Gone in 30 minuets, car taken by police

I have, (had), a Mercedes A170CDi and the gearbox developed a fault, as they do, and I parked it up on the urbanisations parking area off the road,. Time went by and I moved it a few times as the repair was going to be about 1.000€ and as a 75 year old  pensioner I was having a struggle finding that sort of cash, then along came Corvid, casual work dried up and things got worse as the wife became 65 and social security stopped paying but the pension doesn't kick in until 66 1/4 now, so just my humble 800€ a moth to live on.

Anyway, enough of the ridiculously low UK state pension and the governments attempt to block the only decent increase in 70 years..

The car disappeared last Wednesday leaving four drag marks which said a guea was involved not car thieves. We called the policia local and they said they had "been advised" the car was abandoned but I had checked the car was OK Tuesday and there was no statutory notice of 10 days notice as required, they just took it.

I am assuming someone, probably our urbanisations idiot president, reported it.

The car is is good condition and insured but no ITV, as obliviously I can't get it to the ITV station with a duff gearbox and the plan was to get it collected by Transmatic in Estepona for repair as soon as I could afford it..

I was informed by my hestor that as long as it was insured I didn’t need to worry about the ITV if it was “off-road”.

Now come Monday 21/06/2021 we will have to go the the police station in Estepona and get it back. I know there a couple of years tax due but surely that is no excuse to just take the car without notice.

A couple of years Tax to pay / no ITV ..are you saying it's been parked up for a couple of years due to a gearbox fault...

Hello panda hope you are well.

Just a few queries on your post.

Why did you keep moving the car?

** EDITED - inciting **

** EDITED - inciting **

What I did not expect was animosity and snide in remarks.

Yes it is parked up for gearbox repairs, I am sure few people can dip into their  pocket and have £1,000 spare, and untill you have tried living on what is the lowest state pension in the developed world keep your comments polite please.

Public transport! here? Please, you have no idea.

What has casual work IN SPAIN got to do with pensions paid from UK? That is just being mean..

Pensioners cannot live on the state pension alone. In the UK they can get extra payments like tax credits, housing benefits etc, here we get nothing, not even winter heating allowence despite the fact we have paid in the same as UK residence.

I can afford to run a car, somewhat cheaper than UK but live month to month with the usual 'emergencies' cropping up makes saving impossible.  Such as having ones car seized WITHOUT THE MANDATORY 10 DAYS NOTICE.

I move it so it is not regarded as dumped, , at least that was the thought behind it. I also keep it clean, tyre up and run it up.

So, apart from the uncharitable remarks. Any one have knowledge of 

To supliment the pension many do boot sales which have stopped due to Covid. At least we are not a burden on the tax payer like some UK spongers.

Hello panda        

Regarding ‘’ car seized WITHOUT THE MANDATORY 10 DAYS NOTICE.’’ Have you asked the Police who seized your vehicle?

I am not sure why you moved you’re broken down car from your door to someone else’s door and then continued to move it around the urbanisation.

I didn't. The car was parked on a strip alongside the road that is included as part of the urbanisation escrotura and therefore "privet, off road" there are no designated areas.

I thought that if the car was in a different parking spot then regular observers would know it is not abandoned.

We called the policies local first and they confirmed it had been taken.

My main complaint is there was no obligatory 10 day notice attached to the car prior to being taken. I could have had it collected the same day. How the hell I would pay for the repair I have no idea.

It may be that as long as I can remove my personal effects I will just let go for scrap which would be a shame as it is a nice car.

Hello panda

** EDITED -inciting **

Regarding ‘’ car seized WITHOUT THE MANDATORY 10 DAYS NOTICE.’’ Have you asked the Police who seized your vehicle? No answer why?

Why did you not put a notice of ownership with contact details inside the windscreen and stating it was temporally broken down?

