26 March 2009

Getting tough on abandoned vehicles

| johnboy
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Jon Stanhope has proudly announced the introduction of his Roads and Public Places Amendment Bill 2009 into the Assembly.

    “This Bill will allow a City Ranger, after assessing and finding that a vehicle is likely to be abandoned, to affix a warning notice similar to a ‘defective vehicle notice’ to the windscreen of the vehicle. The vehicle’s owner will also be contacted by telephone.

    “Consistent with existing legislation the last registered owner or identified operator of the vehicle will be required to remove the vehicle within two working days. The Australian Federal Police will also be notified and the details of the suspected abandoned vehicle checked against the record of vehicles that have been reported as stolen.

I’ve always found an abandoned vehicle problem to represent a lack of enterprise on the part of local scrappers.

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If a vehicles owner/s cannot be identified and the vehicle if more than 15 years old and subject to a locational complaint, a towie can remove the vehicle and have it scrapped, no questions asked.

Put a sign beside the abandoned car saying ‘free parts’ and see how long it takes to be dismantled.

I remember watching, over a period of a few weeks, an LH Torana be dismantled after it had been dumped near Aranda. Interesting to watch. like an animal carcass slowly disintegrating.

p1 said :

From memory, the previous policy was that the car had to be abandoned for 7 days before they would remove it, the exceptions were if the car was in a dangerous position or if it had been vandalised.

So if a car is pissing you off, break it’s windows?

Most cars that remain by the roadside in non-residential areas last about 2 days if lucky before someone breaks into it overnight. But I’m sure you can try it lol

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:57 am 27 Mar 09

Why don’t they just put up a web page with ‘free to a good home’, and give the vehicle make, model and location? I reckon quite a few vehicles would get picked up by people wanting parts (or hell, a car).

From memory, the previous policy was that the car had to be abandoned for 7 days before they would remove it, the exceptions were if the car was in a dangerous position or if it had been vandalised.

So if a car is pissing you off, break it’s windows?

Holden Caulfield10:19 am 27 Mar 09

There’s a couple of very long term parked cars on Gozzard Street in Gungahlin. One is an early 90s Commondore, the other a similar vintage Laser (IIRC). They’ve not moved for at least 3-4 weeks that I know of, but looking at them, I dare say they’ve been there a lot longer than that.

They cannot just declare cars abandoned without doing owner checks. Some cars look a bit daggy, but are safe, even if they sometimes have issues because of their age.

Eg. My son’s car broke down and someone complained about its location (a verge on a suburban street . . . he tried to contact the nearest occupier but no one was home). He didn’t have the money to get it towed and fixed, for about a week. Luckily the police contacted him and he borrowed some money.
He is an apprentice and not earning much at the moment, and buses do not serve him at all.

This is all rubbish – let me melt down the Al Grassby statue at the same time!

pptvb said :

Just keep your rego current… if it lapses by 1 day, your vehicle parked on your nature strip is an abandoned vehicle.

They would pink sticker it, then look up the person who last owned the car and call them. They would tell them to take it off public land or get it registered.

pptvb said :

Just keep your rego current… if it lapses by 1 day, your vehicle parked on your nature strip is an abandoned vehicle.

rubbish

ramblingted said :

So previously, rangers could get abandoned vehicles taken away…now, thanks to the new legisaltion, …they can get abandoned vehicles taken away…

You will find the process and time abandoned are now different. From memory, the previous policy was that the car had to be abandoned for 7 days before they would remove it, the exceptions were if the car was in a dangerous position or if it had been vandalised. Now they can be reported and gone in 2 days.

Just keep your rego current… if it lapses by 1 day, your vehicle parked on your nature strip is an abandoned vehicle.

I hadn’t heard the gubmint was considering it – just that it had been suggested. From memory the deal was that you get $3k off the price of a new car. The scheme was proposed by the Motor Traders Association (surprise, surprise)

I think the suggestion was for cars made in or before 1998 but I guess that would really depend on the car. I wouldn’t trade in my 98 Subaru Liberty – it feels like it’s just run in!

Now a 98 Excel – that’s another story LOL

news story just this week was s suggestion the government is considering a plan where they pay you $3000 to have your old banger scrapped to encourage getting old clap traps off the road – I see a market opportunity here if it comes to pass – memories of collecting cans and bottles when I was kid to get the 5c deposit on them to bolster the pocket money!! 🙂

Don’t the scrap metal guys give you $50 for cars? Do they ask you if it is yours first?

ramblingted said :

So previously, rangers could get abandoned vehicles taken away…now, thanks to the new legisaltion, …they can get abandoned vehicles taken away…

shhhhh… don’t over think it.

So previously, rangers could get abandoned vehicles taken away…now, thanks to the new legisaltion, …they can get abandoned vehicles taken away…

Instant Mash5:21 pm 26 Mar 09

jessieduck said :

Because I would be embarrassed by it- I don’t have small penis syndrome.

Touche.

neanderthalsis5:19 pm 26 Mar 09

We had an abondoned vehicle next to our place in Belco recently. It had been there for a few weeks, not a bad looking car, early 90’s toyota cressida with a broken windscreen. Sent an email to via CanberraConnect to the rangers, they came out that afternoon, took the details and wrote on the windows of the car. It was gone 7 days later, presumably towed away.

So, the system works (strange for part of the Canberra bureaucracy to be efficient…)

Because I would be embarrassed by it- I don’t have small penis syndrome.

Instant Mash5:08 pm 26 Mar 09

Why not hotwire it? It’s not like anybodys coming back for it hahaha.

Instant Mash said :

We should just write up a similar thing to “Squatter’s Law”… If it stay’s on your property for a certain period of time, it becomes yours.

I like that idea- if only someone would dump something nice for me… Usually they are very banged up cars 19 year old boys would like. At the moment I have a flashy Mitsubishi sports car thingy that looks as though it may have done the Canberra leg of the Dakar Rally. Very banged up- I think it might be dead.

Instant Mash5:03 pm 26 Mar 09

We should just write up a similar thing to “Squatter’s Law”… If it stay’s on your property for a certain period of time, it becomes yours.

I get so many dumped cars in my visitors car park area- At least 8 a year. I usually wait a week or two and then call the police to say “found it”. They are very good at letting you know if it is stolen or abandoned- if it’s abandoned I get onto the Body Corp to sort out.

Instant Mash4:56 pm 26 Mar 09

From experience, I doubt that’s gonna work too well.

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