It may seem like a slightly bizarre question, but it is nonetheless a concern shared by many motorists. Given the fact that all types of vehicles can be scrapped and recycled for monetary gain, there’s a surprisingly huge market for illegal scrapping. A market that doesn’t just involve end-of-life vehicles, but all types of scrap materials obtained illicitly.
In theory, the answer to the above question should be no. It is against the law in the United Kingdom to sell the property of another person without their permission, irrespective of what it is they are selling. This therefore means that if somebody attempts to scrap your car (or anything else you own) without your permission, they are breaking the law.
The Scrap Dealers Act was passed by the UK government in 2013, with the intention of making it as difficult as possible for criminals to illegally scrap cars. Since then, it’s been necessary for a full record to be kept of all transactions involving scrap materials of any kind. This means that when a car is scrapped and recycled, it leaves a traceable paper trail to verify everything was above board.
In this respect, therefore, it is illegal for anyone else to scrap your car without your permission.
A Thriving Black Market
Sadly, just because something is illegal does not mean it cannot and will not happen. From a legal perspective, nobody can scrap your car without your permission. But at the same time, you could also say that nobody can break into your home, steal your possessions, or indeed steel your car without your permission.
All 100% illegal acts, but the kinds of things that take place every hour of every day in the UK.
In which case, the answer is technically yes – it is possible for somebody else to scrap your car without your permission. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for those who steal cars in the UK to resell them at a profit. Unless your car is fairly desirable and in good condition, it’s also highly unlikely it will be exported for sale elsewhere.
Instead, what tends to happen when cars are stolen is that they are offloaded as quickly as possible to dodgy dealers. There are still questionable ‘cash in hand’ scrap merchants across the country who ask no questions whatsoever about the vehicles they process.
They simply take them at face value, pay the person supplying them and pretend the transaction never took place. Obviously, keeping no formal records of the exchange of money for scrap, so there’s no way of tracing it back.
Common Sense Safety
If you thought your rundown rust-bucket of a vehicle was immune from the risk of theft due to its condition, think again. Where there’s a will to make a quick buck, there’s a way to make it happen.
Common sense safety precautions should therefore be taken to safeguard what’s yours, even if your car isn’t exactly in the best state of repair. The easier it is for criminals to steal and offload a car for scrap, the more likely it is to be targeted by opportunists.