Panda you are doing extremely well keeping two people on a single person's UK state pension of £172 = €200 per week in Spain..as the Spanish government are insisting that if you are a British citizen that wants to retire in Spain you need a income of approximately €25,000 if you are single and another €5,000 for any additional partner =€30,000 per year + a private health insurance policy for both applicants .. personally I don't think your UK pension was put in place for people like yourself to go to Spain and try and exist on ...you must be living a very meager existence trying to live the life in Spain ...I am not having a go at you it's just that I can't see the attraction of Spain without having any money behind yourself to support a decent life style.

 I have lived here for 21 years, my wife 29 and fully integrated 8nto the Spanish system. The Spanish OAP is not much more than the UK one. You obviously don't live here in Andalusia. It is possible as long as one lives like a Spaniard not a typical** EDITED - inciting** Brit' expat. 

Panda .. sounds to me you are better off staying in Spain since you now think you are Spanish ** EDITED -Iniciting **...you say you have lived in Spain for 21 years and your wife 29  years why haven't you got a Spanish pension ..** EDITED -Iniciting **

This message was last edited by windtalker on 21/06/2021.

My opinion of Brits in Spain is one shared by most Spanish who tolerate them because of their money, my son in law works at a top hotel in Marbella and confirms this and yes, he is Spanish.. At 75 I am somewhat more worldly than younger commentators and obviously more knowledgeable.. My wife is Danish with Spanish nationality and I consider myself European. 

I love the people and culture here and ** EDITED - inciting **

I have been fully legal, autonimo and have been for many years but Spanish  pension requirements are higher than the UK and I do not have the required years to be able to claim,. My wife just has.

So, untill you are in in possession of the facts please limit you remarks to helpful ones regards traffic laws.

Hello panda

So to sum up, you dislike British expats but have posted on what is generally a British expat forum, you state you are obviously more knowledgeable than most ** EDITED - inciting **Your car which has not been taxed or tested for 2 years has been seized despite you trying to hide it around urbanisation; you are expecting EOS members to explain why it has been seized because you refuse to ask the Police who seized it.

Is that a fair summary?

No. Miles off.

** EDITED **

I have some sympathy for this gentleman. The law regarding abandoned vehicles in Spain is very clear. Firstly the local police fix a green notice on the windscreen warning the car is considered abandon and will be removed in 3 months time. Then in 3 months, a red sticker is attached warning the removal is imminent. The car is then taken away and scrapped.

These procedures do not seem to have been followed. So I suspect something else is going on here. Like all laws in Spain there are always exceptions and if the car was considered a danger to other road users then the police would remove it immediately. I suggest the poster goes to his local police station and have a chat with them before the car is scrapped.

Thank you for the clarification. I thought as much and it was the m*n point in the OP.. there was no notice. It definitely is not a danger to anyone where it it.

I have since recovered the car and discovered the ashtray removed and the gear selector where it connects to the cable is smashed requiring  me to buy a second hand one on eBay for 100€.

Of course no one accepted liability.

I am moving on with the repair. But coming up with 1,000€  at my age isn't easy.

Lucky I am a mechanic of many, many years so able to do all bar the gearbox swap myself.

Thanks again for the info. It seems the Estepona police have different rules.

Let’s try again. What explanation have the Police given you for seizing your car?

They didn't, it seems no one can tell me who, why or when. It was not the urbanisation, The tow truck firm just received a instruction to remove it along with two other wrecks, no mine is not a wreck.

There was no problem getting it released for a small fee for towing and overnight garage.

I don't see know how they got into it as the battery was disconnected and I have the only two keys but the ashtray was out of the consular and the gearshift where the cable fits is smashed.

I am making moves to get the gearbox changed and a second hand shifter is on the way.

So unless someone wants to donate 1200€ it will have to be as and when I can do it.

So this could be a warning to all forum members and readers. So what you are saying is that a tow truck company will accept instructions from anyone to go and seize anyone’s car and take it to a Police compound, no questions asked. The Police will accept any car from a tow truck company, no questions asked. The Police will release the car minus ashtray to the owner for a fee but with no explanation why the car is in their custody. Is this correct panda and have you told us everything?

I am putting my car in the garage tonight under lock and key until detective Columbo investigates your case.

Kavanagh.

I think in Oil Drum Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne you are safe.