Vehicle Storage

PLEASE NOTE OUR Staff have no control of the release of your vehicle(s) held if your vehicle has been removed on behalf of the Police Authority.

If your vehicle has been seized by the POLICE or removed by the HIGHWAYS,  all your enquiries in the first instance should be addressed to the relevant POLICE Force and or investigating officer(s)

• Cumbria Police, attend to Barrow, Kendal, Workington, Penrith and Carlisle Police stations with your documentation requested
• Highways England, Tel 0300 123 5000

Please contact us directly, we will be happy to advise and help you of the actions you need to take before you attend our site.

Phone Furness Cars & Commercials Ltd Telephone 01229 465 549 (Option 3)

Here, you can find out how to reclaim a vehicle that has been seized under Section 165A of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means an officer had reasonable grounds to believe that the driver was uninsured or was not driving in accordance with their driving licence.

If your vehicle has been seized for this reason the driver should have received a seizure notice.

If your vehicle has been impounded for another reason, go to our impounded vehicles page.

How to reclaim your vehicle

You’ll find the details of how to reclaim your vehicle and the ID documentation you need to take with you on the seizure notice. You have seven working days to go to the police station listed on the seizure notice, otherwise your vehicle will be disposed of after 14 days.

Payment of charges

You can find full details about the statutory charges you’ll have to pay in The Removal, Storage and Disposal of Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

For vehicles seized before 6 April 2023 you’ll have to pay the charges listed in The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Retention and Disposal of Seized Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 2008.

These charges are set by government, not the police, and vary depending on the weight and condition of the vehicle.

Please note, the daily storage charges start from midday on the next day after the vehicle was seized.

MOT

If your vehicle is over three years old and doesn’t have a current MOT test pass certificate you can only drive it on a public road from the recovery depot to an MOT testing station. You must:

• bring evidence from a garage of a pre-booked MOT appointment, or
• arrange recovery at your own expense

Collecting property from an impounded vehicle

If you want to get property from the impounded vehicle, but not the vehicle itself, you need to bring proof that you’re the vehicle’s owner or registered keeper (a V5C or V5C/10).

Someone else can collect property on your behalf, but they need to bring:

1. a letter of authority, signed by you, giving them permission to collect property from the vehicle
2. a copy of your passport or driving licence so we can verify the letter is signed by you

Please note, if the vehicle is badly damaged it might not be possible to get into it to remove property.

We’ll hold your property for 30 days before we dispose of it.

If your vehicle has been issued with a PG9 prohibition notice, isn’t roadworthy or won’t start

If your vehicle has been issued with a PG9 prohibition notice, isn’t roadworthy or won’t start, you need to arrange for a fully trained, equipped and insured vehicle recovery operator to collect it at your own expense.

Provisional driving licence holders

If you’re driving under a provisional licence you must bring someone who:

• is over 21, and
• has held a licence for more than three years

Make sure you have L plates on the vehicle.

Things to be aware of

Bring a set of keys, in case the driver (if you weren’t the driver) didn’t leave the keys in the vehicle.

If your vehicle doesn’t have correct number plates and you’re planning on driving it, you must attach valid replacement plates when you collect it.

PLEASE NOTE:

Opening hours are 08:30 to 17:00 Monday to Friday. Last collection time is strictly 16:30 due to the release paperwork and allowing us time to prepare your vehicle correctly, you must arrive before this time.