How many cars is too many to own when parking is tight?
Discussion
Living on a street of Victorian terraced houses with no resident parking restrictions means that parking near your own house is always a bit "luck of the draw". But when one of your neighbours starts a car sales business and uses the road as long term storage for twenty or so of their cars (all taxed, MOT-d and insured), it can be a bit of a nuisance. Not least when it means that most other residents of the street now have to find parking space on other similarly terraced streets (which can also pit them against certain insurers who expect them to park at the postcode of their house),
Is there a limit to the number of cars it's reasonable for someone to own and park on their own street when there's only on-street parking available, and does anyone have suggestions about how to keep everyone happy?
Is there a limit to the number of cars it's reasonable for someone to own and park on their own street when there's only on-street parking available, and does anyone have suggestions about how to keep everyone happy?
Move, we had a taxi company operating out of a terraced house in our old street and despite everyone complaining and trying to "get something done" it was allowed to carry on, 17 taxis were often parked in our street which only accommodated around 19 cars. they would park tactically too so if one left a driver would move a car into the space left so as to keep it.
That coupled with comings and goings all night and idling engines constantly almost drove me to think of violence !
In answer to the OP, one car, one is reasonable, like we had. I kept all my other cars elsewhere because I'm not a complete cocktrumpet and actually care about my fellow man. Apart from taxi co. owners, who can burn in hell as far as I am concerned.
That coupled with comings and goings all night and idling engines constantly almost drove me to think of violence !
In answer to the OP, one car, one is reasonable, like we had. I kept all my other cars elsewhere because I'm not a complete cocktrumpet and actually care about my fellow man. Apart from taxi co. owners, who can burn in hell as far as I am concerned.
Sounds like operating a business from residential address?
I thought that the planners / council took a dim view of that?
We operated car sales from home for a while. Every car was stored in a storage facility, minimal impact to anyone that way.
Of course, selling a small number of high value classics from home is a very different thing to having 17 cars on a street!
I thought that the planners / council took a dim view of that?
We operated car sales from home for a while. Every car was stored in a storage facility, minimal impact to anyone that way.
Of course, selling a small number of high value classics from home is a very different thing to having 17 cars on a street!
Worth speaking to the guy in the first instance and explaining the issue and see what he has in mind?
If its "sorry I'm just starting up and will be getting a unit in the next month" then fair enough, give him the benefit of the doubt, but if his response is "whatever" then I'd be escalating to the council.
IIRC that millionaire "man cave" bloke ended up on the receiving end of a council backed injunction for parking numerous cars in local roads.
Of course, depending on how far you are prepared to go with this a different approach might be to balaclava up and go down the road at 3am squirting high strength paint stripper over his cars. That might make the think twice if the nice approach fails.
If its "sorry I'm just starting up and will be getting a unit in the next month" then fair enough, give him the benefit of the doubt, but if his response is "whatever" then I'd be escalating to the council.
IIRC that millionaire "man cave" bloke ended up on the receiving end of a council backed injunction for parking numerous cars in local roads.
Of course, depending on how far you are prepared to go with this a different approach might be to balaclava up and go down the road at 3am squirting high strength paint stripper over his cars. That might make the think twice if the nice approach fails.
This is basically the flipside of the "Public Highway innit, anybody can park there".
I think most people tend to be fairly considerate but you always get some self entitled cretins. They're no different to the types who park in disabled or P&C spaces.
In answer to the OP IMHO it should be however many cars you can fit across the frontage of your house.
I think most people tend to be fairly considerate but you always get some self entitled cretins. They're no different to the types who park in disabled or P&C spaces.
In answer to the OP IMHO it should be however many cars you can fit across the frontage of your house.
Mum and Dad had that in their road - all terraced houses on both sides and no offstreet parking. Bloke from a road or two away started doing the same in parking cars for sale in their road, but it stopped after a couple of weeks when the cars were continuously being vandalised. No-one ever found out who it was, but it was more than just flat tyres and broken wing mirrors.
