Woman threw herself on camper van bonnet to stop it being towed away
A woman tried desperately to stop her camper van being towed away to be crushed by throwing herself over the bonnet. The incident had erupted due to a long-running argument with a neighbour over parking. Loredana Luisi was horrified when it was seized after a removal order was put into action over claims it was abandoned and did not have road tax.
She explained it was used to take her son Oscar, 10, to school, the Mirror reports. Lorena was alerted by other neighbours who told her the van was going. She said: “I went out there in pyjamas and asked these people ‘who are you and what is the name of your company?
Can you show me some documents? Why are you taking my camper van?’ “They didn’t care and acted as if I wasn’t speaking to them.
They continued taking the van into the air and putting it onto this big truck. I told them ‘please stop it. I will call the police, you are stealing my van.’
Read more: Triple murder investigation as mum dies after blaze that killed her two girls “The only thing I was able to do was put my body in front of the truck to stop them moving. I told them ‘if you want to steal my camper van you will also have to kill me because I will not move from the front of the truck until the police arrive’.”
When officers from Hampshire Police arrived, they said it was a civil matter and there was nothing they could do. Loredana had first received a note on her van on June 17 telling her to contact HMS Property Management Services – listed on Companies House as the secretary to Hamble Management Services, which oversees the building where she lives. Loredana said she visited the HMS offices and was told parking the van in the car park was not allowed as they considered it a commercial vehicle – which she disputed.
Vehicle owners Luisauto Caravan, based in Bari, Italy, where Loredana is originally from, are adamant it was taxed and insured to be used in the UK, with Loredana’s rental running until October 31. The vehicle was removed on September 10. RM Legal says its understanding is the van is “permitted to travel abroad for 6 months” at a time.
Loredana said she has been renting the van on and off from the firm in Italy since February 2021 – but never for more than a few weeks or months at a time before returning it during her trips back to her homeland. She is worried she will end up being billed for the full value of the van – estimated to be around GBP60,000 – if it is eventually destroyed or at least not returned to the owners. A spokesman for UK TES claimed the camper van was “legally removed after a 28 day Tort was applied and spent”.
Loredana Luisi and her son Oscar are devastated after their camper van was taken away (Image: Loredana Luisi)
After the 28 days the owner does not own the vehicle any longer and the housing association/management are liable for any legal action that may take place,” they continued. “Our service is free – we do not charge for the removal of vehicles that are abandoned on private land and it’s free for housing associations.”
The spokesman claimed there was an issue with the Italian logbook was because “none of the font lined up in the boxes”. A spokesperson for Hampshire Police said: “We were called at 2.49pm on 10 September by a member of the public reporting a person at risk of breaching the peace in relation to a vehicle being removed from Green Lane in Hamble-le-Rice. “This is a civil matter and no further police action is being taken at this time.” A spokesperson for Luisauto Caravan said: “All our rental vehicles are legally insured both in Italy and abroad and taxed.
We hope that this absurd affair will be concluded as soon as possible.” They also provided a driving fine with the van’s registration and description received in France on June 8 – showing it was out of the UK then. Despite claims made by UK TES about the logbook, a DVLA spokesperson said it has no record of speaking to the firm and wouldn’t usually advise about any non-GB document other than when requested by the police.
A spokesperson for Hamble Green Management said: “Despite extensive efforts to resolve this situation we were ultimately left with no option but to arrange the removal of this vehicle.” Ms Luisi failed to engage as an owner of the vehicle and has failed to comply with the terms of the lease, despite our continued encouragement to do so. “It is unfortunate that matters have reached this level when a sensible and amicable solution could so easily have been achieved. The lease agreement is very clear, and we have at all times acted professionally.” The Mirror has contacted the neighbour but was told she did not wish to comment.
National Parking Control has also been contacted.
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