Abandoned car leaves man with over £1,200 legal bill

We prosecuted Alan Williams at Peterlee Magistrates Court after his red Citroen Xsara was reported as having been abandoned in the Gibside area of Chester-le-Street.

The vehicle, which was registered to Williams, had no tax or a valid MOT certificate and was left unlocked.

On 21 March 2022 a neighbourhood warden visited Williams' home in Gibside and instructed him to remove the vehicle. The 70-year-old was given until 19 April 2022 to remove the car before a Fixed Penalty Notice would be issued.

The warden returned to the area on the 22 April 2022, but the car was still in the same place and remained unlocked and with no tax or a valid MOT certificate. The vehicle was then seized.

Williams was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice for £200, or £120 if paid within ten days, for failing to remove the vehicle, but this remains unpaid.

The defendant was found guilty in absence on 11 October 2022, but he chose to reopen the case with a not guilty plea.

However, Williams again failed to appear at Peterlee Magistrates Court and for a second time was found guilty in his absence. He was fined £440 and ordered to pay £600 in costs and a £176 victim surcharge.

Dangerous 

Ian Hoult, our neighbourhood protection manager, said: "Abandoned vehicles are an eyesore to the community and can be very dangerous. It is, therefore, incredibly important that they are either stored or disposed of correctly.

"There is no reason to leave a vehicle abandoned as there are plenty of ways to dispose of them. If this vehicle had been moved when initially requested there would have been no reason for court action and this hefty legal bill."