The Vehicle Excise Duty (Immobilisation, Removal and Disposal of Vehicles) Regulations 1997

Disposal of removed vehicles

10.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, the custodian of a vehicle delivered to him in accordance with regulation 9(3) may dispose of it by selling it or dealing with it as scrap, as he thinks fit.

(2) Where the owner of a vehicle has disclaimed all rights of ownership of a vehicle, it may be disposed of pursuant to this regulation at any time.

(3) In a case not falling within paragraph (2), a vehicle shall not be disposed of pursuant to this regulation before the end of the period of five weeks beginning with the date on which the vehicle was removed in accordance with regulation 9(3) and until the custodian has, for the purpose of ascertaining the owner of the vehicle, taken such of the steps specified in Schedule 2 to these Regulations as are applicable to the vehicle and either—

(a) he has failed to ascertain the name and address of the owner, or

(b) the owner has failed to comply with a notice in accordance with paragraph (4) served on him by post.

(4) A notice under paragraph (3)(b) shall be a notice addressed to the owner which—

(a) states—

(i) the registration mark and make of the vehicle;

(ii) the place where the vehicle was found before it was immobilised;

(iii) the place to which the vehicle has been removed;

(iv) the steps to be taken to obtain possession of the vehicle in accordance with regulation 12;

(v) that unless the vehicle is removed by the owner on or before the date specified under sub-paragraph (b), the custodian intends to dispose of it; and

(b) requires the owner to remove the vehicle from the custody of the custodian within 21 days of the date on which the notice was served.

(5) Where it appears to a custodian of a vehicle that more than one person is the owner, such one of them as he thinks fit shall be treated as the owner for the purposes of this regulation.