What happens if you block a private car park?
Discussion
I occasionally have issues with vans from one of the major supermarket chains blocking the entrance to my property while they deliver to a neighbour. I've even spoken to the supermarket manager who made all the right noises but failed to result in any change.
As I am currently waiting for one of them to move so I can get into my property I am musing... What would happen if someone blocked the entrance to their loading/unloading compound? There's only one gate in and out, and the road leading up to that gate is on private property.
What could the supermarket legally do if someone got annoyed enough that they just parked up across the entrance to the supermarket compound one morning, and refused to move all day? If I rang 111 and said "supermarket is blocking me in" I bet I'd be told to just wait until they moved, so if a supermarket rang 111 and said "car is blocking us in" would they get the same? Suspect they could issue a parking penalty for being outside a marked bay but sod all else.
If one of their workers got the hump with the car park Gandalf and decided to get hands-on of their own volition, what then? Can you come after the employer to pay for the damage or are you left chasing an angry van man for the costs?
Clearly I'm not going to do this, but has anyone heard of it happening? Surely in our nation of Victor Meldrews someone has attempted this.
Oh, also I'm open to ideas on how to stop these selfish t
ts from parking there instead of 5 metres further away from the angry alcoholic neighbour.
As I am currently waiting for one of them to move so I can get into my property I am musing... What would happen if someone blocked the entrance to their loading/unloading compound? There's only one gate in and out, and the road leading up to that gate is on private property.
What could the supermarket legally do if someone got annoyed enough that they just parked up across the entrance to the supermarket compound one morning, and refused to move all day? If I rang 111 and said "supermarket is blocking me in" I bet I'd be told to just wait until they moved, so if a supermarket rang 111 and said "car is blocking us in" would they get the same? Suspect they could issue a parking penalty for being outside a marked bay but sod all else.
If one of their workers got the hump with the car park Gandalf and decided to get hands-on of their own volition, what then? Can you come after the employer to pay for the damage or are you left chasing an angry van man for the costs?
Clearly I'm not going to do this, but has anyone heard of it happening? Surely in our nation of Victor Meldrews someone has attempted this.
Oh, also I'm open to ideas on how to stop these selfish t
ts from parking there instead of 5 metres further away from the angry alcoholic neighbour. donkmeister said:
I occasionally have issues with vans from one of the major supermarket chains blocking the entrance to my property while they deliver to a neighbour. I've even spoken to the supermarket manager who made all the right noises but failed to result in any change.
You could just wait for the few minutes whilst they are deliverng...it's no big deal...and stop moaning about everythingEdited by lancslad58 on Friday 21st February 16:16
lancslad58 said:
donkmeister said:
I occasionally have issues with vans from one of the major supermarket chains blocking the entrance to my property while they deliver to a neighbour. I've even spoken to the supermarket manager who made all the right noises but failed to result in any change.
You could just wait for the few minutes whilst they are deliverng...it's no big deal...and stop moaning about everythingEdited by lancslad58 on Friday 21st February 16:16
Be honest though, you wouldn't be irritated by being blocked from heading out or heading home 2-3 times a week by someone else parking across your exit when the road is completely clear everywhere apart from the splay into your drive?
donkmeister said:
lancslad58 said:
donkmeister said:
I occasionally have issues with vans from one of the major supermarket chains blocking the entrance to my property while they deliver to a neighbour. I've even spoken to the supermarket manager who made all the right noises but failed to result in any change.
You could just wait for the few minutes whilst they are deliverng...it's no big deal...and stop moaning about everythingEdited by lancslad58 on Friday 21st February 16:16
Be honest though, you wouldn't be irritated by being blocked from heading out or heading home 2-3 times a week by someone else parking across your exit when the road is completely clear everywhere apart from the splay into your drive?
Bentley Mulsanne Turbo
I don’t know the specific answer to your question, but years ago, a clamping co made the mistake of parking in our site compound whilst clamping one of our trades vans outside. We closed the gate and told him to fro.
They couldn’t do a thing. Wings was their name iirc. 3 days later, we released it after a suitable ransom was paid.
They couldn’t do a thing. Wings was their name iirc. 3 days later, we released it after a suitable ransom was paid.
Theoretically: its not obstruction if its from the public road to a private driveway; but it is obstruction if its the other way round (because the law says you cannot obstruct the highway, not a private driveway). So a similar situation would occur (but see below) if you blocked a loading bay - if it were empty, no issue; if there was a truck on it wanting to get onto the road, you're obstructing.
