Council removing my legally parked vehicle?

[fasimew]

I'm thoroughly annoyed with Croydon council. I have a van which is taxed, mot'd and insured. It's legally parked on the road in a designated parking bay. I don't drive the van much, and it's been sat for at least 6 months.

The van is parked on a side road to my house, and I don't check on it that often. I walked past the van this evening to find a notice of removal sticker placed on the window telling me that they're going to remove it unless I contact them within 7 days (it's been 6 days since the sticker was placed on it). Ok it looks filthy. But how is it legal to remove a legally parked vehicle? Isn't this harassment?

The notice says that if my vehicle is taken, claims may be subject to removal and storage fees, or destroyed if the value of it is less than the cost of removal.

Obviously I'm going to contact them and give them a few choice words, but what recourse do I have if I hadn't spotted this in time and they'd scrapped my vehicle?

Edited by fasimew on Thursday 15th February 03:47

[fasimew]

Oh you're damn right. I've sent them an email, copied in a bunch of councillors and the mayor. Let's see what my council tax goes towards.

[fasimew]

QBee said:

I suspect that residents have complained that it has been dumped there.
Even councils eventually do something about complaints.

Even if so, I can't get my head around how it's perfectly acceptable to remove a legally parked vehicle due to some nimby?

[fasimew]

The van is on a road lined with houses. It is not directly outside someone's front door, and neither is it visible from neighbours windows due to 10ft high hedges.

No letter has been received, merely a sticker has been placed on the window telling me to claim it within 7 days or else.

I agree it looks like an eyesore (I will be cleaning it), but that's no grounds to threaten owners with scrappage for a legally parked vehicle. Regardless of people's opinions, everything concerning the vehicle is above board. You can't just take people's property or saddle them with financial loss because 'reasons'. It makes a mockery of the law in the first place.

[fasimew]

Hammersia said:

If everyone in the street behaved like that and dumped an old van, you'd have an issue with it.

I'm sure some people would. But their opinions don't outweigh the rule of law. It's either lawful or it's not. You can't discriminate and make up your own rules as you see fit.

[fasimew]

Because there is a yellow line outside my house preventing me from doing so. The van is parked in a designated free parking bay, along with several other vehicles. One of which is a neighbours van that is even larger than mine (and newer and shinier). FYI he has a few on his drive and has to park two of his vehicles in the bay. I'm not throwing my toys out the pram because I'm an adult because even though he is being selfish by having many vehicles that seldom move, there is enough space for others to park.

But what difference does it make where I park? There is no law to say that I can't legally park my legal vehicle anywhere I legally please.

Edited by fasimew on Thursday 15th February 09:35

Edited by fasimew on Thursday 15th February 09:40

[fasimew]

Except in this case I am 'being fined' in some respect for not returning the shopping cart.

[fasimew]

Jader1973 said:

Why isn’t it parked on your driveway?

That's irrelevant, but I'll indulge you... There isnt enough space.

[fasimew]

911Spanker said:

How big is the van? Put up a picture of it in its current state.

Standard swb transit. No pics necessary.

[fasimew]

Jader1973 said:

fasimew said:

That's irrelevant, but I'll indulge you... There isnt enough space.

Because:
A) your car(s) are there
Or
B) the van is too big for the drive

Which is it?

I can see which way this is going. I'm not playing your game.

[fasimew]

philrs03 said:

So either your drive is too clogged up with other abandoned rubbish, or it has on it the car you drive daily? So instead of parking the car you drive daily, freeing up a potential space on the street when you are out using it, and leave the eyesore, abandoned van on your property, you choose to inconvenience everyone else but yourself?

Does that about sum it up? Legal or not, the fact you don’t even understand why there’s an issue is scary. And unfortunately reflective of the entitled, selfish society we now live in.

It's remarkable how some people are able to extrapolate information out of thin air. Who said I was inconveniencing anyone? Who said I drive a car daily?

Let's play devil's advocate... rather than keeping the drive clear and parking everything on the street, I have chosen to be considerate of others and park 2 vehicles on the drive.

[fasimew]

Problem solved. The council have replied back stating that no further action is to be taken.

So many conclusions being jumped to in here. Honestly, some of you act like women.
FYI it doesnt have any flat tyres, it's parked on the road, and it's likely to be only one person complaining about it, not several.

I'll give it a wash when I feel like it.

[fasimew]

biggbn said:

I think the 'vitriol' went both ways though?

Did it really? Really? No, it didn't.

[fasimew]

You've never encountered a woman?

I knew how to solve my problem. The sticker told me exactly what I needed to do, as i've done before. The reason why I copied in everyone under the sun is to raise the point that this is harassment when it happens more than once. The council gave me an email address to whom I should address complaints to.