Effective & legal ways of preventing parking in my car park?

[speedking31]

Surely all of this immobilising and blocking people in is the reason why clamping was made illegal in the first place. Think woman on the way to collect the kids from school or man on his way to important medical appointment and how that publicity would impact your business.

Signage, getting to work early and tactical parking appear to be your best legal options.

[scdan4]

Randomthoughts said:

I would potentially avoid this, as I believe this can be construed as criminal damage. Deserved or not, you don't need to be dealing with that!

I appreciate that it can happen, but I would be sorely disappointed if police action was taken.

"So you parked there on private ground next to the "no parking, private" sign and you were verbally asked not to by your neighbour"

"yes"

"And then you parked there again, and were asked not to again?"

"yes"

"and again?"

"yes"

"so then you parked there again and he blu-tac'd a sheet of paper to your windscreen explaining that it was private ground, in use, and that you'd been asked not to park there lots"

"yes"

"so then you parked there, again, and this time he used masking tape?"

"yes"

"And the next time he used gaffer tape"

"yes"

"and then you parked there again, and again, and again......."


Maybe I have a misplaced faith in the powers that be, but I would assume that I would be ok up to, but not including araldite. It could hardly be claimed to have "come out of nowhere"

• I would also like to point out that about 50% of the time, our caring sharing neighbours were parked in such a way that we could not get into (or out of) our property as they were parked across the doorway.

(We were not the only victims of the freeform parking - but we were by far the most restrained. Half the reason they parked here so much was that other neighbours did smash wing mirrors off, etc.)

[anonymous-user]

speedking31 said:

Surely all of this immobilising and blocking people in is the reason why clamping was made illegal in the first place. Think woman on the way to collect the kids from school or man on his way to important medical appointment and how that publicity would impact your business.

Signage, getting to work early and tactical parking appear to be your best legal options.

Indeed. Cameron, buffoon that he is, went too far with this law reform. Tackling cowboy clampers and extortion was important, but now we have a blaggers' charter. Better, perhaps, to allow for regulated and price-controlled parking enforcement on private land, clamping included.

[anonymous-user]

Mr Taxpayer said:

Shame the handy-man dropped a box of screws on his way into the building and didn't manage to pick them all up.

No so smart. My wife was/is the victim of a disgruntled employee who has an issue with authority. Twice she discovered a nail in her tyre but luckily it resulted in a slow puncture. I don't want to think about what would have happened if it had caused a blow-out. We know who's responsible and they are too stupid (not just figuratively) to think through the possible consequences of their actions.

If anything happened and you were found responsible I dread to think of the world of trouble you'd find yourself in.

[LoonR1]

Clearly you are a capitalist and a goatee sporting, red bull drinking director which is the epitome of a PHer. However, you have crossed the line by suggesting people don't have the right to park wherever they like whenever they like.

All you have to do is take a look at the amount of threads where people have parked on private land and received a fine / penalty / invoice and the amount of support and advice they receive.

[Hoink]

If they are repeat offenders perhaps you could try chatting to them and calmly explaining the issue?

[Dbest92]

As mentioned chain and a padlock surely? Failing that there's those key operated bollards I've seen in places which seem to be in a similar situation

[Snowboy]

Put frozen sausages, cans of red bull and parrots in their exhaust pipes.

If it was me, I'd block them in, and put a note on their car saying to come onto the office and you'll move your car.
Then ask them not to do it again quite firmly

[Red Devil]

Breadvan72 said:

speedking31 said:

Surely all of this immobilising and blocking people in is the reason why clamping was made illegal in the first place. Think woman on the way to collect the kids from school or man on his way to important medical appointment and how that publicity would impact your business.

Signage, getting to work early and tactical parking appear to be your best legal options.

Indeed. Cameron, buffoon that he is, went too far with this law reform. Tackling cowboy clampers and extortion was important, but now we have a blaggers' charter.

So who were those that contracted with the cowboy clampers? Might that have been landowners/leaseholders perchance? By turning a blind eye to the excesses and not reining in or sacking their sub-contracted goons there was a consequent (and justifiable imo) public backlash. ISTR that history hasn't been all that kind to Pontius Pilate.

Now the pendulum has swung the other way. It was an inevitable consequence of getting into bed with an industry which was quite incapable of self-regulation and behaved so appallingly that the government felt compelled to wield an axe where pruning shears might have sufficed. It is always bad news when the state intervenes as it seldom gets the balance right.

Btw the post 2012 antics of firms like PE have done nothing to enhance the reputation of the private parking industry. The BPA is first and foremost a trade body representing the interests of its members. It's regulatory function is minimal and it imposes no effective sanctions when its members step out of line.

Breadvan72 said:

Better, perhaps, to allow for regulated and price-controlled parking enforcement on private land, clamping included.

That will do nothing to prevent or solve a problem on the ground which has already happened. It puts the cart in front of the horse. Regulation signally failed in respect of clamping. The government came up with the SIA as a 'solution'. A toothless tiger. Form filling and paperwork will never deal with an issue which is physical - i.e. a lump of metal and plastic on land where it shouldn't be. In respect of price controls, who is going to decide at what level that should be set and how will the appropriate calculation be performed? It will also require an effective appeal body like PATAS/TPT.

It is not the answer for private land where the problem is so diverse (compare a retail shopping park where the outlets want the public to come onto the land to a block of flats where the residents don't). The only effective answer in the OP's case is some form of barrier. I agree it's not ideal but it's the only practical way of stopping unwanted parking. The OP has said he can't do this. Why not? Is it prohibited under the terms of his lease? Locking posts in the staff car park spaces would solve his problem.

