There's an Abandoned Car on My Property. What Can I Do?

A car left on your property isn't automatically yours to dispose of — even if it's been there for years and nobody has come back for it. Removing someone else's vehicle without following a proper process can expose you to a claim for its value. Here's the sensible order to work through.

First, work out whose it is

The situation determines everything:

• Left by a former tenant. Falls under the abandoned goods provisions of NSW residential tenancy law. There are notice requirements and holding periods, and they vary with the value of the goods.
• Left by a former housemate or a friend of a friend. Murkier. Try to make contact and get something in writing.
• Dumped by a stranger on private property. Report it to police and to your council — a dumped vehicle may be stolen, and you want that on record before you touch it.
• On a strata common area. It's the owners corporation's issue, not an individual lot owner's. Raise it with the strata manager.
• On the street outside your place. Not yours to deal with at all — report it to council as an abandoned vehicle.

The steps that protect you

1. Photograph everything, dated. The vehicle, the plates or VIN, where it sits, its condition. This is your evidence if anyone turns up later.
2. Record the VIN. Usually visible through the windscreen at the base, and often on the door jamb. It identifies the vehicle even without plates.
3. Report it to police if you don't know whose it is. It rules out a stolen vehicle and creates a record of your good faith.
4. Notify your council. They have processes for abandoned vehicles and can advise on your specific situation.
5. Make reasonable attempts to contact the owner, and document each attempt — date, method, outcome.
6. Give written notice if there's a tenancy involved, following the required process.
7. Wait out the required period before disposing of anything.

None of this is legal advice. For a tenancy matter, check with NSW Fair Trading or your property manager. For a vehicle you can't identify, council and police are the right first calls. The documentation habit costs nothing and resolves most disputes before they start.

Why you shouldn't just have it towed

It's tempting, particularly if it's blocking a driveway or has been there for months. But a vehicle is property, and disposing of property that isn't yours without following the process can leave you liable for its value — and the owner's estimate of that value is rarely the same as yours.

The process usually isn't long. Doing it properly and then disposing of the car is a far better outcome than doing it fast and arguing about it later.

The cost of leaving it there

Meanwhile, a stationary car is doing damage. Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, fuel and refrigerant leak into the ground it's parked on — your ground. On a driveway it stains; on soil it's a contamination issue that's yours to deal with.

It's also deteriorating, so whatever value it has now is less than it'll have next year.

Once you're clear to remove it

We collect cars anywhere in Sydney — running or not, registered or not, with or without keys. What we'll need is documentation showing you're entitled to dispose of it. That's not us being difficult; it's the same protection that stops someone else disposing of your car.

Tell us the situation up front and we'll tell you what's needed. If you're not there yet, we'd rather say so than collect something we shouldn't.

Depending on the vehicle we'll either pay for it or charge a modest removal fee. How that's decided.

If you're a landlord or agent

This comes up constantly at the end of a tenancy, usually alongside a mattress and a fridge. Same principle applies to all of it: document first, follow the abandoned goods process, then remove. More for property managers.

Frequently asked questions

It's been there two years. Isn't it mine now?

Not automatically. Time alone doesn't transfer ownership. Follow the process.

Can I charge the owner for storage?

Possibly, depending on the circumstances — get advice. Document the dates either way.

The car has no plates and I can't identify the owner.

Report it to police and council with the VIN. That's the right starting point.

Will you remove it without paperwork?

No. We need documentation showing you're entitled to dispose of it — which protects you as much as us.

When you're ready

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General information only, not legal advice. For tenancy matters contact NSW Fair Trading.