How to tell if a car has been abandoned?

[eddie_7]

Just wanted to know how you are able to find out if a car has been abandoned or not. Last night i was driving around and saw a fairly beaten up 1998ish black magna with no plates, damage to rear and parked on the main road. Saw this car 3 or so weeks ago and its still parked in the same spot.

My friends managed to get a old laser, saab 900i and an old camry in the past 4 years and i thought i might as well attempt to find out before its too late.

Do you call the rta or someone with details of the car etc? i cant get into contact with my friend so i thought this would be the next best place.

[sgt_doofey]

I'd try the police. They'd know if it's been stolen and dumped.
If there is no plates on it, surely they could trace the VIN to the owner?

[Bmobile]

No plates, out of rego = abandoned.

[Linkachu]

I think its the 7 or 14 day rule, if its been there that long its up for grabs

[XWildGT]

Has it got chooks living in it

[kenz]

I usually tell by the fact they're up on blocks with all the wheels gone and all the windows smashed in if they've been sitting there too long :

[Teflon Turbo]

usually when a council sticker is on the windscreen that states it will be towed away in a week or so if the legal owner doesn't claim it.

then you ask the council if you can have it.

[eddie_7]

hmm okay thanks for the help guys, so what do you think the first thing i could do? dont feel like runnin from place to place but then again i need a car even though its a magna so i will probably try everything i can to claim it :

the cars got no stickers on it/papers or signs, doors are unlocked as well and then the no plates and damage to the back and its been sittin there for a while.
I might go to the police and ask em bout it but just need to know what information i might need so they can "help" me straightaway.

Ill be goin on monday so if anyone else any suggestions or ideas let me know, at this point in time i got no money so im happy with anycar that gets from A to B(thought id never say those words) :

[xtremerus]

Most likely be stripped by Monday. But then it's a Magna.

[XR6_190]

Reminds me of the story I heard on the radio during the week, an '86 Gemini parked on Spring St, about 2 blocks up from parliament house, that had been sitting there for 3 weeks, no plates, bird droppings all over it, Seems like nobody wanted any of it, but then, it is a Gemini.

[TUF_302]

Cant blame someone for abandoning a magna lol, or a Gemini either lol!

[eddie_7]

haha thats what i thought you can barely make money out of a magna so i was thinkin someone couldnt be stuffed sellin it, ill drive by and see if its still there on monday and decide what to do

[Coyote mk3]

Originally Posted by kenz

I usually tell by the fact they're up on blocks with all the wheels gone and all the windows smashed in if they've been sitting there too long :

That sounds very much like a car that was parked for 2 weeks just after the weigh bridge going north at burpengary about a month ago

[Melz]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

Most likely be stripped by Monday. But then it's a Magna.

So most likely be torched.... :

[wodahs]

Originally Posted by eddie_7

hmm okay thanks for the help guys, so what do you think the first thing i could do? dont feel like runnin from place to place but then again i need a car even though its a magna so i will probably try everything i can to claim it :

the cars got no stickers on it/papers or signs, doors are unlocked as well and then the no plates and damage to the back and its been sittin there for a while.
I might go to the police and ask em bout it but just need to know what information i might need so they can "help" me straightaway.

Ill be goin on monday so if anyone else any suggestions or ideas let me know, at this point in time i got no money so im happy with anycar that gets from A to B(thought id never say those words) :

if its dumped it becomes the right of the sire council i think 14 days after the have impounded it and done the legel process to obtain it , and they will want to make their dollar out of it

you say you need a car , if its been dumped then maybe it will need a few dollars to get it licenced again may be cheaper to buy one already licenced n running

[eddie_7]

yeh good point bout council tryin to make money out of it, im not gonna bother if they ask me to pay for stuff im just curious to see what happens since my friend ended up gettin 3 cars only costs being the minor repairs to the cars to get them in running order

as for needing a car i got enough money to buy somethin cheap that works but i prefer to save up some extra cash for one that ill keep for a few yrs at least

[Danny]

Is that EF Fairmont in the pic not yours?

[ebxr8240]

Sounds like one of my Mrs cars.....Lol...

[eddie_7]

Originally Posted by Danny

Is that EF Fairmont in the pic not yours?

well it was mine but ended up sellin it due to transmission being screwed and didnt really have the time to get a new one put in, havent really used this and other ford forums since i sold the mont so forgot to update my avatar thing

[ltd]

So what are you getting about in now?

[Scareybear]

It is a magna, I'd just leave it there and see if the idea catches on...

[eddie_7]

Originally Posted by ltd

So what are you getting about in now?

(cough) my mums 99 camry, (yes FWD, 4cyl, auto) i only need it to get me to tafe and the monthly fishing trip but would be handy to have somethin for myself instead of waitin till the end of the yr

[Buzz Box]

Most councils I know of tow them to there depot and then auction them I've never know a council to let you take it.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Don't know about the rules regarding when a dumped car can be 'up for grabs'.

I did read in the paper once a person finding a 'dumped' Alfa. The new owner spent a fair bit of money ($4000??) getting it back to roadworthy and was driving it around for several months before the original owner realised.

Guess which owner got to keep the now restored and registered Alfa? The original one from memory.

Will try to find the link... it must be floating around somewhere.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by coyote mk3

That sounds very much like a car that was parked for 2 weeks just after the weigh bridge going north at burpengary about a month ago

Yeah i seen that car :

[xtremerus]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Don't know about the rules regarding when a dumped car can be 'up for grabs'.

I did read in the paper once a person finding a 'dumped' Alfa. The new owner spent a fair bit of money ($4000??) getting it back to roadworthy and was driving it around for several months before the original owner realised.

Guess which owner got to keep the now restored and registered Alfa? The original one from memory.

Will try to find the link... it must be floating around somewhere.

Rego would be a problem for a car you 'found'.

[kyro_02]

Originally Posted by xtremerus

Rego would be a problem for a car you 'found'.

in vic, you can just get someone to sign a receipt, that's what vicroads told me, when i bought a car from my uncle but was too far to travel to get a receipt for rego, and too much hassles to send one down :P. but didn't end up putting it on the road, and it's now for sale !

[dilox]

In vic im pretty sure if theres a red sticker slapped on it, its pretty much means its "up for grabs"

just get the VIN number and go to the local RTA

[uranium_death]

A sign with 'free car, take me' is always a good pointer.

Of course, it probably isn't being claimed for a reason...

[Allen]

I recently saw a mint navy blue EL XR8, on EL GT wheels with the tickford bodykit left on the side of the road near Melb airport... it was there for about a week before it disappeared...

Got me wondering about if I could claim it for myself...

I presumed it was stolen and dumped, and didn't really want to get involved :P