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Why vehicles get removed from private land
Cars can be removed from private land for several reasons. Sometimes it is a landowner requesting removal of an abandoned or wrongly parked vehicle. In other cases, police involvement leads to a tow because the car is uninsured, untaxed, obstructing access or linked to an offence. Understanding who initiated the removal helps determine who must pay the fees when you go to collect the car.
If the police ordered the removal
When the police authorise a tow from private land, the charging rules are much the same as if the car had been lifted from a public road. The person reclaiming the vehicle is normally responsible for the statutory removal fee and the daily storage charges. Pounds apply the same fee structure regardless of the location of the original seizure. Even if the car was parked on private land with permission, the charges still fall to the keeper once the police have carried out a lawful removal. The pound will not release the car until those charges are settled in full.
If a landowner arranged the tow
When a private landowner hires a recovery company to remove a vehicle without police involvement, the situation is different. Private operators do not follow statutory police-fee regulations, and they set their own charges. In these cases, the person reclaiming the car usually pays the recovery company directly. The fees can vary depending on the company’s rates, the size of the vehicle and the time it has been stored. If the removal was arranged under a clear parking contract or signage, the landowner often treats the situation as an enforcement matter and expects the keeper to cover the cost.
Disputes do happen. If a vehicle was genuinely parked with permission or removed in error, the landowner might negotiate or cover the charge themselves. But from the pound or storage yard’s perspective, the person collecting the car is the one who pays. You will still need to settle the storage fee before the vehicle is released, even if you later challenge the validity of the removal separately.
When removal follows a driving offence
If the tow from private land followed an offence such as no insurance, dangerous condition or driving while disqualified, the keeper or driver is normally responsible for the impound fees, not the landowner. The fact that the car was on private land at the time does not change the charging structure. Police recovery contracts apply the same regulated rates as they would anywhere else.
When the vehicle is genuinely abandoned
If a local authority removes a car from private land because it is abandoned or dangerous, they may treat the situation as a public nuisance or environmental concern. Charges can still apply to the registered keeper. If the keeper does not reclaim the vehicle within the authority’s time limits, the car may be disposed of, and the keeper may remain liable for the removal and storage up to the date of disposal.
What happens if no one collects the car
If the vehicle is not reclaimed within the required timeframe, the pound or storage yard will eventually dispose of it. Disposal may involve auction or scrapping, depending on the vehicle’s condition. A keeper’s liability for charges up to the point of disposal does not automatically disappear simply because the car is no longer reclaimable. Old addresses and outdated DVLA records often complicate matters, so it is important to act quickly.
Practical steps if your car has been removed
To avoid confusion and extra storage fees, the most reliable steps are:
- Confirm who ordered the tow. The pound will tell you whether it was police, a council or a private operator.
- Ask for the total amount due and how it is calculated.
- Check what documents you need to bring to collect the car.
- Make sure the vehicle is insured and roadworthy if you plan to drive it away.
- Arrange recovery instead if the car cannot be legally driven.
The key point is that the person reclaiming the vehicle almost always pays the impound and storage charges at the point of release. Whether you contest the removal is a separate process and does not stop the pound from charging its standard fees.
A simple answer
If your car was towed from private land, the person collecting it is normally responsible for the impound costs, regardless of who owns the land. Police removals follow set statutory fees, while private recoveries follow the company’s own rates. The pound will only release the vehicle once the charges are paid and all required documents are shown.
Impound processes, time limits and costs vary widely across the UK, and authorities can amend their rules at any time. Information on this site is intended as a general overview and should not be relied on as definitive for any specific impound location.