Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 69 total)
  • Parking area for houses used by others
  • dmorts
    Full Member

    An issue has developed in recent weeks with parking on the new build estate on which I live (quelle surprise!)

    My house is in a row of three and we have an area at the rear containing 6 spaces. In recent weeks people not from the three houses have started using it to park in.

    The houses on my road have a small gravel area in front of them and essentially face on to a ‘main’ road of the development. All of the houses on my road have parking spaces at the rear and these are accessed by another road (not a main road, it’s block paved) which runs behind and there are breaks in the rows of houses to allow access to the road behind from the ‘main’ road. Our parking area is just off the road behind, there’s no through road past it. However the road behind loops round to the main road, so it does go somewhere.

    On review of the deeds, the area is exclusively for the use of the three houses, in effect a shared driveway. As a three we’re responsible for maintaining it and covering any costs. Who actually owns it though, I’m not sure.

    I can understand why people think it’s ok to park there as there is nothing to indicate it’s just for us. There’s communal parking elsewhere, there are flats nearby and this area just looks the same. It doesn’t look like a driveway, that’s for sure.

    My first thought is to put up some signs, however review of the deeds shows that this is prohibited apart from ‘for sale’ and ‘to let’ signs.

    I could produce a note that I put on cars, firstly to inform them, secondly to threaten them with legal action for loss of amenity should they persist. But once one car owner gets the message another is bound to park in the spaces. It could become endless and tiresome…..

    So I think the solution may be a set of folding parking bollards. But I’m not sure if I’d be allowed to install them (status of ownership of area unknown) or if they will actually be able to be installed in block paving?

    Any thoughts appreciated! (Moving is out of the question)

    nickjb
    Free Member

    Put a sign up. No one will enforce the clause in the deeds.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    Paint house numbers on the spaces (technically not a sign?) That will deter most folk who, as you suggest, just aren’t aware.

    Or just put a sign up and wait to see who complains.

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    willard
    Full Member

    Passive-agressive notes FTW.

    You know it makes sense.

    spooky_b329
    Full Member

    Deffo signs, and I’d create a half decent stencil and some permanent marking paint and number the spaces. Or you could do the ‘post in bucket of concrete’ method and string some cheap plastic chain across the spaces.

    dmorts
    Full Member

    Passive-agressive notes FTW.

    You know it makes sense.

    Edinburgh Napier Uni have a great system. Their notes are large stickers that they place on the driver’s window. They’re not easily removable, which the stickers state along with the advice to drive with the window down until the sticker can be removed. They do come off, but you can’t just peel them off there and then.

    40mpg
    Full Member

    Just stand this in your space each time you leave

    Bet theres no restriction on that in the deeds

    Edit – excludes girl

    v666ern
    Free Member

    Their notes are large stickers that they place on the driver’s window. They’re not easily removable, which the stickers state along with the advice to drive with the window down until the sticker can be removed. They do come off, but you can’t just peel them off there and then.

    A certain large ‘bank’ in Swindon used to do that, then somebody had an accident and blamed it on the big piece of paper stuck to the windscreen which they didn’t bother getting all off.
    They now use a much more discrete sticker…cos its the companies fault, not the douche who doesn’t know how to park or remove stickers…obviously.
    oh and OP buy a flip up bollard if its that busy. If not just block them in, they’ll soon get the idea after you’ve spent 30minutes getting to them

    zero-cool
    Free Member

    We had a problem with this as our road is private but people park in the entrance at school time (school around the corner). The other residents spoke to the police who suggested a chain. In the end they put up a sign informing them of it being a private road and stuck a cone there. No more problems.

    I just used to attempt to squeeze my battered dirty white van through the gap and they soon moved.

    Try painting house numbers on the spaces as said above. Or pay a clamping company to put up signs for a few months
    Tom KP

    dmorts
    Full Member

    If not just block them in, they’ll soon get the idea after you’ve spent 30minutes getting to them

    Or pay a clamping company to put up signs for a few months

    I should add I live in Scotland, therefore these might not be possible. Am I allowed to block someone in?

    wiggles
    Free Member

    Shit on their roofs

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    My understanding is that it’s illegal to block someone from accessing the public road.

    Clamping – don’t even go there. It’s considered extortion in Scotland.

    binners
    Full Member

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    Another vote for signage, get it agreed with the other two affected houses. Just make sure it’s removable without leaving damage if the developer or land owner creates (eg big spike in soft ground rather than big bolts through a nearby brick wall).

    If you aren’t afraid of getting a No maybe just ask the developer if its ok?

    zilog6128
    Full Member

    Paint house numbers on the spaces (technically not a sign?)

    This is a good idea but I would use numbers or letters not relating to the specific house number – otherwise it’s an easy way for people to tell which houses are unoccupied.

    I would put a sign up as well, “Parking for residents only” or something. If that doesn’t work then make with the notes and/or more threatening signage!

    Kahurangi
    Full Member

    Cheap number signs from B&Q* and fit them with Blu-Tac** to the walls.

    * other hardware shops are available
    ** other removable adhesives…

    dmorts
    Full Member

    Well, regarding a sign. One did appear last week on a post, that we assumed had been put there by the developer at the request of our neighbours. However it was only there for about 3 days and has now vanished…

    hammyuk
    Free Member

    If you’re responsible for the upkeep of the parking spaces then just buy collapsable posts.
    Drill them and bolt them down.
    The others will soon get the idea when they have a lump of metal in the way.

