Nuisance parking and abandoned vehicles

Report an abandoned vehicle 

Neighbours parking in your space or across your driveway, and people abandoning vehicles on the street can seem like a matter for the police. However, the first point of contact is very often Lincolnshire County Council (for parking issues). Inconsiderate parking is not Anti-social Behaviour. 

Here you can learn more about what constitutes nuisance parking and what to do if it’s affecting you.

If a parking space is available on a public road, even if it’s directly outside your house, anyone is allowed to park in it. We appreciate this can be frustrating, especially if spaces are hard to come by on your street. Should you wish to pursue a civil complaint you can contact Citizens Advice Bureau or contact a solicitor of your choice. 

If someone has parked in your designated parking space without your permission, our first advice is always to try and resolve the issue peacefully yourself. If you can’t find the driver to speak to them, try leaving a polite note on their windscreen.

Failing this, please report the incident through to Lincolnshire County Council via their online report it tool.

If you lease a property with a parking space, please contact whoever is responsible for your building, such as the freeholder, council or managing agent. They should help you resolve the issue.

If someone parks their vehicle on your driveway without your permission, this is a civil dispute and not something we can help you with. If it happens repeatedly with the same person / vehicle you might want to seek advice from Citizen's Advice or a solicitor, but we would always recommend having a polite word with the driver first. There may have been a simple misunderstanding.

If someone has blocked your driveway so you can’t drive in, we appreciate this can be very frustrating.

If you can find the owner of the vehicle, we’d first recommend asking them politely to move it. If you can’t find them, try leaving a note on their windscreen. After all, they may not realise they have caused a problem.

If a person has blocked your driveway and is preventing you from getting your own vehicle out, this could be deemed as antisocial behaviour. In this case, Lincolnshire Police may be able to help. Please note that a vehicle that slightly overhangs the driveway may not be classed as an obstruction.

If the vehicle is parked in the following way you may contact the Police to report it: 

  • on zig-zag lines
  • dangerously
  • in a way that would prevent emergency vehicles from accessing

If a vehicle is parked under the following circumstances then please report it to Lincolnshire County Council via their online report it tool

  • opposite or within ten metres of a junction
  • over a dropped kerb
  • on a pedestrian crossing (including the area marked by the zig-zag lines)
  • in spaces reserved for Blue Badge holders, residents or motorbikes (unless entitled to do so)
  • in marked taxi bays, cycle lanes or red lines
  • near a school entrance, bus or tram stop
  • anywhere that would prevent access for Emergency Services

An abandoned vehicle is one which has not been moved or attended to for a long time. There may be visible damage to suggest a crash or signs the vehicle has been stolen, such as:

  • significantly damaged
  • run-down or unroadworthy including being rusted
  • missing or suspicious number plates
  • broken window, flat tyres
  • has a lot of rubbish inside it
  • broken or loose ignition
  • broken steering column

Abandoned vehicles can cause a nuisance by obstructing roads, traffic and pedestrians. The sight of a damaged or slowly rusting car can also be an eyesore in your community, so it’s understandable you might want it to be removed.

If you know the vehicle owner, our first advice would be to ask them politely to move it. After all, they may not be aware they’re causing a problem.

However, do not take the law into your own hands by intervening, such as making physical threats or attempting to move the vehicle yourself. You may make the situation worse and even risk committing an offence yourself. You can check if a vehicle has valid insurance/tax/MOT, as these could be indicators that a vehicle is abandoned, this can be done at Gov.uk.

If you find an abandoned vehicle that doesn’t appear to be stolen, we will aim to trace the vehicle’s owner and arrange for it to be removed. Report an abandoned vehicle to us.

If you find an abandoned vehicle that you believe could be stolen, please Contact Lincolnshire police on 101 or use the online reporting facility on the Lincolnshire Police website.

Report an abandoned vehicle