The other day Julián told us that there was a vehicle that had been parked for years in the communal car park with flat tyres and a broken window. Julián asked us how they could legally remove it from there, as it’s hindering the parking of other vehicles and causing sanitary problems. In this article we answer this and other questions and explain how you can legally remove an abandoned car from a private garage.
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What to do with an abandoned car in the garage?
First of all. You’ll need a lot of patience. The process is slow and the paperwork cumbersome. There are many cases involving abandoned vehicles, which become a source of infection and danger for everyone. What to do?
Call the municipal tow truck?
The first thing that probably comes to mind is to call the municipal tow truck to remove the vehicle. We’re afraid that this option isn’t feasible because the tow truck is a municipal service and the communal garage is a private space, so this is out of the question.
Call the local police?
This isn’t an option either. The local police, in these cases, are powerless to help you, as the vehicle is on private property.
Locate the owner of the abandoned car
The most sensible thing to do is to inform the community of the situation and try to locate the owner of the abandoned vehicle with posters and flyers. It’s most likely to be an owner from the community and they will comment on the situation.
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When the owner is located
“If the owner is located who has complied with their payment obligations, the car is up to date with the DGT, and has not been de-registered, nothing can be done as it’s on private property and isn’t bothering anyone, nor can it be blamed for possible incidents that may occur”, explains Jesús Santidrián, lawyer and head of Expansion at Mediterráneo, in the Madrid area.
When the owner can’t be located
If this isn’t possible, another way of locating the owner is to go to the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), which can find out the identity of the owner through the number plate or chassis number. A burofax will then be sent, so that we can be sure that it has been dispatched and this will help us with the next bureaucratic steps.
Who removes the car from the garage and how?
If the owner does not show up, you should contact the DGT again to ask for the car to be taken to a scrapyard.
You should bear in mind that you should NEVER remove a car on your own, as this can have legal consequences.
These are all the steps to take when dealing with an abandoned car. Disturbances that the community of owners have to put up with due to the uncivil behaviour of an owner or a stranger who has broken into the urbanisation. If you have a similar situation in your community, contact your property administrators Mediterráneo, and they will help you and advise you on the details.