Or ring ☎ 0161 388 2552 (office hours)
Start by confirming the pound and the deadlines
If a lease vehicle has been taken to a pound, the first task is to confirm exactly where it is and how long you have to act. Pounds follow fixed statutory windows: the vehicle normally has to be claimed within about seven days and collected within roughly fourteen. Those time limits apply whether the car is owned, leased or on contract hire. Storage costs continue regardless, so waiting for the leasing company to advise you may increase the total bill.
Tell your leasing company immediately
Leased vehicles remain the property of the finance or leasing firm. Because of that, they normally insist on being informed straight away. Many will not allow anyone to collect the car until they have approved the arrangements, and some may want written confirmation of the circumstances that led to the seizure.
A few leasing firms manage the release themselves. Others expect the leaseholder to handle the practicalities but still require copies of the documents used at the pound. Early contact avoids complications with insurance, liability and contract terms.
Who is allowed to collect the vehicle
Pounds usually release a leased vehicle to the registered keeper shown on DVLA records, the legal owner, or someone formally authorised by the leasing company. A short permission note from the leaseholder is rarely accepted.
Some leasing companies will provide written authority for you to act on their behalf. Others insist that either their own agent attends the pound or that they speak directly with pound staff before releasing the vehicle. If the leasing company cannot verify entitlement in time, the car may remain in storage, which adds cost.
Your responsibilities as the leaseholder
Even though you are not the owner, you normally remain responsible for day to day compliance, including:
- Ensuring the car was insured correctly at the time of the stop.
- Producing your ID, the police reference and any documents the pound requires.
- Paying removal and storage charges at the pound, unless the leasing firm states otherwise.
- Arranging suitable insurance if the car is to be driven away.
- Recovering the vehicle using a specialist vehicle recovery company if a road release is not permitted.
A leasing firm may recharge these costs back to you through your contract, so dealing with the release early avoids unnecessary increases.
Insurance and MOT considerations
To drive the car away, the insurance certificate must support the release of a seized vehicle. Standard policies do not always do this. If the insurer cancels or suspends the policy following the incident, you will need a new policy arranged in line with both insurer and leasing-company rules.
If the MOT has expired, pounds may allow a direct drive to a pre booked test, but practices differ. Some insist on removal by a specialist vehicle recovery company. Leasing companies sometimes place additional restrictions, particularly if the vehicle has known defects.
What happens if the vehicle is damaged or unroadworthy
Pounds do not guarantee the condition of vehicles held on site. If the car is unroadworthy or was marked unsafe at the roadside, a road release may be refused. A specialist recovery company may be the only way to remove it. Because recovery is heavily regulated, it can be expensive, and arranging it at short notice is difficult. If insurance that supports release can be arranged instead, that is usually quicker and cheaper for a leaseholder.
Costs and who pays
Removal and storage charges are payable at the pound regardless of how the vehicle is financed. Many lease agreements state that the leaseholder must pay these fees and may be recharged for any additional costs the leasing company incurs. Some firms apply administrative charges for impound incidents, particularly if the situation disrupts the contract or creates insurance problems.
Keeping the situation under control
Once a leased car enters a pound, delays increase costs and place extra pressure on the leaseholder. The most effective approach is to contact the leasing company immediately, confirm who is authorised to collect the vehicle and ensure you have insurance that supports release. If complications arise, such as MOT issues or keeper-authorisation problems, arranging removal via a specialist vehicle recovery company may be unavoidable.
Act early, clarify the leasing company’s rules and stay within the usual statutory collection window. This keeps costs contained and avoids the risk of the vehicle entering the disposal process while still under contract.
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.