Claiming an abandoned bike

[Joe85]

I wondering if the great and good go TMBF have some advice on how to proceed (if I can).

We’ve just closed our coperste office for the next 3 years whilst massive project works take place. The whole pace has been emptied of office tenants. 
 

In the carpark sits - 2016 Aprilla Touno V4 1100 which belongs to an, as yet, unnamed former tenant. The bike has been stationary for years. Security have tried to contact the owner to no avail. Here’s the word bit: the bike has no UK plate attached, instead it has a Texas licence plate, so I can’t even check when it was last MOT’d. All I have left is the VIN number. My plan was to call the DVLA and get them to contact the owner and ask him to move it. In reality I’d love to buy the thing if the guy has f**ked off back home, but should he be completely uncontactable, is there a way to claim the bike?

 

[KiwiBob]

Does this help? ... https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=5003272af1306639JmltdHM9MTY4ODY4ODAwMCZpZ3VpZD0yNjhjZmUwZS0xYThiLTY5NDQtM2MxNC1lZmJkMWI0MDY4MTcmaW5zaWQ9NTc3NA&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=268cfe0e-1a8b-6944-3c14-efbd1b406817&psq=private+property+abandoned+vehicle&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9jYXJicmFpbi5jb20vYmxvZy9ob3ctdG8tZ2V0LXJpZC1vZi1hbi1hYmFuZG9uZWQtY2FyLW9uLXByaXZhdGUtcHJvcGVydHk&ntb=1

[KiwiBob]

Bugger! Link doesn't work but it says ... 

You should report the abandoned car to your local council and not the police. The next step is to go to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to establish if the car has a registered owner. If you manage to be put in contact with the owner, tell him or her that the car will be towed at his expense. That will motivate her to send you the title so you can take charge of the car.

If the owner agrees then you will register the car as your own.

[rennie]

I have no idea of the procedures/legalities! 

 

But I would be interested in the outcome! please let us know how you get on

[geofferz]

Roughly what's the address mate?

[Joe85]

Cheers. I’ll give the DVLA a bell on Monday. 
 

here’s the bike:

 

 

[bonio]

That's like finding a puppy in a shopping bag.... looking for its forever home.

[Joe85]

Latest update: spoke to the Texas DMV (since the bike has a Texas plate). Apparently hasn’t been registered there since 2020, but ina rather strange turn of events, has never been registered in the UK either. 
 

Hmmm. At a bit of an impasse at the moment. Turns out it’s easier to speak to the DMV then it is the DVLA. 
 

Current plan is to try and “import” the bike to UK officially, but to do that I need to prove ownership. No idea how I can do that. 

[Mick67]

Sounds like the owner imported the bike to the UK but never registered it, so DVLA would be no good. Looks like you need to get the owner to give you proof of purchase to "import" it. Would the DMV give you the owners details. I guess the owner has gone back to Texas?

If it was reported to the council I assume the would impound it and then auction it. If that was to happen then maybe purchase from auction and register it with DVLA.

[Joe85]

Good news. I finally got through the DVLA and explained the situation. They’ve now sent me an application form to fill to claim the bike as mine. They explained that I’d need to contact the local authority, and the Police to confirm they have no objection to me claiming the bike, I must also then spy for an online vehicle check  to confirm not on finance or stolen (already done) and then send in a covering letter explaining the circumstances of bike not being registered in the UK and being an import. If I do that, the lady thinks they’ll issue me the V5C.

 

 

Here we go!

Edited August 4, 2023 by Joe85

[Mick67]

sounds good, fingers crossed.

[Tiggie]

I think you should donate it to the forum and we can all take turns 

 

Admin and mods get first dibs 

[Bender]

I think I may have parked it there and forgot, who do I contact

 

Good luck 

[fredc]

50 minutes ago, Bender said:

I think I may have parked it there and forgot, who do I contact

 

Good luck 

DMV Texas

[Joe85]

12 hours ago, Tiggie said:

I think you should donate it to the forum and we can all take turns 

 

Admin and mods get first dibs 

If (and it's a massive if) i do become the registered keeper, i still need to speak to Aprilla to get a key, and then get the thing home. Stationary for at least 3 years, is there anythign i should do? New fuel, oil etc? PRobably a new battery and maybe tyres?

[Bender]

Defo drain oil and fuel,,fresh fluids, I would pull plugs out and turn engine over before attempting to spin it on starter.

[Throttled]

I take it the building owners know, as they could make a claim to ownership, to recover costs of storing, disposing of the bike.

[Joe85]

4 hours ago, Throttled said:

I take it the building owners know, as they could make a claim to ownership, to recover costs of storing, disposing of the bike.

Indeed, i am an employee of the building owner. I am doing this with their knowledge.

[Joe85]

One thing i am going to do is call Aprilla on Monday, give them the VIN, and give them the opportunity to contact the owner to see if he wants to come and claim it back. At least i can say ove tried every avenue to contact him before attempting to take his bike. (I mentioned this to the DMV, too, who flat-out refused).

[Tiggie]

 

12 hours ago, Joe85 said:

is there anythign i should do? New fuel, oil etc? PRobably a new battery and maybe tyres?

 

Think you've covered main things. Is the carpark underground or similar. That'll definitely help out!

only other things I can think of are brake fluids and coolant. The chain might be seized/have tight links after sitting so long too

 

Really hope you get it 

[S-Westerly]

Assuming you get ownership are you going to put it on a van to get home? Might be more easy on the nerves?

[Joe85]

20 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Assuming you get ownership are you going to put it on a van to get home? Might be more easy on the nerves?

Yeh, exactly. I’ll probably send it straight to Aprilla for a service and inspection.

 

 

The process is proving to be a bit of a nightmare. Currently, I’ve forms to fill out with the DVLA, the local authority, the Met Police, and now HMRC. All are notoriously difficult to speak to on the phone. It’s all a bit chicken and egg at the moment in terms of what I do first. I can’t register it without having it MOT’d, I can’t MOT it without having some form of certification of import from HMRC (NOVA?) and I can’t have this certification from HMRC without having the ownership document which I can only get from the DVLA once they register it in my name.  I don't even know what HMRC expected, it’s been in the country 3 years already!! Thankfully the local council have returned to me and confirmed they’ve no interest in the vehicle, so that’s one down. I am still waiting on the rozzers and HMRC before I fill out the V55/5 document for the DVLA. 
 

Oh, and now some other goon has written to one of my colleagues expressing an interest in buying the bike so I may have some competition. Luckily I made my colleague aware of my scheme and she has fobbed him off.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Joe85
Excuse the spellings etc. Iphone + fat fingers.

[Joe85]

Another day, another step closer - HMRC confirms NOVA is in place and all duty paid when it was imported in 2021. Can progress straight to the V55 application. Just the rozzers to come back to me now.

[Tiggie]

On 08/08/2023 at 16:04, Joe85 said:

Oh, and now some other goon has written to one of my colleagues expressing an interest in buying the bike so I may have some competition. Luckily I made my colleague aware of my scheme and she has fobbed him off.

 

 

Bugger, will have to try something else now

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Tiggie said:

 

 

Bugger, will have to try something else now

Bagsy it, then no one else can touch it.