Parking - Private land problem.

Parking - Private land problem.

Author
Discussion

HantsRat

Original Poster:

2,369 posts

107 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Our house is on a private managed estate. We have signs up saying residents only and a parking permit system but no ticketing.

There are 1 or 2 consistent offenders who park here evry day during the week and walk into nearby offices.

Is there anything legally that can be done to address this before I go down the route of hiring a private ticketing company?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Without enforcement, your signs and permits are a bluff. No more than that.

They've called your bluff.

Your next bluff could be to issue "tickets" but never do anything to actually legally enforce them.

'course, if you then DO try to enforce them, you risk being hung, drawn and quartered by the pepipillocks who think it's immoral to try and prevent inconsiderate aholes from parking on your land...

HantsRat

Original Poster:

2,369 posts

107 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Looks like we will have to go down the route of hiring a private enforcement company.

chanmenie

19 posts

110 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Buy some wheel clamps, and put up a sign warning that and any unauthorised cars will be clamped and the release fee is £175

carreauchompeur

17,830 posts

203 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
chanmenie said:
Buy some wheel clamps, and put up a sign warning that and any unauthorised cars will be clamped and the release fee is £175
Truly ste advice.

HantsRat

Original Poster:

2,369 posts

107 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
chanmenie said:
Buy some wheel clamps, and put up a sign warning that and any unauthorised cars will be clamped and the release fee is £175
Considering wheel clamping on private land is illegal.... Useless advice. Thanks for your input though.

surveyor

17,768 posts

183 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Is it causing a problem? If it's not why not leave a note point out that it's a private estate and if they would like the opportunity to pay for a parking permit so that they contribute to the upkeep they should contact you. Otherwise you will take enforcement measures....

Foliage

3,861 posts

121 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Hire some skips

R32

383 posts

251 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
HantsRat said:
Looks like we will have to go down the route of hiring a private enforcement company.
What loss are you suffering that a private parking company would try to recover?

surveyor

17,768 posts

183 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
R32 said:
HantsRat said:
Looks like we will have to go down the route of hiring a private enforcement company.
What loss are you suffering that a private parking company would try to recover?
Maintenance costs, amenity, etc.

Clamping laws should never have been scrapped - just those rogue operators clamped.....

Rude-boy

22,227 posts

232 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
surveyor said:
R32 said:
HantsRat said:
Looks like we will have to go down the route of hiring a private enforcement company.
What loss are you suffering that a private parking company would try to recover?
Maintenance costs, amenity, etc.

Clamping laws should never have been scrapped - just those rogue operators clamped.....
Agreed.

OP I would go with a polite note pointing out that this is a private road and as such they are technically trespassing and whilst you and the fellow residents would not wish to have to do so you will instruct a Private company to enforce the restrictions if they do not either a) buy a permit or b) bugger off and stop parking there.

chances are you will get no change and will need to go the private co route but you never know.

Before doing any of this tough I would be looking at having a meeting with the neighbours to agree a way ahead an appoint someone to deal with it. without this you will risk a dichotomy of approaches and the left hand not knowing what the right is doing.

balls-out

3,586 posts

230 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Step one - try to talk to the driver and ask them not to do it.


Print up some a4 - "please do not park here, this is private land and you are trespassing" signs and glue to the back side windows of the offending car with a water soluble glue. Make sure his view isn't obscured, and don't put it on paintwork.

He will soon get fed up of having to clean them off.

Technically probably illegal, but I can't see that it'll get to court.

Edited by balls-out on Monday 18th May 10:55

HantsRat

Original Poster:

2,369 posts

107 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Notes have been left but ignored.

I will get some quotes from private parking enforcement firms as there are no other options left. All other residents agree and are happy to pay for the cost of this.

andburg

7,214 posts

168 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
any chance of gating it off?

if they're parking in spaces could you fit folding bollards to prevent parking and supply residents with padlocks and keys?


The problem with private enforcement is they will likely start to issue invoices to your residents and their guests unless you have some quick way to identify correctly parked vehicles and generate admin charges for "cancellation". Either you will have to absorb these or residents will and I'm sure that will become tedious quickly.




Mart-1

441 posts

199 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Do you have a friendly builders merchant nearby?

Some heavy concrete sleepers placed strategically at the front and back of each car should interrupt their homeward travel and prompt them to try elsewhere

"Oh dear. The merchants are now closed. These are part of our new landscape design. What a shame you ignored our polite notes"

bobtail4x4

3,701 posts

108 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
park an old sh***er of a car inches from the front and back of them, and the owner should be "out" when they come back.

repeat.

or buy a wheelclamp and clamp a car you own, they will assume you have started clamping and think they have got away with it that day, hopefully not to return.

killerferret666

461 posts

187 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
bobtail4x4 said:
or buy a wheelclamp and clamp a car you own, they will assume you have started clamping and think they have got away with it that day, hopefully not to return.
that's very clever and may just work, make sure its on the wheel next to the drivers door.


If you need the car park spaces then the simplest is to park cars behind them to block them in.

Apologise when they come asking who it is saying sorry we had to block you in, however why are you parking here as you dont work here and this situation is only going to get worse for you with more staff starting.

Worked for us, the cars were then parked elsewhere. Also keeps it polite and have been told face to face then.

zedx19

2,704 posts

139 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Residents are all annoyed so you obviously have plenty of cars knocking about, so why can't you just block in the offending cars then await the owners to come knocking. Have a chat when they come knocking, if they carry on then don't answer the door next time they come knocking.

R32

383 posts

251 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
surveyor said:
Maintenance costs, amenity, etc.

Clamping laws should never have been scrapped - just those rogue operators clamped.....
I'm struggling to see how much of a financial loss one instance of someone parking on your land would cause you. What maintenance costs are there with a small bit of road/parking space? No idea what cost could be associated with loss of amenity either.

You can only recover any loss you suffer and tbh it doesn't sound like there is much of a loss.

I'd say the simplest solution is to either gate off the land or use bollards in parking spaces.

JustinP1

13,330 posts

229 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Print a note. Fold it, and put it under the wiper blade.

Print on the note:

"I've been loving watching you park here from my window."



That's freaky enough and ambiguous enough to get the mind racing. Failing that, you can step up the next note with something like:

"Smell your door handle."


That'll get rid of them more effectively than more aggressive action. wink