DEH picking up around 40 derelict cars every month
(CNS): With the growing number of vehicles on Grand Cayman’s roads, there has been a corresponding growth in old, derelict cars abandoned by the roadside, in parking lots and other random places. The Department of Environmental Health, which is responsible for abandoned cars, told CNS that over the last two years, it has hauled away over one thousand derelict vehicles, which is an average of around 40 cars per month or almost two every weekday.
Owners are given a 24-hour notice before the DEH wreckers come to collect abandoned vehicles. However, the Litter Law requires that vehicles left in a public place be removed. A DEH spokesperson noted that the law defines a “derelict vehicle” as one that appears to an officer, because of its condition, to have been abandoned.
The law states: “Provided that the opinion of an officer shall be prima facie evidence of the truth of the matters therein contained, and the officer, in forming an opinion, may, if he thinks fit, take into account- (i) the fact that the wheels or any of them, the engine or other parts, have been removed; and (ii) any other factors, taken together with the fact that the vehicle was unlicensed during the immediately preceding period of six months.”
The Traffic Law also addresses abandoned vehicles. If it appears to a police officer that a vehicle has been abandoned, that officer must take charge of it and drive it or have it towed to a vehicle pound, where it accumulates a charge of $10 per day for the owner.
The DEH said that owners with derelict vehicles on their properties can arrange with the DEH to have them removed to the landfill for a $75 fee per vehicle after terminating it with the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing. Anyone who is aware of derelict or abandoned vehicles can also report them to the DEH.
Not all cars left on the roadside are derelict; some are broken down and waiting to be fixed. However, these, too, can sometimes block roadways and raise safety concerns. On Monday, a vehicle caused trouble for the school run after it was abandoned on the driveway into Cayman International School, though it was moved later that day.
A number of CNS readers have also raised concerns about derelict cars that seem to have been abandoned in residential parking lots, especially where parking is becoming increasingly scarce. Rental units across Grand Cayman are filled beyond capacity, leading residents to battle for spots in their own complexes.
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Category: Environmental Health, Health
Good! Government charges $1200 “Disposal fee” for each car that is imported, so as far as I am concerned, they are working what they collect for. End of story.
You mean all the cars that ended up in the mangroves?
Can they take away all the bad drivers with them?
I would love to see statistics showing the number and names of the drunk drivers with their li ense revoked, suspended or let off with a little fine.
Bring in eedyats this is what u get . See?
Fairview Road, near King Kenny. There’s an abandoned Toyota, Nissan, and a BMW. Been there for months, if not years. If you need directions, look for the Jamaican tenement yard with the world’s longest running extension project.
Jamacians
Check out eclipse drive off of eastern ave.
Full of junk!!!! Can’t even get access to my property at times. Lawless country where no ine is held accountable!!!!
Not the old place I remember.
Check out the empty lot next to Home Gas on Walkers Rd., piles of rusty gas cylinders, and about 20 wrecked cars and containers, some of which must have been there since we abandoned donkeys.
Question for the crowd. Please put down the pitchforks and torches for a moment, and hopefully I can get some helpful insight.
I sold a car a few years ago, and naively trusted that the new owner would transfer it to their name the following Monday once they got insurance. Turns out, they didn’t and ended up selling the car to someone else who never transferred it to their name either. Apparently, it was sold a third time for parts.
Now I still have this car registered to me, but have no idea where it is and who ‘owns’ it. How can I clear this off my account?
Yes, it is my fault for not ensuring the transfer was completed, but the mistake is done and I will own it. I am just trying to clear things up.
Same boat.
I’m 100% certain my old vehicle is the same. I once emailed DVDL, but it must have gone to a staff member who died at their desk since I got zero response. It’s been about 10 years now.
I’d suggest contacting the Vehicle and Licensing Dept. about this question. This isn’t a process that I’ve gone through before at all anywhere, but I imagine they’ll want some sort of proof that you no longer own the vehicle. You could possibly ask your nearest police station about this as well as they might have insight – but like I said, I’m not too sure myself as I’ve never had to personally handle a title transfer in Cayman or where I currently live in the USA.
