Is this justice or overbearing government?
We’ve often highlighted hoarders’ collections of classic cars either left out rotting in the elements or stuffed in an old building. And while many people question who would do such a thing to some pretty valuable vehicles, it’s another thing entirely to have the government come in and remove the cars. But that’s exactly what happened recently in Wales and might be a shadow of things to come elsewhere.
Check out a classic car hoard here.
According to a report from The Sun, the 75-year-old pensioner had parked three classic cars in his backyard where they stayed for years. One was a 1966 Porsche 911, something which is quite valuable, depending on the market where it would be sold. The other two aren’t as impressive, a 1996 Mercedes-Benz C200 and 1988 MK2 Gold, but the guy who owned them obviously loved seeing the rides every day.
To remove the cars by force, the city council first sent threatening letters to the elderly owner. The man claims those letters also threatened to seize the home since it’s supposedly in bad condition. The Sun states the council “imposed legislation on abandoned homes” to remove the vehicles. We’re not too familiar with Welsh law, but we assume that means they found some loophole which allowed for what essentially equates to legal theft of property.
While we agree that cars are made to be driven, we also think that as long as you’re not doing anything to physically harm someone else, perhaps you ought to be able to do what you please with your cars. Paint them silly colors, lower them, put tiny wheels on them, race them on a track, or whatever else your heart so desires. But that’s apparently not how authorities in Wales see it.
The story gets even better: the owner of the house and car collection reportedly has had health problems for years. He claims that’s prevented him from taking care of the property and vehicles as he intended. We’ve seen that play out a number of times. Taking the property of someone who’s struggling doesn’t seem like a great solution. What we want to know is why no neighbors stepped in and helped the guy out? All around, this situation seems pretty messed up.
Source: The Sun
Photos via Media Wales
Keyword: Welsh City Council Takes Hoarder’s Cars