How to report an abandoned car on the street or community

Consular Matters

IT is still quite common to see cars, vans, or motorcycles that are completely dete‐riorated, covered in dust, and with de‐flated tyres occupying a parking space. In fact, the Spanish traffic authorities (DGT) estimates that there are about 20,000 abandoned cars in private facilities (abandoned cars in garages, in a commu‐nity of owners, in workshops...) and that around 50,000 vehicles are abandoned each year. This can result in a hefty fine for the owner, as their obligation is to deregister it and remove it from the obli‐gation, as indicated by the Law.

Until now, you could only request the removal of the vehicle if it was on the public road. However, with the Spanish VEH 2022/26 instruction, you can also request it if the vehicle is abandoned in a community of owners, in a shopping centre, in a workshop, in a private zones, etc. In each case, the time to file the complaint is different. In a private area, it must be proven that the vehicle has been abandoned for a minimum of two months. In a public parking lot, at least six months must elapse to report aban‐donment.

You can report an abandoned car to your town hall by phone, internet, or in person.

It may happen that you go on a trip for a period exceeding one month or any other circumstance that prevents you from moving the car and someone has reported it. To prove that the vehicle is not abandoned, you will have to provide the valid vehicle documentation, with the latest ITV passed, car’s insurance, and payment of taxes. You will also have to pay the fine and the expenses of the crane and deposit before you can take it away.

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Marisa Moreno Castillo Consul for Denmark and Senior Lawyer at Just Law Solicitors. www.justlawsolicitors.com • contact@justlawsolicitors.com

LAST weekend, we reported on our website, news of a massive fight onboard a plane travelling from Norway to Alicante in Spain. It appears that the fight was fuelled by the drunken behaviour of a number of passengers and when it arrived in Spain, no fewer than 15 people, all said to be Norwegian were arrested.

There was an unprecedented number of views of the stories and almost 100 readers felt that it would be help‐ful to make comments, for which we are grateful.

As often happens, some people simply read the title without taking in the content and rushed to blame boozy Brits abroad but on this occasion, they were completely wrong. It rather looks as if these idiots who are used to paying high prices for alcohol in their home country might have been taking advantage of cheaper in‐flight booze and overdid it!

No excuse and probably 50 per cent of the comments are calling for a ban on alcohol sales on all flights, 25 per cent want to see tougher checks before passengers are allowed on board or automatic travel bans if they are convicted of misbehaving on a flight. Roughly a quarter feel that it’s unfair to stop those who drink in modera‐tion from being allowed a beer or glass of wine to help them relax after the flight takes off but all want to see flight attendants try to refuse sales to drunks.

That may be easier said than done as the attendants themselves could leave themselves open to verbal abuse or physical attack, but it is clear that something needs to be done to ensure that the majority of trav‐ellers can enjoy (subject to leg room) their flight in peace.