Police will do nothing but refer you to DVDL. It’s hard to prove to someone you don’t possess something anymore.
The system is dumb. That it is possible for this to happen, and to continue happening is crazy.
My point of view is that if someone is buying a vehicle from you, it’s usually a safe assumption that they would be keen to have it in their name to prove ownership. However, I am of sound mind, and now realise there are a whole subsection of the community who see a car as a ‘just drive it when I want’ kinda thing, with no responsibility for it.
I’ve gone through it. You have to go to Vehicle Licensing and have the registration cancelled. If you are the person listed on it, you can cancel it and absolve yourself from liability.
After paying for any back fees between the last registration renewal and the date of cancellation.
Go to District Admin and have the registration cancelled. That removes you from obligation, and theoretically alerts the RCIPS that the car is on the road illegally.
It can be prohibitively expensive to properly dispose of a car with a lapsed license. This is ridiculous
To do it “by the book” you need to settle all the back license costs plus the costs of inspections that didn’t happen. Then you aren’t even allowed to drive it to the dump yourself once it’s de-registered. you have to arrange for a tow.
Of course people are likely to just leave them on their yards, or strata parking lots, or even on the road.
Bring back the 2019 amnesty!
Or, just simplify the process of getting rid of old non-running cars. make it free, and clear out the clutter.
Cost Savings:
1) Once its not running, turn in the plate. No charges.
2) At that point it is derelict & for $75 DEH will remove it for you.
Simple, and cheap.
Personal Responsibility: Priceless
Evidently the thumbs downers don’t believe in personal responsibility. No surprise – it’s Cayman.
do you really think that mechanism is going to clear out the rusted hulks that are scattered on people’s yards and public spaces? whilst you can clutch your pearls and tut tut down at the unwashed heathen, the problem isn’t going to solve itself. just let people write the cars off and get rid of them.
Agreed, it makes no sense to pay back license for a car that hasn’t been driven in years.
why not? Those were fees that you owed. So the car no longer runs, your responsibility still does.
What about derelict containers? Like the 40 foot one on Abiu Close in Bodden Town put there at least 15 years ago by the now deceased Jamaican owner of the land and never used for anything. A rusting eyesore and home to vermin.
Wait till those disposable Honda Fits start falling apart. They’ll be licking up 10 a day!
You know it’s usually BMWs, Range Rovers, Mercedes Benz, and Audis. People buy them new, take care of them, sell them when the warranty is gone, then they fall into the hands of ‘aspirational’ owners who like the look of them but don’t have the ability to pay for upkeep. They then break, with expensive issues that require specialist knowledge and parts, so they either get driven around with failed air suspension and broken windshields (for a while, it’s usually the case), or they end up parked on a road or in a yard and so ends the life cycle of a luxury motor vehicle.
Yeah don’t sh!t on the Fits!
This is to be expected. A suggestion, ask the Cubans to send a barge on a regular basis to collect the wrecks for free. They will surely get them running again.
Check Helen Drive. Favorite dumping ground.
Why are they not getting paid to do this. It is very simple. Check the Vin # against the last owner and charge them.
There is 2 on High Rock Rd.
This crookedness has been happening for years by Jamaicans. DVDL should do a thorough check on vehicles being licensed by new owners, to ensure the vehicle has been transferred from the original owner to the person who is at the licensing counter. They are only concerned with getting the insurance in their names and not processing the transfer of ownership.
Grogg the Ork: Highway Rampage on the Cayman Roads (Final Collated Version)
Grogg’s Original Commentary
“OI, HUMIES, LISTEN UP! Grogg just seen da most ridiculous thing on dis little rock ya call an island! A car. Abandoned. Smack in da middle o’ da big humie road where yer all drivin’ faster dan a Trukk full o’ Boyz late to a Waaagh! Not a single hazard light blinkin’, no danger sign at da back—nuffin’! WOT’S DA POINT OF HAVIN’ SAFETY STUFF IF YA DON’T USE IT, YA GITS?! Even Orks put cones on our Trukks when dey’re about ta explode, an’ we like explodin’!”
