....a couple of baseball bats and a sledgehammer?...
downside is you could then be stuck with 2 wrecks in your drive!
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Get a clamping company in. They are the professionals at this sort of thing. If it bothers you you could warn the mob over the road about the plan, but personally I feel they deserve it judging by their reported selfish behaviour.
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It seems a clamping company is the popular concensus and, at an apparent £70 per space per year it's maybe also the cheapest if we nominated only one space (but didn't indicate which)? It would be a pity to clamp the myopic old granny who parks there on the odd occasion... perhaps we could get her a permit?
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What if you were to park behind them so that they can't get out? When they ask you to move say you'll be right down as soon as you've got a moment. Then wait for as long as you dare.
Or are they big bruisers?
If they have to ask you to move every time would they not get fed up with the inconvenience and park elsewhere?
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The chap who lives above me tried that and was rewarded with a string of verbal abuse (no threats though). He's getting close to retirement and is a bit long in the tooth for feisty shenanigans. Likewise I have a family to think about and, while I'm up for a bit of a rumble, do not want to put them at risk. Now they just park taking up two spaces each so they can't be blocked in.
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Clamp em! - should pay for the £70 each. And any self repsecting clamper will know some 'lads' to sort any issues out ;-)
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Hmm: try aggravated trespass to invoke the Antisocial Behaviour Act powers? LinK: www.andrewgray.uklinux.net/legalsupport/caselaw32....l
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Have you considered just going over the road and asking them politely not to park in your private spaces.
Don't be confrontational
Just say that perhaps they do not realise the space is private so you are advising them because you are employing a clamping firm as of next Monday. You are being friendly and don't want them to get clamped..
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It does however present your face to the gents in question as the one behind the clampers, if they're reasonable people that's not a problem. If you are worried that they might not take it to well however... Perhaps a politely worded letter informing them of the intent to clamp from "the residents association of house x to y"
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Old P , my contention is that sailmaker may be worrying about a problem that is not there. These guys may only be parking there because nobody has bothered to ask them politeley to move.
However the alternative is to get the best Martin Johnson lookalike ( hire a 'doorman' for a couple of hours) he knows to go over and politely point out as a representative of the owners new clamping contractors that anyone in future parking without permission will be clamped without warning.
Don't do what a friend of mine did by removing an illegal parkers windscreen wipers. She called the police and he was arrested for causing criminal damage. - Sometimes you just can't win.
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It's a tricky one, because if you're anything like me, you really don't want confrontation (and possible reprisals) on your doorstep. It's particularly annoying as you have elderly residents and also younger families to consider, and they wont want any aggro.
If someone constantly goes to some effort to use your spaces - which I presume they must know are private? then they aren't going to listen to reason all that much are they, and furthermore, your cars are going to be parked out there vulnerable to being blocked in, or even possibly to damage, when you're not there - that's if these people turn a bit thuggish, which is the feeling I get from your posts.
I think I'd try approaching them politely and explaining that as you pay for your parking spaces (which you do when you buy the property) then you really do all need free access to them at all times. If you don't want to take this personal approach, how about a letter, regarding the parking situation, on paper headed "Blank Blank Residents' Association" ? You could address it to all residents and copy them in to it.
Hope you do manage to sort it without too many problems.
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Ooops, sorry OP your post appeared when I was typing I think - seems we're along the same line of thought there though.
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That's okay, I'll let you off just this once:)
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Hmm: try aggravated trespass to invoke the Antisocial Behaviour Act powers? LinK: www.andrewgray.uklinux.net/legalsupport/caselaw32....l
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Let one tyre down every day, they'll soon get the message. Deny all knowlege, of course.
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The trouble is with filling their car's orifices with expanding foam etc.. or putting blank shotgun cartridges up their exhaust is that they will know who did it and do the same to you.
