Combining two recent threads about used car advertising and restricted parking on residential streets, it's not my intention to cover the same ground again but ...
Like many here, we live on an A road without off street parking. It also falls at the edge of town and marks the last free parking before the yellow lines and car parks take over. I have no problems with commuters. They turn up after I've left for work and are gone by the time I get home. Today, however marks a whole week that someone has decided to use this last oasis of residential parking as a means of advertising his car for sale. It's not budged for 7 days or nights and is not making the already difficult parking for nearby homeowners any easier.
Can anyone suggest a *legitimate* means of discouraging this activity?
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T
Similar (but not the same) situation happened in local town (Menai Bridge)where entrepreneurial sole was parking cars advertised for sale in a layby - complete with hand written signs.
Locals got together and complained to the local authority who served him with a notice.
End of problem. Hope this helps
AI
Ignorance is not knowing but 'not wanting to know'
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And those mobile billboards are anti-social too.
Mattster
Boycott shoddy build and reliability.
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A one-off individual advertising his car privately is one thing - I don't suppose there is much one can do about that, and it is after all quite a reasonable thing to do. But when someone starts selling cars regularly, from private premises or in the road, it becomes a business, with all sorts of tax issues, and planning regulations.
Lines that could be pursued where this became a problem might be the local authority, re permission to carry on an unlicenced business in the street. Or you could drop a line to the Inland Revenue listing all the car registration numbers. They are quite hot on pursuing people who trade pretending to be private individuals.
Or the police- obstructing a public highway for purposes not incidental to exercising their right of way.
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It is the duty of a Highway Authority to assert and protect the rights of the public to the use and enjoyment of any highway for which they are the authority and it is their duty to prevent as far as possible the stopping up or obstruction of a highway for which they are responsible (Section 130 Highways Act 1980)
So, to light a blue touch paper go to:
www.tinyurl.com/2mt93
scroll down to Schedule where you can cut and paste Form 1 and send it to local Council. They may be perplexed as Reg only came in force last month.
DVD
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Cliff, I have no problem with anyone wanting to advertise their car on the street. But it's not what I'd class as considerate to do it in the neighbouring town where residential parking is already under pressure. In this case, the car looks like a private sale not a part of a burgeoning business. However, I don't want this to set a precedent and find a whole host of private car sales taking advantage of a free forecourt.
Interesting response, DVD. However, does this situation really fall within this legislation's intent? Could this not apply to all cars (including my own!) that happened to be parked on the street? In any case, I'm going to see if the anonymous threat of a Removal Order under the windscreen wiper does the trick.
TrevorH
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Reminds me of the time I visited a private motor auction in London & was bidding against a rather unsavoury looking character, on every van I wanted.
My question as to where his site was, was answerd as being 'every street corner in Stretham!!
VB
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As far as the local authority is concerned, selling cars from the roadside is a form of street trading. If they receive complaints about this activity, they can classify the particular street as one for which a licence is required to street trade. Of course, they don't grant any licences and therefore the seller becomes an unlicenced street trader and they will have the car towed away, and any others that appear subsequently.
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Simply get a mate to ring and ask for a test drive. While he's gone nick the space....
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The "please move your car or the Council may move it for you" offer worked a treat. However, the car has now moved 100 yards up the road - where the parking is equally limited. I'm tempted to add a "no, a bit further" supplementary note but should probably quit whilst I am ahead. Thanks again for the tip, DVD.
It doesn't help that it's not exactly priced to sell so could be around for a while yet. They may now think that by moving it around every so often it avoids becoming an obstruction.
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