Wrecked car left on street for three weeks

An Invercargill pensioner says it is "shocking" it took almost three weeks for an abandoned car wreck to be removed from his street.

From March 20, a vehicle was parked facing the wrong direction on Ythan St following a crash at the nearby intersection.

Brian Middlemiss, who lives opposite where it was parked, had spoken to both police and the Invercargill City Council about the issue, but was none the wiser about when it would be resolved.

Much to his relief, the car was finally removed on Monday afternoon.

"I’m pleased it’s gone. Why couldn’t that happen a couple of days ... after the accident?" he said.

"I think it’s shocking that it took so long."

Mr Middlemiss said the car was a "danger" while it was parked up because of how close it was to the intersection.

The vehicle had been broken into, and he noted it was both facing the wrong direction and unwarrantable, meaning it was parked illegally.

Before its removal, he told Local Democracy Reporting he would deliver it to the owner if he could.

"If I’d have taken a load of rubbish and dumped it outside the owner of that car’s place ... the council would come around and pick it up and shift it."

In response to questions, the council said it did not remove the vehicle.

Council environmental services manager Gillian Cavanagh said her organisation had investigated the vehicle on Ythan St, but would only become involved if police asked it to remove it.

That would happen if there was no identified owner of the vehicle, Ms Cavanagh said.

If a vehicle was stolen or involved in a crash, it was police responsibility.

It was then up to the owner and insurance company to remove it once investigations were complete.

A police spokesperson said the vehicle’s owner had initially said they would pay for the cost of towing the vehicle.

The person was issued an infringement notice related to the crash, and the case had since been filed.

"The responsibility of removing abandoned vehicles in the first instance falls to the registered owner, and if they do not take action, the council."

It is believed the car owner has moved the vehicle. The owner could not be contacted.

The council had disposed of six vehicles this calendar year, none of which were the result of an accident.

Removal came at an average cost of $360, but the organisation was able to pass that on to the owner if they knew who that was.

 - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.