I would have thought a clamping comany would rotect youi for free as they want the money from the illegal parkers,
Get a local signmaker to make some small clamping signs, and see if they work, if not, note down all the repeat offender's license plates, and your own number plates and friend's/visitor's, and give them as two lists to the clamping company with times of high offending rates. Hopefully they'll get a message, but not clamp the wrong person, you could even make a pass for approved parkers..
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Last time I was in A&E the guy in the next bed had been given a major kicking over exactly the same issue.
Sounds like these two are geezers and are not going to listen to any common sense.
Have to agree with the above, get a clamping firm in. They are well used to detailing with the aggro. Would be surprised if one won't do it for free as they will keep the fines. Just make sure there are BIG signs saying clamping is in operation.
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Thinking of what someone else once described when faced with a similar situation ...
Would pouring some lovely golden syrup over the windscreen and doorhandles be considered criminal damage? Washes off in water, so surely not. Just keep it away from the fuel flap!
Other amusing alternatives could include custard, eggs, etc. Perhaps not as confrontational as hiring a clamping firm, but almost as funny.
andymc
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One good tactic is this.
A friendly word of advice to the offenders that the Freehold Management company is to commence clamping of vehicles whose name does not appear on the residents' list.
In addition, warning signs to that effect including release fee, and buy yourself a couple of clamps and stick them on a visitors vehicle (say a relative of a resident) with their consent just for show.
Alternitively, put the word around to the local lowlives that provided they pick on and steal radios out of certain vehicles... "We saw nothing at all Officer - how AAWFULL!"
Hugo
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I believe clamping can be tricky. There needs to be relevant quantities of higly visible signage etc. Recall working a few years back in an office where there was allocated car parking spaces for each unit but none should you have visitors for meetings etc.
The letting agent was very hesitant to invoke clamping, aparently detaining somone on an onward journey can set you up for all sorts of claims.
How about telling these guys that you dont object to thme parking in your space but to have it vacated by whatever time??
Be firm and asertive but dont threaten them. Failing that, I know a few people, who know a few people ;-)
Leon
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Something smelly on the door handles might be a good one to try. Theatre smoke bombs up the exhaust pipe is another possibility as are those packing bags that make a load bang when squashed. One of those under a wheel arch or two would make a right noise, scare the living daylights out of them and amuse onlookers! Shame you aren't able to get inside the car as a prawn or three stuck under a seat would create a wicked smell. Works best in the summer unfortunately.....
Egg would be lethal. Egg is a wicked glue. It could cause serious damage so not worth the risk. Copious amounts of bird poo, which can be considered an act of nature, (preferably with high berry content) could unfortunately spatter the car. Again door handles are a good place for it to land.
Instead of clamping you could obtain some of those sticky notices with a warning about trespassing and parking being for residents only. When applied after cleaning the glass with white spirit they are a right swine to get off. Apply to a side window, not windscreen so you can make sure you are not obscuring their vision (they can always wind down the window).
teabelly
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Is this just the Chinese streak in GRowlette or what? She says why not simply charge for use of the space by renting it out to a regular user, then he's got the problem and you've made some money? LOL
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i really do feel sorry for you on this one, parking is my biggest most annoying thing, i find it quite odd how people who are allowed to drive and own houses and things can be quite so stupid as my neighbours.
we use our garage and driveway to park our cars and in the year we have lived in the street havent once blocked the road.
the four houses opposite had a garage and parking space to the rear of their house, none of them use either but insist if parking in our very narrow road right opposite our house,
we cant get off the driveway without having 14 goes or bumping down the high kerbs, one woman has a double garage AND a parking space to the rear of her house and still parks in the road!!! her neighbours have one garage and parking space and park in the road, both these houses only own one car!!! what is wrong with people!!!! I get so cross every night and morning when i cant even get on and off my own driveway without hassle.
I know im ranting, i know im being ridiculous and should find something important to worry about but its sooooooo ridiculously stupid that people can't see they're are being annoying!!
I think I will go for the very sticky sticker approach! It will make me laugh to see them all out there saturday morning trying to scrub them off!!
