How to adopt an abandoned vehicle?

Hi Guys.

There's a scooter that has been sitting in my drive since I moved in, but probably a long time before then. There is a plant growing on/in it and the tax disc is showing 2007. Clearly it is not being used.

I have decided to try to adopt it and bring it back to life.

How would I go about that?

Is there a way to do "take over" through the DVLA, or do I need to find out who owns/owned it, and convince them to sell it?


Background: I live in an apartment complex, the scooter is in our "internal" motorcycle parking area, which you need a key to access, or the guards need to let you in, so I assume it belongs to someone who used to live at the same place. It has plates on it, but that is my only way of figuring out who owns it. The building managers do not keep a record. The complex I live is in used by city professionals and many foreigners who come here to work for short stints, so I assume someone has just left the country and the scooter.

Cheers

So apparently there's a difference between the legal keeper and the legal owner.
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/questio...4142235AAfo73h

Just for clarification, I would like to be the legal owner of the vehicle.

Put a fence round it. If nobody claims it back after 7 years it's yours.


Sent via the medium of interpretive dance.

No fence would be needed, the tax disc suggests it has already been 7 years Is there anything to the 7 years that you suggest or was it a joke?

[Sid Squid]

Apply for a V5, the DVLA will contact the presently registered keeper, if they do not respond then you will be given a V5 in your name, this means you are the keeper not the owner as you know, the previously registered keeper's details will be on the V5 - contact them. If the details are still at the building you live in now, or they have moved from the subsequent address you can't go further on that route, but having their name might allow some Googling to good effect.

So there's no point in requesting the current owners details first, as they will be on the V5?

Neat trick. Thanks Sid

So fill in this form: https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...V62_061213.pdf

And then on Section 3, tick "I cannot produce it for another reason. (Give the reason below)", and then what reason would be a valid reason?

Is this not borderline criminal to try and hijack a v5?

[Sid Squid]

I've done it before - the first time at the suggestion of the police. As far as I know nothing on this front has changed, if you're concerned - and I quite understand that you might be - ask at a police station first.

Do you remember the reason you gave for the request?

[Red Herring]

As Sid said, just apply for a V5 saying you are the new keeper and the previous keeper didn't give it to you, which is all perfectly true. With regard to ownership then you need to show that you have taken all reasonable steps to trace the owner. If it is in a private garage, but one that other residents have access to, then put a note through each of their doors asking if they have any interest in the scooter, if it is in a public place then attach a note to the actual bike. For a real belt and braces job you can go to the local police station and report it as found property. Some forces have a policy where they won't treat motor vehicles as such, however most will at least check the PNC just in case it has been reported stolen previously and abandoned where you found it (don't expect them to tell you who the registered keeper is though) and then they should place a "found" marker on the PNC just in case it is subsequently reported missing. If they do treat it as found property, or even if they don't, if it's not claimed within 28 days it's yours.