‘Abandoned’ vehicle parked outside Waterford home is ‘causing a lot of upset’
Cllr Frank Quinlan claims the vehicle hasn't been taxed, insured or NCT’d for over five years
An “abandoned” vehicle in Waterford city is “causing a lot of upset” among local residents, a council meeting has heard.
The issue was raised by Fine Gael councillor Frank Quinlan at the April meeting of the Waterford Metropolitan District.
Cllr Quinlan said: “My first query is just about abandoned vehicles around the city and what the environmental team’s take is on it.
“I recently logged one on CRM, I actually successfully logged many over the last few years, but this particular one is after causing a bit of a stir.
“I’m told the car is parked but it’s actually abandoned and it hasn’t been taxed, insured or NCT’d for over five years.
“There’s moss growing under it, it’s taking up valuable car parking space in a cul de sac where parking is a premium and it’s causing residents a lot of upset for the simple reason that the car hasn’t been moved.”
He went on to argue that Waterford City and County Council is entitled to remove the vehicle under waste management legislation.
“I was looking on the council website and an abandoned vehicle is an offence under the Waste Management Act 1996.
“The vehicle is considered abandoned if it is left for such a period that it is reasonable to assume that the vehicle has been abandoned.
“Local authorities are empowered to remove, store or dispose of such vehicles but when I logged my query on CRM, I was told that they’re not removing it because the owner said that they’re putting it back on the road.”
However, the council executive did not share Cllr Quinlan’s perspective. He was told that “vehicles that are abandoned have been left by the owner”.
A member of the council’s environmental staff stated: “You can’t say a car is abandoned when it’s parked outside the owner’s house. There’s no time limit on how long a car can be parked.
“There’s no law that says you can only park for a certain period of time, unless it’s a paid parking area.
“The matter of whether it’s taxed or insured is not a matter for the Waste Management Act. It’s not something that we can use as criteria.”
At the end of the discussion, Cllr Quinlan continued to argue that the council is entitled to remove the vehicle.