vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

[gater]

hi, i had a vehicle stored at someone elses property, i had not spoken to or heard anything from the property owner in some time, there was no contract or rental agreement of any kind in place when i recieved a letter from dvla stating that they had recieved an application form for someone (unknown to myself) to be registered as the keeper of my vehicle, i phoned dvla to inform them that i had not sold the vehicle but was told that the registration document would be sent out to the applicant unless the vehicle was reported as stolen, however when i spoke to the police regarding this they said that the vehicle is not regarded as stolen and is a civil matter rather than criminal..
since then dvla have sent me a fine of £55 for not informing them i had sold the vehicle, even though it is in my eyes stolen, i contacted dvla once again and explained that i had not sold the vehicle and i had recieved this fine, i was told by them that it is stolen and to contact the police again, so again i contacted the police, again i was told this is a civil matter and they will not get involved...
basically dvla are fining me because in my opinion, my vehicle is stolen, but the police will not do anything about it.. also the property owner did not in any way shape or form contact me to inform me of there intention to remove or sell my vehicle, and now the registration document has been sent to the applicant and i have no idea of who it is or where my vehicle is now...
please help as between dvla and the police i feel like a tennis ball being batted from one side to the other and not getting anywhere, i cant believe this is not regarded as a criminal act or so im being told, can you guys tell me any different...!!! HELP.!!

[seduraed]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

If it's been sold by a third party without you knowledg or consrnt then it is stolen. rport it to the police as theft. get a crime number tell DVLA. Try and contact property owner .

[labman]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

Try and contact property owner .

Indeed - quite surprised you haven't already done this.

[Inca]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

Possibly the property owner took your lack of communication as 'abandonment' of the vehicle?

[dogtired]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

When we stored our caravan we had to sign a "contract" I remember the clause about non payment and the right of the owners to sell, also something about "tort" did you have something like that?

[CleverClogs]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

When we stored our caravan we had to sign a "contract" I remember the clause about non payment and the right of the owners to sell, also something about "tort" did you have something like that?

One might doubt that the property owner would know the difference between a tort and a flan.

[Inca]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

:fish: Cloggy

[CleverClogs]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

One would have supposed this was simple enough to resolve.

The owner of the motor-car should send a letter to the owner of the property where the vehicle had been parked/stored, requiring that the property owner must render up the jalopy left in his bailment (or value thereof, stated to be £xxxxxx) within 14 calendar days of his receipt of the letter and that, if neither happens by that date, action will be started in the County Court for recovery of the same.

[Eloise01]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

One would have supposed this was simple enough to resolve.
.

Not may area of law - but definitely not that simple to resolve at all. OP leaves (abandons) item on someone elses land without agreement and without permission for "some time". Permission being deemed to be an evidenced agreement. Ownership (of said item) then becomes an item of dispute. Basically, you leave something on my land, it is your responsibility to (a) come to an agreement with me about that and (b) communicate with me! OP, you seem to be saying that you didn't do either - so the police are correct and it is nothing to do with them.

[labman]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

You might want to register on Pepipoo which is a free to join specialist motoring forum - they are very good. If there is a way round it, I think you'll find an answer there more than here.

[CleverClogs]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

Not may area of law - but definitely not that simple to resolve at all. OP leaves (abandons) item on someone elses land without agreement and without permission for "some time". Permission being deemed to be an evidenced agreement. Ownership (of said item) then becomes an item of dispute. Basically, you leave something on my land, it is your responsibility to (a) come to an agreement with me about that and (b) communicate with me! OP, you seem to be saying that you didn't do either - so the police are correct and it is nothing to do with them.

Not necessarily - if the jalopy had been abandoned and if the land owner had not taken appropriate steps to learn who owned the car, mightn't it be a case of "theft by finding"?

[Eloise01]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

Not necessarily - if the jalopy had been abandoned and if the land owner had not taken appropriate steps to learn who owned the car, mightn't it be a case of "theft by finding"?

Yes - possibly - so that would be why I said "item of dispute". As in there are many various possibilities and a lot of "if's", hence not simple to resolve at all. What information we have here is that OP left vehicle on someone elses property - it wasn't "stored" as they say because there was no storage and no agreement for storage they say. The someone else hasn't been in contact with the OP for some time - in other words the OP hasn't bothered to contact someone else for some time. Someone else has sold the vehicle; OP has reported this as theft. Presumably the police have spoken to both parties, and they have said that in their view there is no criminal act in this. And that's all we have - not much to go on, but clearly not easy to resolve. There could be an entire host more "what if's" - what if the OP agreed to pay for the "storage" and didn't; what if the OP left the vehicle as security for a debt they owed this other party? It is hardly surprising that the police don't have anything to go on here and say that the OP must, effectively, sort this out on their own.

[gater]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

unfortunatly the police are not willing to record it as stolen, they regard it as a civil matter so are not willing to help in any way, much to my frustration. Many people that i have spoken to about this situation agree with myself that my vehicle should be considered as stolen, considering i was not given any notice by the property owner of there intentions..
If for example, i was sent a letter stating the vehicle had to be collected by a certain date and i had not replied, i would then expect and even except my current situation with the police and dvla..
As i understand it, Dvla will supply a vehicles registered keepers address (if unknown) in situations like this, but no attempt was made to do this, so i cannot understand why its not considered as an act of theft..
I managed to contact the property owner eventually via a phone call, after finding out they had moved, but still owned the property, and a family member was staying at the address where my vehicle was "kept", the same day that i recieved the letter from dvla regarding the log book application, and politely asked what was going on and was rudely told, tougth its gone, and we have moved. so i said i was going to report it stolen, and was then told that if i was to do that, they will say i owe them rent..
My argument is.. i was the registered keeper at this time and had been for nearly 3yrs, i have a reciept of purchase for the vehicle, which proves that i legally own it, (more than the log book) and there is no proof of any kind that i owe anything in rent, but still im not getting anywhere..
Someone said to me "i never knew how easy it was to steal a car". and neither did i..

Does anyone know if i have any chance of either, getting my vehicle back, or getting some sort of compensation..??

Thanks to all that have responded so far ...
I appreciate all useful advice given as im getting nothing from the authority's that i expected to help me.. (police and Dvla)
(just to add, i've been in contact with "citizens advice" and they are looking into it)

[Inca]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

How long have you owned the car?
Did you ever use the car?
How long was it stored at the property?
When did you last have contact with the property owner prior to hearing from DVLA?
Is the car of any value (how old? )

[Eloise01]

Re: vehicle stored at someones property sold without my consent

The thing is, you appear to be taking the view that this is the job of the police or DVLA to sort out. "Many people" may have the same opinion as you do - but "many people" are not in a position to change the position of the police or the DVLA. They say that the disputed ownership of the vehicle is a civil matter between you and this other person, so your only option here is to take legal advice as to whether you can sue. What might have been, or what the other person could / ought to have done isn't going to be relevant unless you do.