Translation:
“Attention, humans! Grogg just witnessed the most absurd sight on this island you call home. A car—abandoned—right in the middle of your main road where everyone is driving faster than an Ork War Trukk racing into battle! No hazard lights blinking, no warning signs behind it—nothing! What’s the point of having safety equipment if you don’t bother to use it? Even Orks mark our vehicles with warning cones when they’re about to explode—and we actually enjoy explosions!”
Grogg Calls the RCIPS
“So Grogg thinks, ‘Right, dis can’t be normal.’ Calls up yer Protectors of Order—da RCIPS, or wot you lot call ‘police.’ Told ‘em about da car. Nuffin’ happens. Grogg calls again, gives ‘em da plate number, ‘cuz dey actin’ like dey can’t find a shiny, silver grot-mobile sittin’ right dere! Maybe Grogg should’ve painted it red fer ‘em—red goes fasta, y’know!”
Translation:
“So Grogg thinks, ‘This can’t be normal.’ I called your so-called Protectors of Order—the RCIPS, or what you humans call ‘police.’ Told them about the car. Nothing happened. Called again, gave them the plate number, because they were acting like they couldn’t find a shiny, silver vehicle sitting right in plain sight! Maybe I should’ve painted it red for them—everyone knows red vehicles go faster!” (Orks have that strange power that if enough Orks believe something it just happens, their contraptions wouldn’t work in other hands but theirs or explode in the most graphic, catastrophic manner)
Grogg Encounters the RCIPS
“So dere’s Grogg, on da scene, scratchin’ me head an’ wonderin’ wot’s goin’ on. Outta nowhere, a police officer shows up—full regalia, shiny badge, da works. So I sez, ‘Oi, ya seen da stranded car blockin’ yer road?’ An’ she nods like she’s gonna do somethin’. But here’s da kicker: SHE DON’T HAVE ANY SIGNAL CONES IN HER RIDE! WOT’S DA POINT O’ BEIN’ DA PROTECTOR OF ORDER IF YA DON’T EVEN HAVE DA BASICS?!”
Translation:
“So there’s Grogg, on the scene, scratching my head and wondering what’s going on. Out of nowhere, a police officer shows up—fully dressed, shiny badge, the whole setup. So I ask, ‘Hey, have you noticed the stranded car blocking your road?’ She nods like she’s going to take action. But here’s the kicker: she doesn’t have any signal cones in her car! What’s the point of being the Protector of Order if you don’t even carry the basics?”
Grogg Loots the Scene
“Now, lemme tell ya wot an Ork’d do. First thing: LOOT IT. Ya see, an abandoned car is practically beggin’ ta be stripped fer parts! I’d get me grot crew down dere, rip off da wheels, da doors, maybe da engine if it ain’t melted, an’ strap it all onta me War Buggy. Den paint da whole thing green, slap a big shoota on top, an’ BOOM—Grogg’s Highway Gargant, ready fer krumpin’ anything dat gets in its way!”
Translation:
“Now, let me tell you what an Ork would do. Step one: loot it! An abandoned car is practically begging to be stripped for parts! I’d call in my crew of grots, rip off the wheels, the doors, maybe even the engine (if it hasn’t melted down), and bolt it all onto my War Buggy. Then I’d paint the whole thing green, slap a big gun on top, and BOOM—Grogg’s unstoppable Highway Gargant, ready to crush anything in its path!”
Grogg on Tyranids.