Property ownership/occupancy has costs attached. This is just one of them.

[HereBeMonsters]

It is a shame the law has changed. I had a repeat offender from the hairdressers below my flat using my allocated, signed and and numbered space. She'd bought a brand new 316i and didn't want to park it in the road outside the shop any more, so thought my space would be a good place instead.
After ignoring 3 notes, and a verbal telling off from me I bought a bike to get to work on instead, and left my car blocking her in for a whole week.

Eventually I left a note saying I will move my car for an hour the next day, when I came back she had gone, and never parked there again. A bit dickish on my part, but effective!

[tenpenceshort]

Those who dislike current private parking enforcement may not like the result if they were given a statutory amount that can be charged, as I doubt very much it would be a satisfactorily (for them) low figure.

[9mm]

scdan4 said:

Randomthoughts said:

I would potentially avoid this, as I believe this can be construed as criminal damage. Deserved or not, you don't need to be dealing with that!

I appreciate that it can happen, but I would be sorely disappointed if police action was taken.

"So you parked there on private ground next to the "no parking, private" sign and you were verbally asked not to by your neighbour"

"yes"

"And then you parked there again, and were asked not to again?"

"yes"

"and again?"

"yes"

"so then you parked there again and he blu-tac'd a sheet of paper to your windscreen explaining that it was private ground, in use, and that you'd been asked not to park there lots"

"yes"

"so then you parked there, again, and this time he used masking tape?"

"yes"

"And the next time he used gaffer tape"

"yes"

"and then you parked there again, and again, and again......."


Maybe I have a misplaced faith in the powers that be, but I would assume that I would be ok up to, but not including araldite. It could hardly be claimed to have "come out of nowhere"

• I would also like to point out that about 50% of the time, our caring sharing neighbours were parked in such a way that we could not get into (or out of) our property as they were parked across the doorway.

(We were not the only victims of the freeform parking - but we were by far the most restrained. Half the reason they parked here so much was that other neighbours did smash wing mirrors off, etc.)

Exactly. Like broken glass on top of a wall. So sue me.

[4rephill]

Snowboy said:

..........If it was me, I'd block them in, and put a note on their car saying to come onto the office and you'll move your car.
Then ask them not to do it again quite firmly

And if they decide to bring the Police in with them then you can be informed of the offence you've just committed!

[Motorrad]

Is it illegal to just remove the offending vehicles?

Doesn't take much to trolley jack the fkers out of the way and onto public land depending on the layout of your car park. Personally I'd leave the s in the middle of the highway and see how that works out as long as I had guaranteed deniability.

Failing that it's going to be lockable bollards which is what I use.

[guns80]

Not sure what business you have but could a well timed delivery be the solution, doubt the police would do anything about a car park filled with half ton bags of sand blocking someone in and they will take a fair bit of time to shift. A few well placed warning signs of frequent deliveries and an unfortunate forklift breakdown it's just one of those things.

[guns80]

Not sure what business you have but could a well timed delivery be the solution, doubt the police would do anything about a car park filled with half ton bags of sand blocking someone in and they will take a fair bit of time to shift. A few well placed warning signs of frequent deliveries and an unfortunate forklift breakdown it's just one of those things.

[Hol]

aholes who have no appreciation of other peoples property and subsequently no remorse for their actions have no place in society.

The trouble as said, is that we have a number of threads on PH that seem to defend this type of behaviour.


I'm glad the clampers have gone, but surely law abiding land owners have some options.

If quoting £100 a day parking, or displaying an official looking staff permit it is what it takes, to make it legal. That just feels wrong.

[Motorrad]

guns80 said:

Not sure what business you have but could a well timed delivery be the solution, doubt the police would do anything about a car park filled with half ton bags of sand blocking someone in and they will take a fair bit of time to shift. A few well placed warning signs of frequent deliveries and an unfortunate forklift breakdown it's just one of those things.

If you're going to go down that route surely it's just simpler to put a car there (that doesn't belong to anyone present) and just tell the owner of the offending vehicle 'we have no idea who put it there we thought perhaps it was just another person who dumps their car on our land, by the way, who are you?

[Snowboy]

4rephill said:

Snowboy said:

..........If it was me, I'd block them in, and put a note on their car saying to come onto the office and you'll move your car.
Then ask them not to do it again quite firmly

And if they decide to bring the Police in with them then you can be informed of the offence you've just committed!

Then I appolgise to the cop and promise not to block him in again if he promises to not park in my spaces again.
I'd be willing to bet a dollar that a cop wouldn't arrest or charge for blocking in a car like that, especially if you say you'll move for them.

Realistically, by the time the cops arrive you would probably have driven home anyway.

[Mr Classic]

9mm said:

scdan4 said:

Randomthoughts said:

I would potentially avoid this, as I believe this can be construed as criminal damage. Deserved or not, you don't need to be dealing with that!

I appreciate that it can happen, but I would be sorely disappointed if police action was taken.

...
(We were not the only victims of the freeform parking - but we were by far the most restrained. Half the reason they parked here so much was that other neighbours did smash wing mirrors off, etc.)

Exactly. Like broken glass on top of a wall. So sue me.

People injured by barbed wire on private land have successfully sued and won before, similar as to how man traps are illegal.

Anyway back to the original question, one main lockable barrier/ bollard with a combination lock or key pass system?