In practice, there's probably parking restrictions in and around the loading bay, so you'd be committing a parking offence by leaving your car there. If its sufficiently designed, they'd get you on the generic "parking within 10m of a junction" offence. Are there any parking restrictions such as double yellows outside your house? And in fact, if so they can still load/unload for 20 mins (I am guessing, you don't have yellow stripes on the kerb, live on a clearway, or live on a bus red route).
So it comes down to time - if they take more than 20 mins, you have a valid gripe. If its under then tough luck - the delivery drivers are just doing their job and pragmatically, have to be able to get to every property and load/unload heavy items to and from that property.
Also in practice, you might find if you left your car unattended there, that an HGV tried to manoeuvre around it and damaged it; or they moved it forcibly, for example by pushing against it with a truck. Or, if you did a really good job of blocking, they double parked a truck to unload in the street and wheeled racks or moved pallets using a hand pallet truck, scraping the outer extremities of your car each time.
In practice, there's probably parking restrictions in and around the loading bay, so you'd be committing a parking offence by leaving your car there. If its sufficiently designed, they'd get you on the generic "parking within 10m of a junction" offence. Are there any parking restrictions such as double yellows outside your house? And in fact, if so they can still load/unload for 20 mins (I am guessing, you don't have yellow stripes on the kerb, live on a clearway, or live on a bus red route).
So it comes down to time - if they take more than 20 mins, you have a valid gripe. If its under then tough luck - the delivery drivers are just doing their job and pragmatically, have to be able to get to every property and load/unload heavy items to and from that property.
Also in practice, you might find if you left your car unattended there, that an HGV tried to manoeuvre around it and damaged it; or they moved it forcibly, for example by pushing against it with a truck. Or, if you did a really good job of blocking, they double parked a truck to unload in the street and wheeled racks or moved pallets using a hand pallet truck, scraping the outer extremities of your car each time.
lancslad58 said:
donkmeister said:
Well aren't you a ray of sunshine? Given you're a Lancs lad do you drive the Booths van or the Morrisons van?
Be honest though, you wouldn't be irritated by being blocked from heading out or heading home 2-3 times a week by someone else parking across your exit when the road is completely clear everywhere apart from the splay into your drive?
.......Be honest though, you wouldn't be irritated by being blocked from heading out or heading home 2-3 times a week by someone else parking across your exit when the road is completely clear everywhere apart from the splay into your drive?
Bentley Mulsanne Turbo
akirk said:
loskie said:
is it a dropped kerb?
If so is that a traffic offence?
you can’t block someone on their drive, but you can block an empty drive…If so is that a traffic offence?
As it's seemingly not an offence to park blocking the entrance to a property, then that works both ways. I just need a local Victor Meldrew type to crack and have his Falling Down moment after he can't get off his drive
donkmeister said:
As it's seemingly not an offence to park blocking the entrance to a property, then that works both ways. I just need a local Victor Meldrew type to crack and have his Falling Down moment after he can't get off his drive
It IS an offence to park blocking. Its not an offence to LOAD/UNLOAD. So, if you went to their loading bay and parked, you're committing an offence. They're not, because they're unloading.Our road has grass verges and delivery drivers (inc DHL etc) nearly always stop across the double drive for ours and next door. No problem, they’re usually gone in a minute or so max. I have parked in the road (which is quite wide, quiet and rarely has cars parked on it) when it’s been something like a tradesman’s van calling at our neighbour’s.
Our weekly food delivery takes 5 mins, between 9.30 and 10.30AM, with a spread of arrival times in that hour, yet it’s quite ‘remarkable’ how often the neighbour will arrive home in that time. He sits there and beeps until the driver moves the van. Weird really - he seems quite normal otherwise.
Our weekly food delivery takes 5 mins, between 9.30 and 10.30AM, with a spread of arrival times in that hour, yet it’s quite ‘remarkable’ how often the neighbour will arrive home in that time. He sits there and beeps until the driver moves the van. Weird really - he seems quite normal otherwise.
paul_c123 said:
donkmeister said:
As it's seemingly not an offence to park blocking the entrance to a property, then that works both ways. I just need a local Victor Meldrew type to crack and have his Falling Down moment after he can't get off his drive
It IS an offence to park blocking. Its not an offence to LOAD/UNLOAD. So, if you went to their loading bay and parked, you're committing an offence. They're not, because they're unloading.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff