Blocked Drive - Enforcement Matters

Blocked Drive - Enforcement Matters

Author
Discussion

Glassman

Original Poster:

22,501 posts

214 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Our road is near a station; this overground stop is used by many on their way in to town, and given the ultimate destination is Moorgate (or Kings Cross) it's quite a busy station for north Londoners and those who live beyond the outer reaches of the underground.

This morning, a regular (I've seen the car in the area a lot) thought it would be OK to park his/her Qashqai across my drive, obstructing the lowered crossover by about a third of his/her car. Getting off, and out of my drive is not possible as there is a brick wall on the side I'd need to move towards in order to try and swerve the obstruction. So I contacted the police.

The police are not interested. It's a matter for the local authority, and they very kindly gave me the number for Barnet Council's parking enforcement department.

Parking enforcement will gladly send a warden over to issue a PCN, but they cannot - and will not - entertain removing the vehicle. If they want to levy their penalty, that's up to them, but "in the meantime, what do I do about getting my van off the drive?" At this point I was informed of the legal implications I would expose myself to should I decide to 'have it moved'.

I'm not inconvenienced on a day out to the fking seaside. I'm a small business, employed by myself, and this ob-fking-struction is preventing me from going to work. What is the fking point of having enforcement or 'rights' when you can't enforce them when the very thing they're fking enforceable against do not fking help YOU! If Qashqai owner coughs up, Barnet get their money, or he might even contest it on the basis that the car had broken down, so what's the point? I didn't pay to have the crossover lowered for the fking fun of it (yet if I hadn't have, they would have en-fking-forced their power to do so).

Seriously, what does the law say about these situations? Do they differ from borough to borough? I'm questioning the point of having them when the old bill don't want to know and the council just see it as an opportunity to cash in.



Edited by Glassman on Thursday 30th June 10:38

M3Driver

171 posts

163 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Can you buy metal bollards and pay to have them installed on either side of your driveway so no-one can park there again? That's probably what I'd do. It would leave you just enough width to get out, but people wouldn't be able to inconvenience you like that again.

As to getting out, can you not get a mate with a van to come with a tow rope. Make sure no-one is watching, attach tow rope to axle / driveshaft or underneath of offending vehicle, and move it over a bit? (personally I would move it so that a corner is sticking out onto the road and it risks being hit, but that's maybe just me). That should teach the c*nts a lesson!

Glassman

Original Poster:

22,501 posts

214 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
M3Driver said:
Can you buy metal bollards and pay to have them installed on either side of your driveway so no-one can park there again?
Do you mean on the road-side of the lowered curb?

M3Driver

171 posts

163 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Yes, you know like in cities where the bins are on wheels taking up a parking space on inner city streets.

I would dig a hole in the tarmac kerb and put a black bollard on either side that looks like it's meant to be there!

If that's too extreme, what about two very large strategically placed heavy wooden "planters" filled with concrete and then a little bit of compost on top and some pretty flowers? If anyone asks you could just say you're trying to make the community look a bit nicer? :-)

mgtony

4,014 posts

189 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
M3Driver said:
Yes, you know like in cities where the bins are on wheels taking up a parking space on inner city streets.

I would dig a hole in the tarmac kerb and put a black bollard on either side that looks like it's meant to be there!

If that's too extreme, what about two very large strategically placed heavy wooden "planters" filled with concrete and then a little bit of compost on top and some pretty flowers? If anyone asks you could just say you're trying to make the community look a bit nicer? :-)
confused

vonhosen

40,202 posts

216 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Glassman said:
Our road is near a station; this overground stop is used by many on their way in to town, and given the ultimate destination is Moorgate (or Kings Cross) it's quite a busy station for north Londoners and those who live beyond the outer reaches of the underground.

This morning, a regular (I've seen the car in the area a lot) thought it would be OK to park his/her Qashqai across my drive, obstructing the lowered crossover by about a third of his/her car. Getting off, and out of my drive is not possible as there is a brick wall on the side I'd need to move towards in order to try and swerve the obstruction. So I contacted the police.

The police are not interested. It's a matter for the local authority, and they very kindly gave me the number for Barnet Council's parking enforcement department.

Parking enforcement will gladly send a warden over to issue a PCN, but they cannot - and will not - entertain removing the vehicle. If they want to levy their penalty, that's up to them, but "in the meantime, what do I do about getting my van off the drive?" At this point I was informed of the legal implications I would expose myself to should I decide to 'have it moved'.

