Private parking - advice please.

Private parking - advice please.

Author
Discussion

geeks

9,100 posts

138 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
You need some of these


RtdRacer

1,274 posts

200 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
If his car is blocked in, but you move it upon request, then you would not be in breach of the law.

What is a reasonable time for you to come and move your car? 20 minutes? 30 minutes?

This seems a reasonable course.

streaky

19,311 posts

248 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
13th said:
Hi all,

Where do I stand on blocking in a member of the publics car on private land?
In the middle of the access?

Streaky

streaky

19,311 posts

248 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
mikeveal said:
R0G said:
Breadvan72 said:
R0G said:
Could trespass laws be used in this case?
Of course, but we are talking about practical remedies. The fact of trespass is obvious. The question is, how to stop it?
Trespass means the police can be involved - yes?
Breadvan72 said:
No it does not. Where do people acquire such notions?
Tresspass is a civil, not a criminal matter. That means the police aren't interested. Going down the tresspass route would mean sueing the guy for losses / damages.
Some trespass is criminal. There are several threads on the topic.

Streaky

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
This trespass isn't.

Pontoneer

3,643 posts

185 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
If 'someone' let the air out of his tyres each time he parked there , he would soon stop parking there .

Perhaps one flat tyre to begin with , so that he could put his spare on just causing some inconvenience . After repeated parking , he might come back to more than one flat tyre .

Of course , you would have no idea who might have done this ; you have no duty of care over his car . The police could hardly do anything since no one would have seen anything ( whoever might have done it would need only a couple of seconds with a Schraeder key ) , and , anyway , no damage would have been done .

Once he had been inconvenienced a few times he would find somewhere else to park .

13th

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

212 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
streaky said:
13th said:
Hi all,

Where do I stand on blocking in a member of the publics car on private land?
In the middle of the access?

Streaky
Hahaha, sadly he's a commuter so arrives well before my hours start and access when he leaves is when many of our customers arrive and or leave.

I was a little misleading as I was asking the question in retrospect.

We boxed him in already, leaving a notice to tell him where the owner of the car was. He came to reception and was very unpleasant using his very large presence both physically and verbally to try to intimidate.

(little did he know that the car next to him which he was hoping would move was mine; cue sweaty palms for me as I imagined my Jag XKR getting damaged, esp as she's just had a paint job, but I digress)

He said he was calling the police and was told to "go ahead" I guess they weren't interested as they certainly didn't show, he then reversed back and forth towards the car blocking him.

Unfortunatly (for him) the owner of the car behind him was very busy indeed for the next 45 mins but the nasty bit of work still gave her verbal when she did move her car...........

I'm guessing he will be back as he seemed to thoroughly enjoy throwing his not inconsiderable weight about!!
albeit that he came up against the wrong woman.

Pontoneer

3,643 posts

185 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
The other option is indeed for another vehicle to block him in .

When asked to let him out you respond that will be no problem - unfortunately , the driver won't be back until the end of the day / next morning , at which point he can get his car out .

Otherwise , if you have access to a tow truck / set of car skates , maybe just a trolley jack , you would be perfectly entitled to remove the offending car from your car park and dump it outside on the street ( where it might well be ticketed / towed away ) . How sad for the owner .

13th

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

212 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Pontoneer said:
If 'someone' let the air out of his tyres each time he parked there , he would soon stop parking there .

Perhaps one flat tyre to begin with , so that he could put his spare on just causing some inconvenience . After repeated parking , he might come back to more than one flat tyre .

Of course , you would have no idea who might have done this ; you have no duty of care over his car . The police could hardly do anything since no one would have seen anything ( whoever might have done it would need only a couple of seconds with a Schraeder key ) , and , anyway , no damage would have been done .

Once he had been inconvenienced a few times he would find somewhere else to park .
Isn't that illegal?

kowalski655

14,582 posts

142 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
I may be utterly wrong but i thought thta the act that bans clamping allows councils\ cops to move cars. I may be talking crap though

oldcynic

2,166 posts

160 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Can you work out the daily cost of the space to your business and take him to court for this (based on the number of days he's parked) plus admin, costs etc.

Alternatively CCTV with audio to capture his delightful threats and give you an easy case for breach of the peace or whatever it's called.

clarkey328is

2,220 posts

173 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Wouldn't letting the tyres down be immobilising the car? I guess it's a grey area but since it is now illegal (as in a criminal matter) to do that, I would be careful.
If they arrive before you get to work, can't you just get a gate or a lockable bollard? That way they couldn't get in in the first place. If they left the car in the entrance, you could probably get the police to tow it for blocking access.

caziques

2,564 posts

167 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Small block of wood with nail through it, strategically placed to perhaps cause a puncture when the car is driven.

icetea

846 posts

141 months

Friday 5th October 2012
quotequote all
Pontoneer said:
If 'someone' let the air out of his tyres each time he parked there , he would soon stop parking there .

