Blocked Drive - Enforcement Matters
Discussion
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 f
king 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.
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 f
king 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
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. 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?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLKqwKn4fuQ&fe...
I have nothing useful to add.
Edited by Glassman on Thursday 30th June 12:34
Being in the motor trade has its perks. A, shall we say, business associate with a low loader came and created the space I needed to get out. All totally accidental.
Meanwhile, I've returned home and the thing is still there but it has since acquired a PCN.
My summary of it all is, you pay 1800-quid to lower your crossover so that the council can cash in on the contravention should anyone block you in.
Meanwhile, I've returned home and the thing is still there but it has since acquired a PCN.
My summary of it all is, you pay 1800-quid to lower your crossover so that the council can cash in on the contravention should anyone block you in.
Edited by Glassman on Thursday 30th June 19:37
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