Thread: Car impounded please help!!!

Hi all,
I have been reading some of the posts on this site and was unable to find one that applys to my situation so decided to ask for help and to see if anybody else has been in the same boat.

I have brought a car about 2 weeks ago with no tax but it is on sorn, the car was parked on a driveway that is attached to my garage at the rear of my property. I have looked at my deeds and the driveway does not belong to me although it is attached to my garage and it is where i leave my car at night. One day in the week my car was removed from my driveway by a company called E.L.V.I.S. which is part of the northampton county council and northamptonshire police, i was not notified that they were coming to remove my car and they never came and knocked the door to tell me they were taking the car they just loaded it on the lorry and left. After alot of people saying they had nothing to do with the removal of the car i finally found the people that took it and have since been in contact with them. They state that because the driveway is maintained by the council that the car is on the public highway and that they are within there rights to tow the car even though i have only had the car for 2 weeks so i have no log book and no way to tax the vehicle. I gave E.L.V.I.S. a ring and they said that i can appeal but the the appeal would land on his desk and he sees no problem with what they have done. The impound want £100 plus a refundable £160 when i take a tax disc to them plus £21 per day for the car being kept in the impound. Is there anything i can do or do i just have to take it as a loss and let them get away with it. Please Help.
Thank you.
Stu.

It sounds most unusual for a "driveway" to be maintained at public expense. Have you checked this out yourself? Remember it doesn't matter whether you own that bit of driveway or not, just as long as it is classed as private land, not maintained at public expense.

You state that you bought the car 2 weeks ago, no tax but on SORN.

1) The old keeper would need to give you the green slip and send the completed V5C to DVLA to register the car in your name.
2) you can use this slip for up to 2 months to tax the car without the V5C.
3) Did you put it on SORN? The previous keeper's SORN is ended on transfer, You needed to complete your own SORN declaration for the car to be on SORN whilst in your ownership.

If you didn't SORN it, then DVLA and their agents now have the power to remove it - even from a non-public road/driveway.

I didnt know that you can tax a car with the new keepers slip and i also didnt know that you have to transfer the sorn over when you buy a car as you dont have to transfer the tax over to your name when you buy a car. It sounds as though i havent got a leg to stand on and i have to take this as a lesson thanks for all your help anyway.

Originally Posted by Stupidstu13

I didnt know that you can tax a car with the new keepers slip and i also didnt know that you have to transfer the sorn over when you buy a car as you dont have to transfer the tax over to your name when you buy a car. It sounds as though i havent got a leg to stand on and i have to take this as a lesson thanks for all your help anyway.

'Fraid so, sorry

Hi all im affraid i need some more help as now they are saying that although i still own the vehicle i am not allowed to take the stereo out of it. It is a stereo that i brought seperately from the car so it is not original but they still say it is part of the car, has anybody got any ideas????
many thanks.
Stu

Originally Posted by Stupidstu13

Hi all im affraid i need some more help as now they are saying that although i still own the vehicle i am not allowed to take the stereo out of it. It is a stereo that i brought seperately from the car so it is not original but they still say it is part of the car, has anybody got any ideas????
many thanks.
Stu

Did you get this resolved ? I've just had the same thing done to me

Did you find out where your car was being held in northants ? If so could you let me know asap. All Hell is going to break loose

You can certainly remove your personal items, but the car stereo IS part of the vehicle, along with any other accessory that is otherwise affixed to it - DVD, TV Headrest Screens, etc. If it was OK, you'd have white van man turrning up with a toolbox to strip out all the useful bits, Engine, Wheels, Spare. This makes the incentive to pay that much greater....

Can You Pay To Get Your Car Taken Out Of The Police Car Pound Over The Telephone Using Credit/debit Card?

I don't believe so - it must be done in person with the relevant paperwork present, but they take cards at the desk.