Anyway you should try the bollard approach, this wouldnt work for me but if i had a space that others could use id get a bollard. they're reasonably priced and would save a lot of hassle. put some private parking permit holder only signs up make some dummy parking permits to stick in your window!!!???
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If you can't get off your driveway as they blocking you in then ask them to move the car. Do this at all hours, midnight, 6am, just when they have sat down for a meal, during soaps etc, they will then decide to park elsewhere. You can call the police to get them to find owners of offending vehicles but it is only worth using in an emergency.
Hopefully one day a clapped out transit van with poor eye sighted driver will drive up the road and rearrange a few body panels and remove a few mirrors.....
teabelly
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well i was thinking about buying a real banger and parking like a nutter so they were scared too, its funny you should say because last night i noticed the door mirror pushed in on one the the usual cars!
That reminds me, meant to say before, my mum and dad lived in a house with no garage and they rented one from the council for dad to keep his van full of tools in. each day when dad got home this same car was parked in front of the garage so he couldnt get in, he got fed up of going to the shop and finding this guy to move his car so he let everyone of his tyres down, the guy then had to jack up and removed each one and take it to the garage to get pumped up etc, he never parked in front of the garage again! my be against the law but it didnt cost him anything but time and it certainly solved the problem!!!
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Just remember-most garages are full of junk with no room for their motors!
I live on a new estate with narrow winding roads and people still park opposite each other when they have a garage and a driveway. With kids running about it just isn't safe.
One thing I came across recently regarding driveways and people blocking them is this. If you have a recognised driveway and someone blocks you in, you have the right to call police with a view to moving car (after you try and find the owner) etc. However, if you do not have any cars on the driveway and a car blocks you driving onto your driveway, then I don't think the police can do anything about it. You are not blocked in and have use of your car, and as long as the car blocking your drive is parked on a public highway, safely, then then can't touch it.
Annoying all the same. Any comments?
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Is it against the law to let tyres down? what is the offence?
Saw a reality tv program a few weeks back where woman was about to reverse into parking space but guy beats her to it and drives straight in. you see this from the cctv camera. he walks off, ignoring her, and so she lets his tyres down. You then see him attempt to drive off later and get out of his car and kick it in anger.
good on the woman i say.
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Once at work we had our lady switchboard operator blocked in the car park by an inconsiderate parker who went off somewhere by train.
Half a dozen of us bounced his car out of the way to get her car out and then left the inconsiderate wotsit so close against a wall in such a position that he had to climb in the passenger side to get in and then do a 95 point manouevre to get out.
Never saw that car in the car park again.
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Is it against the law to let tyres down? what is the offence?
Stealing their air.
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Why not discretely follow one of the protagonists home to find out what sort of parking arrangements they have there. Then, offer to take the Nissan Sunny (see Vehicle Disposal thread), off the current owner\'s hands and when the miscreants are at work use it to block their driveway.
As long as the car is taxed, has an MOT and is insured (which should costs pennies) it can\'t be legitimately removed.
After a week you can leave an anonymous note on the PFDs car to inform him that he gets his driveway back if he and his mate stop taking the mickey.
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Is it against the law to let tyres down? what is the offence? Saw a reality tv program a few weeks back where woman was about to reverse into parking space but guy beats her to it and drives straight in. you see this from the cctv camera. he walks off, ignoring her, and so she lets his tyres down. You then see him attempt to drive off later and get out of his car and kick it in anger. good on the woman i say.
Sure this could have caused an accident, hence criminal charges as man slaughter etc ?
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Whilst there seems nothing can be done on the criminal side, what about the civil side?
Seems they could be committing a private nuisance? Check with L.A. to see if there is any BYlaw prohibiting nuisance and also discuss if Council would take proceedings for an Injunction to stop this parking. Doubtful but a line of enquiry.
You could of course take a private action to obtain an Injunction but I understand this could be a costly road to take.
Perhaps DavidHM, who is hot on civil matters, may comment?
Letting air of tyres? I'd be looking at tampering with a motor vehicle and/or criminal damage.
DVD
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