I'm not inconvenienced on a day out to the fking seaside. I'm a small business, employed by myself, and this ob-fking-struction is preventing me from going to work. What is the fking point of having enforcement or 'rights' when you can't enforce them when the very thing they're fking enforceable against do not fking help YOU! If Qashqai owner coughs up, Barnet get their money, or he might even contest it on the basis that the car had broken down, so what's the point? I didn't pay to have the crossover lowered for the fking fun of it (yet if I hadn't have, they would have en-fking-forced their power to do so).

Seriously, what does the law say about these situations? Do they differ from borough to borough? I'm questioning the point of having them when the old bill don't want to know and the council just see it as an opportunity to cash in.



Edited by Glassman on Thursday 30th June 10:38
Council in North London would normally deal with 'blocking a dropped kerb' by use of Penalty Notice.

Police can deal with under 'unnecessary obstruction' where you are unable to get onto the road because of an obstruction, but not where you are blocked from getting off the road onto your driveway. (if they have the resources to deal with it that is).

Centurion07

10,381 posts

246 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
Council in North London would normally deal with 'blocking a dropped kerb' by use of Penalty Notice.

Police can deal with under 'unnecessary obstruction' where you are unable to get onto the road because of an obstruction, but not where you are blocked from getting off the road onto your driveway. (if they have the resources to deal with it that is).
Essentially, he HAS been fobbed off then when told it's not a police matter, just to clarify?

Glassman

Original Poster:

22,501 posts

214 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
vonhosen said:
Police can deal with under 'unnecessary obstruction' where you are unable to get onto the road because of an obstruction, but not where you are blocked from getting off the road onto your driveway. (if they have the resources to deal with it that is).
I've explained that I'm self-employed that the obstruction is preventing me from egress etc. They just don't sound interested.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
I would tow/drag/roll it 3 feet or whatever it needs to get you off your drive.

If you happen to see the driver then I'd also be throwing a few fks into them as well, utterly selfish behaviour. mad

Henzy

125 posts

150 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
This was the first thing that came to mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLKqwKn4fuQ&fe...

I have nothing useful to add.

spookly

4,011 posts

94 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Be a shame if some snotter accidentally knocked the wing mirror off and didn't leave a note :-)

I think this highlights the selfishness of people, exacerbated by the stupid lack of parking where it is needed.

I've never parked across someone's drive and never would. But the people near me who have a garage that would not even fit a car, but have no parking signs.... and the bloke who puts cones across his house, are both fair game.

The bloke who puts his cones out near my kids school, I just regularly run right over his cones in a big 4x4.... if he asks then I didn't notice he was illegally putting signage on the highway :-)

stair

20 posts

171 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
I remember seeing someone on here recommended using plastic trays from McDs for this kind of thing. Get a jack and put one under each wheel, then you can slide the car around. Not had cause to try it myself but I heard it works well!

Far Cough

2,192 posts

167 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Henzy said:
This was the first thing that came to mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLKqwKn4fuQ&fe...

I have nothing useful to add.
Blimey !!

Personally i would just drag it out the way and leave it in the middle of the road. Perhaps the cops would deal with it then.

Glassman

Original Poster:

22,501 posts

214 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Henzy said:
This was the first thing that came to mind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLKqwKn4fuQ&fe...

I have nothing useful to add.
How come the airbags on on the Evoque didn't inflate? Wasn't ramming hard enough?


hehe


Edited by Glassman on Thursday 30th June 12:34

ratboiler

437 posts

190 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Trolley jack under the back axle drag it across the road lower it and call the police as its obstructing the road.

Glassman

Original Poster:

22,501 posts

214 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
ratboiler said:
Trolley jack under the back axle drag it across the road lower it and call the police as its obstructing the road.
Don't have a trolley jack. I know that's not very PH, but I'd pop down to the motorfactors and buy one... if only I could get off the fking drive.

flyingscot68

241 posts

138 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Set fire to it, by the time the FB put it out, it'll be light enough to move idea

Steve H

5,225 posts

194 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Glassman said:
ratboiler said:
Trolley jack under the back axle drag it across the road lower it and call the police as its obstructing the road.
Don't have a trolley jack. I know that's not very PH, but I'd pop down to the motorfactors and buy one... if only I could get off the fking drive.
Euro Car Parts will stock a trolley jack and do deliveries from the branch wink


Al U

2,311 posts

130 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Anyone fancy getting a petition started to make it illegal to block someone's driveway whether a car is on the drive or not? I'll happily sign it if anyone can do the honours..

vonhosen

40,202 posts

216 months

Thursday 30th June 2016
quotequote all
Al U said:
Anyone fancy getting a petition started to make it illegal to block someone's driveway whether a car is on the drive or not? I'll happily sign it if anyone can do the honours..
It already is, but it's a devolved local authority matter. Whether it blocks it or not is inconsequential, it just has to be across part of the dropped kerb.