    Hedgehog
    Free Member

    Had the same in my old place. private access road. Spaces are owned by each house. Had some number plates made for everyone ‘Private Parking No 2 Only’ on the wall/fence and numbers painted on the spaces by a council recommended contractor. Worked form us.

    aracer
    Free Member

    Somebody will own it, probably one of the owners of the houses, but presumably not you if it’s not in your deeds. We have a largish paved shared area in front of our house and two others (used for access to the houses, not a parking area, the houses have their own drives). We own it – it’s in our deeds – though can’t do much with it as we’re required to allow free access across it. You could try speaking to your neighbours to find out if it’s important.

    v666ern
    Free Member

    My understanding is that it’s illegal to block someone from accessing the public road

    surely they are trespassing if its a non adopted/private parking area…

    worst case you get a telling off from po po, but I bet after waiting 3 hours for them to turn up they wont park there again 😆

    ps IMO notes don’t work, our office car park is unscure and people just park in there when coming into town. The cars you see everyday, notes don’t work, but parking behind a silver audi at 7 in the morning and not going out til 8 an hour after they called does (take a picture of their reg and your car first though!)

    D0NK
    Full Member

    However it was only there for about 3 days and has now vanished…

    so the mystery parkers are probably well aware, good luck with that, I look forward to update threads.

    nealglover
    Free Member

    This is a good idea but I would use numbers or letters not relating to the specific house number – otherwise it’s an easy way for people to tell which houses are unoccupied.

    Should I buy a spare car to park on my driveway, to keep the house safe whenever I go out in my main car ?

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    surely they are trespassing if its a non adopted/private parking area…

    Scotland. We don’t do trespass.

    Lester
    Free Member

    buy a second car or van as it is stw, park in front of yours and rotate them,

    zilog6128
    Full Member

    Should I buy a spare car to park on my driveway, to keep the house safe whenever I go out in my main car ?

    Yes Neal. Remember to buy a spare pair of string-backed driving gloves as well and leave them visible on the dash otherwise no-one will believe it’s your car.

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    TOP TIP: buy a house with no drive then they wont be able to tell when you are in or out.

    nealglover
    Free Member

    TOP TIP: buy a house with no drive then they wont be able to tell when you are in or out.

    Nah, spare car for sure. That’s got to be the way forward.

    As an added bonus, I can park the spare outside someone else’s house, possibly when they need to go to the tip or wash the car 😉

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    😆

    Well played

    belugabob
    Free Member

    So, there are 6 spaces, to be shared between 3 houses – what happens when the combined car ownership of those households exceeds 6?

    (Serious question)

    dmorts
    Full Member

    So, there are 6 spaces, to be shared between 3 houses – what happens when the combined car ownership of those households exceeds 6?

    Park on the road at the front. Currently, next door have one car, we have one car and farthest away have 2 cars.

    toppers3933
    Free Member

    Our little group of houses have a shared car park with a space each. It all works pretty amicably but theres a family just round the corner who although they have a drive long enough for 2 cars insist on using our parking spaces often meaning we have to park a fair distance from the house and walk round. I’ve now started parking on their drive when he’s parked in our car park and its now full. Done it twice now. He’ll get the message soon hopefully.

    beano68
    Free Member

    When I was in the army the bastards provo staff used to GLUE a letter in the middle of your windscreen saying report to the guardroom .. @rseholes !

    v666ern
    Free Member

    So, there are 6 spaces, to be shared between 3 houses – what happens when the combined car ownership of those households exceeds 6?

    (Serious question)

    ha ha – that’ll be your local authority who specify how many spaces you need. Its all about sustainable now don’t you know

    beano68
    Free Member

    Got the same issue where we now life .. when we bought our new house it came with a big driveway/land but weirdly it also included the front of the next door neighbours garage but now that the new neighbours have moved in we now have to reverse our car into our driveway as theres not enough room to turn around.

    It is becoming an issue now as its our driveway and we shouldn’t have to struggle to park our sodding car daily !

    pjt201
    Free Member

    As I see it there are two options, sell you car and give up hope, or buy one of these:

    D0NK
    Full Member

    When I was in the army the bastards provo staff used to GLUE a letter in the middle of your windscreen

    yeah security at a works carpark did the same (with management’s blessing afaik) to cars blocking other people in.

    Of course there’s always the option of not parking like a **** to avoid the wrath of the “bastards”

    dmorts
    Full Member

    Our little group of houses have a shared car park with a space each. It all works pretty amicably but theres a family just round the corner who although they have a drive long enough for 2 cars insist on using our parking spaces often meaning we have to park a fair distance from the house and walk round. I’ve now started parking on their drive when he’s parked in our car park and its now full. Done it twice now. He’ll get the message soon hopefully.

    There are two things I can’t understand here, one the disregard for other people and the fact that they choose to park in car park rather than on their drive!

    Do they have 2 cars? I’m thinking maybe they park one on the drive and one in the car park to save shifting them around on the drive if one or the other wants to go out.

    How about threatening to sue him for loss of amenity?

    timbur
    Free Member

    Lipstick is a bugger to get off glass. Nice message in that should do it.

    slackalice
    Free Member

    “Thanks for yesterday hunny. Call me. Lola xxx”

    Would be entertaining 😀

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