Dispute RE: public parking / Foreign cars & road tax

[rjk]

Evening all.

Mrs rjk lives in the city centre. Her house has a drive and to the rear of the property, there is a large car park which is nearly always 40% empty.

This car park services a large block of apartments to the rear of her house, all on the same housing estate, all goverened by the same housing agency.

As the car park is nearly always free, I tend to park the CTR at the rear of the property when I stay over, this means that the kids playing in the street don't kick footballs at my car.

I have been parking my current car. And the megane before that, and my fiesta st, on the car park for over a year before this. There are no signs saying that this area is for residents or permit holders.

Last night I was approached by a resident of the apartments who abruptly informed me that I was forbidden to park my vehicle on this car park.

He is reporting me apparently.

My question to OcUK motors is this:
If there is no sign or permit requirement, am I able to park my car on this car park?

My second point is; this gentleman is clearly not of British origin. His car was on foreign plates and he has admitted to me that he is a tenant. This would imply permanent UK residancy.

His car is displaying NO road tax.

What is the law regarding immigrants running a foreign vehicle in this country on a permanent basis whilst maintaining UK residency?


Anyone able to shine light on this one as I feel like getting pedantic about things.

 

[andrewdodd13]

From what my french mates at uni have told me about this, if you keep the car in the UK for more than 6 months out of 12 it has to be registered and taxed with the DVLA.

 

[[TW]Fox]

•Foreign registered vehicles that are temporarily brought into the United Kingdom by overseas residents are usually exempt from UK registration and licensing. The exemptions state that a vehicle, which is properly registered and taxed in its home country, may be used by the visitor for up to six months in twelve without being subject to domestic registration and licensing requirements. To qualify for the exemption, visitors must have their normal residence outside the hosting state.

If his normal residence is the UK, or he has been here more than 6 months, his car is illegal.

 

[Django x2]

From what my french mates at uni have told me about this, if you keep the car in the UK for more than 6 months out of 12 it has to be registered and taxed with the DVLA.

This is true, but it's not consecutive, i.e., the car can return to it's home country at any time and the 6 months starts again. Add to that the almost impossible way to proove that the car has / has not been back to it's originating country and it starts to get very difficult. Foreign cars obviously don't have to pay road tax here, just another reason for the UKs retarded road pricing system whilst the rest of europe employs tolls.

We're littered with Polish cars down here and I can categorily state that the little crappy pug 206 that lives next door has never been back to Poland, is not registered here and they rent the flat

 

[[TW]Fox]

The 6 months do not apply if the owner of the car is resident in the UK.

 

[Django x2]

but the car should be registered and therefore taxed?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Correct - ie, the car is illegal even if they take it back to Poland and them come back to the UK..

 

[elmuzzy66.]

My mate took his mr2 to the uk from gib while living there after uni. Never changed plates and had lol with the speed cameras.

 

[hurfdurf]

Stand and bang?

 

[Liquidfox]

We had someone try to tell us that a nearby car park at work was theirs and they would clamp anyone in it. Playing the "the police won't think so" card seemed to do the trick. Busy bodies who think they own the land really annoy me.

Keep parking there, tell him he's talking rubbish and then shop him in.

 

[hurfdurf]

But on a serious note, make sure your aware this dude could take it into his own hands and key your car or something

 

[rjk]

so on the basis that this individual lives at the property in the UK

his car is illegal.

this is superb news.

how would one go about informing the correct authorities about this?

also

If there is no sign or permit requirement, am I able to park my car on this car park?

anyone able to shed any light on the rules around this?

 

[mejinks]

Keep parking there. If they approach again, offer to get the police involved. See how quickly that problem disappears

 

[rjk]

But on a serious note, make sure your aware this dude could take it into his own hands and key your car or something

this would be the only issue sadly.

its not like I don't know where he lives though is it.
I made Mrs rjk park on the car park last night and I made a point of parking in the drive.

 

[mejinks]

so on the basis that this individual lives at the property in the UK

his car is illegal.

this is superb news.

how would one go about informing the correct authorities about this?

also

anyone able to shed any light on the rules around this?

I think this answers your question. No signs = do one.

 

[adam cool dude]

The amount of eastern european cars here is massive. Why are the government not clamping down on this?

To keep it simple if you can prove someone has been living at a uk address for more than six months they have to get their car registered or gtfo?

They dodge insurance, car tax and a lot of them are most likely not road worthy due to no MOT as well.

 

[rjk]

I think this answers your question. No signs = do one.

excellent.

I assumed as much as logic would dictate that residents permits would have to be displayed in order to park on there if that was an issue.

having checked all of the cars that I know are owned by residents, there are no permits. So I am fully aware that it is not enforced.

 

[mejinks]

It might be worth phoning the police on the non emergency number to let them know that you have been threatened and are worried for your car. You might also mention that the person drives a foreign registered car and has been resident for a long time.

 

[rjk]

It might be worth phoning the police on the non emergency number to let them know that you have been threatened and are worried for your car. You might also mention that the person drives a foreign registered car and has been resident for a long time.

just done that.

Staffordshire police have advised me that it is the responsibility of the land owner to enforce any parking policies on their land.

they have advised me to contact the housing agency responsible for the properties so I will do that now.

I have been asked to submit the case to the DVLA so that their database can be updated.

the police say that they are unable to act unless the car has been here 6 months regardless of residency.

 

[blueboy2001]

Regardless of whether its legal or you'll get clamped etc, your actions are rather inconsiderate.

The car park is to service the apartments. You don't live in the apartments, and you are not visiting anyone who does. Therefore you shouldn't park there. I've never seen anyone's driveway say it's for "residents only", but I wouldn't stick my car on someone else's driveway.

What if everyone took your attitude and decided to park there because they didn't fancy parking on the street? What if all the residents of the apartments decided to bring their cars home, why should they park on the street because you don't want to?

Enforcing residents parking with permits etc is a PITA for the residents and their visitors, which is probably why they have chosen not to do it.