Someone has left their trailer outside my home for three years without moving it.
I have contacted my local council, they say as long as it is registered I can't do anything (yes it is registered) plus I have contacted the police, same answer. It has a lockable compartment for storage but no one ever comes to inspect or remove anything from it.
If anyone has any suggestions as to how it could be removed I would be very grateful.
That's stealing. Better Call Saul.
Or get busted and then call Saul to bail you out
Did you know that you have rights to tow it away? Constitution says you do.
Is that you, Dennis?
Better Call Saul.
They do delivery, so will do. Tasty as well!
push it on to the road
unfortunately its a public road so anyone can park anything there, so long as its not blocking the driveway and isnt 'abandoned'. People get boats parked outside their house for ages… if you move it or let down the tyres etc its you interfering or damaging with private property. Whether its an actual risk (that you will be caught) who knows - guess it depends on whether your neighbour owns the trailer and sees you doing it
There are still time limits. LGA rules apply, so OP needs to look it up.
They've already asked council and they don't have a problem with it. There's barely ever 'time limits' for residential on street parking
Take number plate off it and sell it. /s
Put a DO NOT TAKE sign on it..
Put a FREE TO GOOD HOME sign on it…
Tow it away to elsewhere and make it someone elses problem…. Until you see a neighbour come running out and claim it…
Snap Send Solve it
Yeah, council can put a sticker on it and mark it as abandoned if it doesn't move for a few weeks.
Reading is hard….. OP said
I have contacted my local council, they say as long as it is registered I can't do anything (yes it is registered)
@stirlo: Won't matter, my council is the same. Law says If its registered, it is 'legally' allowed to be on the street as long as it is legally parked.
I had a car in the street, flat tyes etc, covered in crap, ugly as crap but the owner kept paying the rego, so it was 'legally' allowed to be parked there as it wasn't breaking any rules/laws.
@mapax: So surely it wouldn't be in proper working condition? I guess Police wouldn't care to get involved.
@macrocephalic: and what do you think would make it 'unroadworthy' then? It is a trailer…. Not much to it ;)
I was referring to your comment about the car parked with the flat tyres.
Oh ok… Yeah my council doesn't seem to have the clause that it has to be 'roadworthy', just registered and parked legally.
@macrocephalic: A registered vehicle legally remains roadworthy up to the point it is formally defected. If it was a pile of rust scraps on the ground with a registered number plate stuck to the back, until a cop or council authorised agent slaps a defect notice on it it's still a roadworthy vehicle.
@stirlo: Not all councils in all states have the same powers, I know that in NSW councils don't automatically have the power.
Some Councils have "Motor Vehicles Excepted" signs. Which means no parking for trailers and boats.
I wish more would implement the signs. I've got two trailers parked at my parent's place which is a corner block.
@Caped Baldy: The local council for where I work will put up parking restrictions if the vehicles parking in a particular spot hampers traffic flow, but you've got to pay the cost to have the signs installed.
Check with the council, I don't know if trailers outside a residential property is enough for them to make the consideration, but you never know.
“I have contacted my local council, they say as long as it is registered I can't do anything (yes it is registered) plus I have contacted the police, same answer.”
I bet if it was legally parked out the front of the council’s main offices or the local police station they’d dance to a different tune. It wouldn’t be there long.
I tried the Snap Send Solve app once on old Merc that was abandoned for almost two months on my street. Person from council called me back, said they can't do anything because car is registered bla bla, but they will try to contact the owner. 3 days laters car was gone. Maybe coincidence, who knows.
said they can't do anything because car is registered bla bla
So basically inline with what the OP is getting told and others like me have said then when dealing with similar issues. At least yours went days later! So win!
If OP can somehow get hold of one of the council stickers.
Check if there's an equivalent to squatter's rights for trailers.
That’s strange as I thought councils usually dealt with ‘abandoned’ vehicles by putting notices on them and then eventually removing them.
Could try calling NSW Roads https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/ but will probably get told to call council.
I thought councils usually dealt with ‘abandoned’ vehicles
A legally parked registered vehicle is not 'abandoned' though.
I’ve seen registered parked cars that aren’t moved for a while have a notice attached saying they will be towed. I’ve seen this in inner west of Sydney and here on the Gold Coast where I live now. Not sure about trailers though.
https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Services/Neighbourhood-issu…
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/report-abandoned-…
I’m not sure if being registered doesn’t make it abandoned. Though inner west council now seems to think so. https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/live/information-for-reside…
The parking rules are decided by each individual local government area, so OP needs to look up the rules for his LGA.
In my LGA for example the time limit for any vehicle legally parked in any public place is only 24 hours, which would be quite a surprise for most people.
After that time you are obstructing a public place and your vehicle can be impounded.
The parking rules are decided by each individual local government area, so OP needs to look up the rules for his LGA.
Agreed, but as the OP has already spoken with the council, it would seem they don't have those rules in this case.
In my LGA for example the time limit for any vehicle legally parked in any public place is only 24 hours, which would be quite a surprise for most people.
That it would…. So your LGA has made it so that you can't even 'legally' park in front of your own house for the weekend?
@JimmyF: Speaking with some random from the council is not sufficient, OP needs to look up the actual rules himself. Then he can go into the next conversation with the council fully informed on what the actual rules are.
And yes technically you are not allowed to park in front of your own house for the whole weekend, pretty amazing aye. If you move the car and then come back and re-park you should be in the clear though. ;)
@trapper: I agree. Different person on a different day will give a different answer - best to know the rules before making a request.
