PAYMENT OF CHARGES
27. Provided the appropriate charges are paid the vehicle should be released to its owner. The person claiming the vehicle must satisfy the retaining authority that they are the owner. It is for the Retaining Authority to decide what constitutes adequate proof of ownership, taking into account any documentary evidence the person supplies. It may be considered good practice for the relevant police force to issue a vehicle release notice on production of documents, which the owner can then hand to the Retaining Authority. A sample copy of a release notice is contained in Annex C.
28. The appropriate charges must be waived where the owner can demonstrate they fulfil the conditions in paragraph 22. In the event of dispute, it would be for the courts to decide what constituted "reasonable steps" in any particular case.
29. Charges which the owner of the seized vehicle has to pay, if they are not waived are specified in the Regulations. They are £105 for the removal of the vehicle following its seizure and £12 for each period or part period of 24 hours during which it is kept. The first such period begins at noon on the day following seizure, provided that the place where the vehicle is stored is open for the vehicle to be claimed before noon that day. This means, for example, that if a vehicle is seized on a Saturday, but it is taken to a pound which does not open on Sundays, the first 24 hour period will begin at noon on Monday.
A person will not have to pay a storage charge if they claim their vehicle before noon on the first day after its seizure that its holding place is open; they will still have to pay the removal fee.