Perhaps an irritation should occur. Loosened valves on tyres, chalk pens showing some colourful words or much lower prices, number plates that just keep falling off (it would be a shame if they happened to attach themselves to all different cars), could even check if their wipers are in better nick and be a bit cheeky. A few breadcrumbs on the roof might even encourage some turd bombings from the local winged wildlife.
Has the dealer in question been spoken to? That's always the first step.
Has the dealer in question been spoken to? That's always the first step.
I've got a tosser of a neighbour doing exactly the same. Complains about parking in the road but is using it to store his used stock, however he is only flipping one car at a time.
IANAL but 20 cars for sale at the same time seems to me to be a clear breach of S3 (Exposing vehicles for sale on a road) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005:
A person is guilty of an offence if at any time (a) he leaves two or more motor vehicles parked within 500 metres of each other on a road or roads where they are exposed or advertised for sale, or (b) he causes two or more motor vehicles to be so left
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/16/secti...
The "exposed or advertised for sale" bit could prove tricky, as most traders don't stick 'For Sale' signs in the windows lest they attract attention. Let me guess though: you search on FB Marketplace and or Gumtree in your locality and you will find all his listings.
Screenshot everything with time/date and go to the council.
IANAL but 20 cars for sale at the same time seems to me to be a clear breach of S3 (Exposing vehicles for sale on a road) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005:
A person is guilty of an offence if at any time (a) he leaves two or more motor vehicles parked within 500 metres of each other on a road or roads where they are exposed or advertised for sale, or (b) he causes two or more motor vehicles to be so left
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/16/secti...
The "exposed or advertised for sale" bit could prove tricky, as most traders don't stick 'For Sale' signs in the windows lest they attract attention. Let me guess though: you search on FB Marketplace and or Gumtree in your locality and you will find all his listings.
Screenshot everything with time/date and go to the council.
Edited by PurpleTurtle on Wednesday 15th May 14:56
PurpleTurtle said:
I've got a tosser of a neighbour doing exactly the same. Complains about parking in the road but is using it to store his used stock, however he is only flipping one car at a time.
IANAL but 20 cars for sale at the same time seems to me to be a clear breach of S3 (Exposing vehicles for sale on a road) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005:
A person is guilty of an offence if at any time (a) he leaves two or more motor vehicles parked within 500 metres of each other on a road or roads where they are exposed or advertised for sale, or (b) he causes two or more motor vehicles to be so left
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/16/secti...
The "exposed or advertised for sale" bit could prove tricky, as most traders don't stick 'For Sale' signs in the windows lest they attract attention. Let me guess though: you search on FB Marketplace and or Gumtree in your locality and you will find all his listings.
Screenshot everything with time/date and go to the council.
They have to be openly advertised - IE a price in the window for that to stickIANAL but 20 cars for sale at the same time seems to me to be a clear breach of S3 (Exposing vehicles for sale on a road) of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005:
A person is guilty of an offence if at any time (a) he leaves two or more motor vehicles parked within 500 metres of each other on a road or roads where they are exposed or advertised for sale, or (b) he causes two or more motor vehicles to be so left
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/16/secti...
The "exposed or advertised for sale" bit could prove tricky, as most traders don't stick 'For Sale' signs in the windows lest they attract attention. Let me guess though: you search on FB Marketplace and or Gumtree in your locality and you will find all his listings.
Screenshot everything with time/date and go to the council.
Car Dealer here
I had the opposite issue with the Council complaining that I had 6 cars on my drive - their proposed solution - was to park them on the road !
hidetheelephants said:
That's what a drive is for? WTF?
You would think so The Council official even stated "It looks like you bought that property because it has a large drive"
Yes, I did !
There were no projects, no work was being undertaken etc, it was a 4 bed house so could reasonably be expected to house 5 people and hence 5 cars
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