Incorrect, the road rules are national. Councils just use them to put whatever signage applies to their situation that's relevant.
Have you asked your neighbours if any of them own it?
What are neighbours and why do you talk to them?
Silly, you need to know who is dealing the drugs.
everybody needs good neighbours
@altomic: You also need to know who is selling the stolen goods because good fences make good neighbours.
Yes, but no one knows who the owner it
Get all your neighbours to sign a petition for council to erect a 3hrs parking sign on that part of the street.
Whoever owns it will need to have a deep pocket to park there once it is up.
Frankly I would hitch it up and tow it elsewhere. If someone comes running out then tell them to move it to in front of their place. If nobody runs out then it’s the problem of whoever you park it in front of. You aren’t depriving them of the trailer, permanently, so the issue of theft is unlikely. I, suspect, any case would get thrown out of court.
Let’s hope the cops have contacted the owner to make sure it isn’t stolen.
I wonder how this would play out if you wanted to put a skip, out the front, to get rid of rubbish. Might be worth investigating that option. I know the Catholic uni blocks my street, all the time. So there must be some public rules associated with this type of thing.
Just push it so its blocking your drive then call the council
Put on the trailer a notice saying "free - just tow away"
And how do you propose to contact the owner?
I don't bother with fine details, just here to quickly share my expert ideas, chop chop.
Ah, you're a management consultant.
I had the same thing in my area which had busy parking due to a local cafe. The trailer was chained to a tree on the street, even though the owners had the driveway space for it in their multi million dollar home.
I did see council inspectors there once, but it seems that they didn't have a problem with it.
However, after 8 or so years they eventually removed it, no idea why. Maybe they sold it. I think I seen them use the trailer about once in that entire time.
Ring Council again and say its bern abandined.
NSW, one if my cars broke a timing belt, so parked in a suburban st (legally). Organised a few days later for someone to look at it. Then organised for a tow company to pick it up and scrap it. When i went to meet the Towie, the car had a Council sticker on it that said they believed it was abandoned and i had 7 days to remove or they would with fees and sell it.
A registered vehicle will not be stickered for parking legally "for a few days".
that entirely depends on the council and where it is parked.
It will be in my council area, but only if someone complains.
Some councils have legislation against this, but if yours doesn't then you're SOOL
Yeah rules like you can't park an unattached trailer on the street. OP needs to look into that.
Took you THREE years to start enquiring???
If you really want it moved.
Push it so that it is blocking your driveway.
Report it.
And the council takes a dim view of people blocking driveways.
This is what my council always asks first when I raise this problem, if it is blocking a driveway they will act, if not they DGAF.
Love that answer, it is Gold. However, you won’t be able to use your driveway until it is moved and they might just push it back in front of you.
Park your car in front so it can't be pushed back!
Well thought.
I enquired to council after seeing it there for a few weeks, it has now been there for 3 years, never moved.
Take the plate off and report it again.
Push it so that it is blocking your driveway.
Or into the middle of the street :D
Took you THREE years to start enquiring???
2 years, 11 months and 30 days is fine. One more day and you've a different animal to deal with here.
Call up one of those scrap metal removal people and ask if they will give you $50 for it
Man you could make a lot of money in the city doing this to every car parked
I work on an off-shore oil rig and I would like to buy this trailer. I will pay your asking price and shipping.
Don't you mean above asking price? 🤔
His off shore oil rig is already charging that for petrol ;)
Create a ozbargain deal under freebies "Trailer"
I normally park in my driveway, but it got flooded so I parked in front of my house. Someone snapped off my side mirror. I guess they were put out because I took their spott in front of MY house. When I had a trailer there, someone damaged it
Your neighbours are right cnuts.
Yep…I wouldn't care if my enighour did it on occasion …
Doesn't that sort of stuff happen to you often?
Isn't it your landlord's house?
yes but I pay the rent
How have you not found the car that normally parks there and royally (profanity) it up?
How does everything happen to you Pam.
move it 1 cm everyday
in 3 years it should move to your neighbours
you haven't done anything fir 3 years why not wait another 3
Post it in your local Facebook group that it has been unmoved for 3 years and you want to know whose it is (as you have a removalist truck coming or cutting some trees). I'm sure someone will take it after that. Maybe not the owner.
"I saw some dodgy looking characters hanging around that looked like they were sizing it up. I think they plan to steal it. If you know who it belongs to, tell them they should probably move it."
That's a great idea! Cheeky but efficient.
Move it to outside the next house along. If you take it away you have stolen it, but you can't be accused of stealing it if you just move it one house along. You can say you needed that parking space for a delivery, or that you were just trying to get a reaction from whoever owns it to find out who they are. If you get no reaction, move it one further house along. If you still get no reaction, the owner doesn't care where its parked.
I can't move it, it has wheel locks on it
How heavy is it? Get a few mates to help.
Likely wouldn’t be hard to drag it along with a bit of rope or chain off your towbar.
Wheel locks don't stop you moving a vehicle using go jacks. Go jacks lift the wheels off the ground and have their own casters that you can move the vehicle in any direction using. You might have seen them on TV used when they are moving race cars around in the pits.
Google for someone in your area who'll rent you a pair of them for a day.
https://castexrentals.com/go-jacks-set-of-four-with-dolly-5
Sounds like a dick move to pass the buck onto the neighbours.
Tow it away to somewhere else