remove the vehicle if the occupier objects to the proposal, in writing, within that period. However, if the occupier gives the local authority permission to remove the vehicle (e.g. if the vehicle was abandoned without their consent), the 15 day notice automatically lapses and the vehicle can be treated the same as if it was on a road.

The definition of the term “Occupier” generally means

The tenant or licensee
Anyone who has legal possession of and control over the premises

The main feature of a road is that the general public has a right to use it as a means of getting from A to B. The definition includes all highways (all the land to which the public has a right to pass along for the purpose of legitimate travelling) and includes both the carriageway and footpath and also access roads through estates that are owned by organisations such as housing associations or by the residents who live there.

Page last updated on: 24/11/2005