How to impose private parking charges

[PurpleMoonlight]

I am getting so pissed off at my office neighbours that I am thinking of imposing parking charges.

I have 9 spaces but regularly only occupy 3 of them. This means that everyone else thinks it's okay to use my spare ones which I am paying for in my rent, and which they don't because they are too cheap to occupy offices with sufficient parking for their staff and visitors.

I have left polite notes on vehicles and visited what I think are the offices where the driver works. Sometimes it achieves the required result for a while, sometimes not.

I guess I need a reasonable sized sign stating the penalties of parking in my spaces to form the contract. The spaces are marked as allocated to my office unit.

Anyone tried this?

What worries me is whether or not DVLA will give me the owners details should the sign not work. I have downloaded the application form.

[HantsRat]

Do you own the land or rent? If you rent the land owner needs to put in parking restrictions not yourself.

If you don't use them though, what's the harm? Can't you rent the spaces to the business using them?

[PurpleMoonlight]

HantsRat said:

Do you own the land or rent? If you rent the land owner needs to put in parking restrictions not yourself.

If you don't use them though, what's the harm? Can't you rent the spaces to the business using them?

I rent. I thought anyone with rights over the land can impose charges on those who don't.

Whether or not I use them is not the point, they are mine.

[HantsRat]

The contract must be between the land owner and those parking.

[HantsRat]

PurpleMoonlight said:

Whether or not I use them is not the point, they are mine.

Well technically they aren't yours as you rent them. You just have permission to use them from the owner and pay for this. You would need to contact the land owner on this and ask them to put in a solution.

[General Fluff]

Or, since you don't need them you could just do nothing, enjoy the warm felling of helping others whilst reducing your own stress levels. And the world becomes that little bit nicer as a result of your kindness.

[PurpleMoonlight]

General Fluff said:

Or, since you don't need them you could just do nothing, enjoy the warm felling of helping others whilst reducing your own stress levels. And the world becomes that little bit nicer as a result of your kindness.

But I do sometimes need them.

[surveyor]

There is sweet fanny adams you can do legally that will have any effect.

I've known people use a a4 sized sticky label to say do not park here, which is a bit (but not impossible) difficult to get off cleanly.

[Zetec-S]

OP didn't say they don't need them, just that he regularly only uses 3 of them. Which implies from time to time some/all of the others are needed, so as he's paying for them why should others get free parking and potentially inconvenience him? What happens if his business grows and takes on more staff, or he has a few visitors in?

Back to the original question, have you tried:

- putting (professionally made) signs by each space along the lines of "private parking for employees/vistors to XZY Ltd"
- you and your staff parking across 2 spaces
- speaking to LL about installing parking posts
- cones

[RizzoTheRat]

Our office landlord put folding posts in to block the spaces to all but the relevant key holder. Then they replaced the posts with ones with wider sections on the top to stop people parking in between the posts. We're in a town centre so had a lot of trouble with shoppers parking there before staff got to work.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Get posts installed or block them in

Posts are £25 each, so £175 then £200 to fit them (im being generous) , £375 to get job done

Pricey but will work

Or escalate to landlord as they own the land, doubt they will do bugger all, maybe go halves on above

[PurpleMoonlight]

We do tend to park across two spaces.

Posts would solve some problems but would likely need landlords permission, and might be prohibited by the Deeds as its an office complex with open plan parking albeit each space marked for a particular unit number. I'll look into it.

[Cold]

PurpleMoonlight said:

We do tend to park across two spaces.

Time to start parking at 90 degrees to the spaces.

[General Fluff]

Misinterpreted, apologies

[JagerT]

Surveyor has the easiest solution they'll soon get tired of having to remove a firmly attached notice before they can go home.

[PurpleMoonlight]

Cold said:

Time to start parking at 90 degrees to the spaces.

Actually I hadn't thought of that, doh!

45 degrees might suffice, and would stop some idiots parking either end and blocking us in.

[The Surveyor]

HantsRat said:

The contract must be between the land owner and those parking.

Wrong,

The enforcement can be done by a 3rd party provided they are acting with the written authority of the landowner.

If the OP was to get a private parking company in to ticket unauthorised parkers then they would need to get a written confirmation of authority from the landowner otherwise issued parking charge notices would be enforceable. It's certainly not something he can do himself.

[PurpleMoonlight]

The Surveyor said:

Wrong,

The enforcement can be done by a 3rd party provided they are acting with the written authority of the landowner.

If the OP was to get a private parking company in to ticket unauthorised parkers then they would need to get a written confirmation of authority from the landowner otherwise issued parking charge notices would be enforceable. It's certainly not something he can do himself.

Surely if I have a lease entitling me use of the land, then I can seek to enforce those rights by taking action against trespassers (which I understand that 'no parking' transgressors comes under).

[The Surveyor]

PurpleMoonlight said:

Surely if I have a lease entitling me use of the land, then I can seek to enforce those rights by taking action against trespassers (which I understand that 'no parking' transgressors comes under).

Yes, you can enforce those rights but if you want to issue any parking charge notices that would hold any water, you would need to ensure they have been issued with the land owners authority.

[nikaiyo2]

HantsRat said:

The contract must be between the land owner and those parking.

Really? That is completely incorrect.

The landowner would almost never have the right to enter a contract for a demised business premises. With some very limited exceptions where they can do things to protect their asset. Some retail developments are different to this, but that is usually because the land owner retains ownership of the "communal" car parks this is quite different to a business who has spaces demised to them.

Most commercial premises are owned by faceless property companies who have no interest in how the building is used so long as the rent is paid and the building is returned in the agreed state at the end of the lease.
One of our buildings is owned by a ME sovereign wealth fund via a holding company in Cayman I recon it takes 6 months to get a question answered by them.

The lawful occupier can enter into contracts with whomever they see fit, be that parking company, window cleaner or gardener.

I would be VERY wary of getting a private parking company involved as they are arses, utter utter arses. i have had a number of run ins with them, we had an issue in one of our sites, a group of travelers moved into the car park of an empty unit, for a few days this caused chaos, the managing agents then got a private parking company involved, to be honest the gypsies were less grief.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/streetwize-folding-parki... these are handy and can be installed in about 5 minutes.
Or block people in with your car, I know its unlawful, but if someone parks in your space, where else are you meant to park? Just make sure you are in a meeting and cant be disturbed for a few hours.
Or maybe spill some screws... these things happen.