“But nah, ya humies just leave it dere like a Tyranid spore pod. Betcha a Carnifex is waitin’ ta jump out da boot—dat beast’s like da baby of a tank and a murder spree dat’d make a serial killer blush. Bristlin’ wiv armor as thick as an Astarte’s battle suit, an’ a face only Gork an’ Mork could love! Ya don’t mess wiv a Carnifex unless ya want yer shiny metal box turned inta scrap faster than ya can scream ‘WAAAGH!’”
“An’ if dat ain’t bad enough, maybe some Hormagaunts’ll come skitterin’ outta da doors—fast little buggers wiv claws sharper dan a Goff’s choppa, chewin’ on yer precious speedin’ cars like dey’re dessert! Dis is wot happens when ya leave a car sittin’ out like bait! It’s like invitin’ a Hormagaunt ta dinner—yer da meal! An’ where’s da RCIPS? Nowhere. Grogg reckons dey’re sittin’ in dere station, arguin’ over who gets da last donut while da road turns inta a krumpin’ ground!”
Translation:
“But no, you humans just leave it sitting there like it’s a Tyranid spore pod! I wouldn’t be surprised if a Carnifex jumped out of the trunk—a creature that’s like the baby of a tank and a murder spree that would make a serial killer blush. It’s bristling with armor as thick as an Astartes’ battle suit and has a face only a god of war could appreciate! You don’t mess with a Carnifex unless you’re ready to see your shiny vehicle turned into scrap metal in seconds.”
“And if that’s not bad enough, maybe some Hormagaunts will come skittering out of the doors—quick little monsters with claws sharper than any blade, tearing through your precious speeding cars like they’re snacks! This is what happens when you leave a car sitting out like bait—it’s like inviting a Hormagaunt to dinner, and guess what? You’re the main course! And where’s the RCIPS when this hive battle begins? Nowhere to be seen. Grogg bets they’re back at the station, debating who gets the last donut while the rest of the road descends into chaos!”
Grogg’s Final Take :
“So here’s da plan, humies: stop treatin’ yer roads like Tyranid nests, teach yer Protectors how ta use a phone without losin’ dere brains, an’ let Grogg handle da cars. At least I’d make ‘em useful—fer lootin’, krumpin’, or buildin’ da flashiest Gargant dis island’s ever seen!”
Translation:
“Here’s the plan, humans: stop treating your roads like Tyranid hives, teach your Protectors how to answer a phone without losing their minds, and let Grogg handle the abandoned cars. At least I’d turn them into something useful—for smashing, looting, or building the flashiest Gargant this island has ever seen !
I refuse to believe N/W really sat down and read this whole thing.
Seriously commenter, are you OK? WTF
Quick question: has anyone ever actually finished reading one of these novellas you post? To Cayman News Service: these seem better suited for a spam folder than a comment section.
Your Treatises are tiresome. I realise you write these to amuse yourself, but please truncate them into something sensible. Please cease making verbal monuments to yourself, or…… create a podcast or something.
Grogg is missing brain cells.
I know all too well of broken down cars, car left on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck after having a BMW that was a total lemon. I attribute the untrustworthy mechanics for the car breaking down numerous times after leaving their garage weeks later and them emphasizing additional parts needed for the car to work again. This occurred several times. That BMW garage has a notoriously bad reputation of ripping off customers charging considerably more for parts than market rate.
That’s all? They should be doing that many a day.
The Cayman Islands: where we rolled out the red carpet for every old, cheap import, and now our roadsides look like a retirement home for cars that should’ve been scrap metal years ago. Truly visionary planning.
Isn’t this exactly what the environmental disposal and waste handling fees are supposed to take care of when importing a vehicle? $75 just seems like an extra money grab by DEH.
why are the owners allowed to get away with this????
just another day in wonderland……
Same reason drivers get away with murder, sometimes literally.
Until an owner of such a vehicle is prosecuted the issue will continue to rise. Even without plates the last registered owner should be identifiable via the VIN. This will also make owners ensure that registration is transferred following a sale.
Land of laws with no enforcement
What about derelict rusting boats???
Depends on who owns them.