Abandoned Vehicles

  A vehicle left in the same stationary position for more than 24 hours may be abandoned or stolen. Abandoned vehicles will be towed away by Council and eventually sold to recover costs. Stolen vehicles will be reported to the Police and where possible returned to their owners. Anyone seeing such a vehicle may report the matter to our General Inspector.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1999 - SECT 237

  237-Removal of vehicles

        (1)         If a vehicle is left on a public road or public place, or on localgovernment land for not less than 24 hours, an authorised person may have the vehicle removed to an appropriate place.

        (2)         As soon as practicable after removal of the vehicle, the council must give to the owner of the vehicle written notice of the removal and the place to which the vehicle was removed.

        (3)         The notice must, where practicable, be served on the owner personally but if the owner is unknown or cannot be found, the notice may be given by advertisement in a newspaper circulating generally in the State.

        (4)         If the owner of the vehicle does not, within 14 days after the service or advertisement of the notice, pay all expenses in connection with the removal, custody, and maintenance of the vehicle, and of serving or advertising the notice, and take possession of the vehicle, the council must sell the vehicle and apply the proceeds as follows:

            (a)         firstly-in payment of the expenses of the sale;

            (b)         secondly-in payment of the cost of removal, custody, and maintenance of the vehicle, and of the notice served or advertised under this section;

            (c)         thirdly-in payment of the balance to the owner or if, after reasonable inquiry, an owner cannot be found, to the general funds of the council.

        (5)         If, in the council's opinion, it is not practicable or convenient to sell the vehicle, it may dispose of it in any way it thinks fit.

        (6)         The owner of the vehicle is liable to the council for any expenses incurred by the council in the removal, custody, maintenance, sale or attempted sale, or otherwise in the disposal, of the vehicle under this section, and the council may recover so much of those expenses as have not been satisfied by proceeds from the sale of the vehicle as a debt due to it.