Perhaps one flat tyre to begin with , so that he could put his spare on just causing some inconvenience . After repeated parking , he might come back to more than one flat tyre .

Of course , you would have no idea who might have done this ; you have no duty of care over his car . The police could hardly do anything since no one would have seen anything ( whoever might have done it would need only a couple of seconds with a Schraeder key ) , and , anyway , no damage would have been done .

Once he had been inconvenienced a few times he would find somewhere else to park .
The police could't do anything... but what would you do when 'someone else' put a brick through the shop window, or assaulted the woman he's already been aggressive to?

I know you think your idea is big and clever.... really its small, petty and will potentially cause far bigger problems than it solves.

Pontoneer

3,643 posts

185 months

Saturday 6th October 2012
quotequote all
13th said:
Isn't that illegal?
It might be - but if no one sees who did it then who would be charged ?

No damage would be done to the car since the tyre would be fine once reinflated .


Pontoneer

3,643 posts

185 months

Saturday 6th October 2012
quotequote all
icetea said:
The police could't do anything... but what would you do when 'someone else' put a brick through the shop window, or assaulted the woman he's already been aggressive to?

I know you think your idea is big and clever.... really its small, petty and will potentially cause far bigger problems than it solves.
The moron is a bully who needs to be dealt with in the only way he understands .

Letting one tyre down is not immobilising since all he has to do is fit his spare , same as if he had a puncture .

I would only escalate to more than one tyre if he persisted .

The other tactic would not be to block him in , but to park so close on either side of him that he couldn't get into his car - that would avoid him reversing back and forth . Again the drivers of the other vehicles would not be available , and ideally would be someone bigger and more intimidating than him when they return .

Don't suppose you know where he works ? Depending on the type of place , it might be effective to either complain to his employer , or go in and rant and rave about him needing to move his car in much the same manner as he did in your premises .

longblackcoat

5,047 posts

182 months

Saturday 6th October 2012
quotequote all
Annoying stickers would be a good idea. Really sticky ones that take 20 minutes to remove. Make sure that the first time you have someone around watching for his return. Oh, and definitely get both the windscreen and the driver's door window.

If that doesn't work, then waiting for him and barring entrance would be a good idea, particularly if you inform him that if he does park there (sounds like he might sneak back in) you'll be levying a charge of, say £50 per day. You'll clearly need his name and address to ensure you can invoice the right person........at that point, he might well realise the game is up, and that it's time to move onto easier pickings elsewhere.

Pontoneer

3,643 posts

185 months

Saturday 6th October 2012
quotequote all
longblackcoat said:
Annoying stickers would be a good idea. Really sticky ones that take 20 minutes to remove. Make sure that the first time you have someone around watching for his return. Oh, and definitely get both the windscreen and the driver's door window.

If that doesn't work, then waiting for him and barring entrance would be a good idea, particularly if you inform him that if he does park there (sounds like he might sneak back in) you'll be levying a charge of, say £50 per day. You'll clearly need his name and address to ensure you can invoice the right person........at that point, he might well realise the game is up, and that it's time to move onto easier pickings elsewhere.
Name and address are not a problem since , as owners/operators of the car park , you can simply request this information from DVLA , paying the appropriate fee ( £5 IIRC ) . A car persistently left on your property should be a perfectly valid reason for requesting his details .

OP could then write to him informing him that the car park is private and he is not permitted to park there . Furthermore if he persists in doing so the car will be removed from the car park and left on the street outside . No responsibility will be accepted for any consequences arising from this ( parking tickets/towing by the council ) .


Interestingly , if you find out where he lives , I wonder how he would react if someone dumped a van on his drive whilst he was out ?

Edited by Pontoneer on Saturday 6th October 08:11

pcvdriver

1,819 posts

198 months

Saturday 6th October 2012
quotequote all
R0G said:
<tongue in cheek mode>

Find local hoody with a screwdriver and slip them a fiver
also tongue in cheek - "find" a local hoodie with........;-)

barker22

1,037 posts

166 months

Saturday 6th October 2012
quotequote all
how about a sign on the gate stating 'this car park closes at xx pm'
Shut up shop early one day. He will get the message.