An Easier Way of Dealing with Abandoned Vehicles

A problem that all towns and cities in Spain seem to suffer from, is the blight of abandoned cars, especially on public roads, and whereas there has always been a procedure to deal with these vehicles, the DGT has just made to whole process a lot simpler, which they hope will assist in the removal of around 100,000 abandoned vehicles.

This nuisance, which is also considered harmful attitude to the environment, will benefit from an instruction published by the DGT that will allow them to be removed more quickly, even those found on private properties, which until now were outside of any type of legislation.

Until now, to destroy a vehicle or to pass it into public ownership for use in surveillance and traffic control services, a tedious civil process had to be followed, which on many occasions took too long. Now, with this administrative process, everything will be easier, including its destruction in an authorised scrap yard.

The new instruction is clear. In the event that they are variegated there are three options. When the vehicle spends two months in a municipal deposit and the owner has not made an allegation.

It will also become part of the scrapyard or public services when its abandonment is certified by being parked for more than a month in the same place, it presents damage that prevents its movement, or it does not have registration plates.

In the case of a damaged vehicle on private property, it will be the owner of the vehicle who requests the scrapping by providing the document to the DGT to avoid being sanctioned.

In the event that the vehicle is not faulty, the terms are extended, but at least there will be a guarantee for the owners of establishments and private venues.

If the vehicle is in a public parking lot, it can be removed after six months without being claimed.

In the case of private venues, it will be necessary to consider whether it meets any of the above requirements to comply with the withdrawal.

More complex will be in a garage of a community of neighbours. It will be necessary to consult different horizontal property regulations and assess the possible risk of the vehicle for the integrity of the others and the building.

To all these terms, one month of notification to the owner will be added. With this communication, either at the electronic road address, at the address or at the BOE, the State will justify the actions carried out on the vehicle that will be considered abandoned.