Neighbour issuing parking tickets!

Malt_Vinegar · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:27

So, there is a chap in my street who has been issuing parking tickets when people park outside his house on the road (no yellow lines)

He lives across the road from me, so I see the station parkers drop their cars there and he will sure enough drop an official looking ticket on the cars. Not seen what people actually do with them when they return, but I am fairly sure they are unenforceable, as he has no way of knowing who the owners are so could never chase for payment.

The houses here seem to have boundaries that go out over the pavement to the middle of the road at the front. Mine is also the same.

So based on this, the people are parking on "his" land. He has big signs up on his wall, warning of parking tickets/etc.

He seems like a very angry man. He has shouted at me before from his window for some bizarre reason. I just wanted to know where these ticketed drivers stand legally. I have been asked a couple of times as I walk up to my house if I know anything about the tickets.

Rannoch · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:28

He'll be on neighbours from hell soon lol

Rroff · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:31

Basically its just an invoice with no contract - nothing legally enforceable unless he is prepared to go to court with some kind of evidence of damages incurred, etc.

Luke · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:31

Park in front, get a ticket and post it here so we can comment.

Rannoch · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:32

Surely the council would be interested in his illegal activities? Fraud basically....

Uther · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:35

Well if it's 'his' land surely they are trespassing? But, if it's a road then how does that work? I sus pect that he's hoping that anyone who gets a 'ticket' will then not park there again.

Rroff · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:36

Vargas said:
Surely the council would be interested in his illegal activities? Fraud basically....

Depends on the exact status of the land they are parked on and how he is representing it - if he doesn't own the spot and/or making it look like a council fine, etc. that would be fraud, if it was an invoice for some kind of "damages" type thing then he is on dubious grounds but not doing anything illegal.

Borealis · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:36

Maybe he's signed up with these guys...

http://www.capitalcarparkcontrol.co.uk/selfticketing_10.html

Raymond Lin · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:37

Put a note in his post box that says "it's call Public Highway for a reason"

Be sure to film his reaction.

Rannoch · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:37

Rroff said:
Depends on the exact status of the land they are parked on and how he is representing it - if he doesn't own the spot and/or making it look like a council fine, etc. that would be fraud, if it was an invoice for some kind of "damages" type thing then he is on dubious grounds but not doing anything illegal.

If we could only see one of these tickets.

tom_e · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:39

Raymond Lin said:
Put a note in his post box that says "it's call Public Highway for a reason"

Be sure to film his reaction.

Does this also work for the police and council?

Rroff · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:42

Uther said:
Well if it's 'his' land surely they are trespassing?

Without more details hard to know the setup - normally the road would be the responsibility of the developer or council or both or something - not quite sure how it works with like where one of my relatives owns about 3 miles of land with a road through it (which is their property) that services other dwellings and is in frequent use by the public.

Raymond Lin · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:43

tom_e said:
Does this also work for the police and council?

Not sure I understand.

Do people get tickets parking on a road with no double yellow lines and no parking restrictions?

Sliver · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:44

Sounds like a douche. I sold my car last year when I became too ill to work. Getting better now and hope to get back into work soon. However, during my time without a car, I've noticed both my neighbours using my private parking bay. I don't have a problem with this, even though it would have been nice if they asked first. Anyway, OP, best thing to do is confront him and tell him what you have told us. At least that way you'll be getting this off your chest.

LeeUK · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:52

Might be completely legal to park, but having your street flooded with dumped cars from city commuters on a daily basis isn't fun blocking your access etc.

Puzzled · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:53

Sliver said:
Sounds like a douche. I sold my car last year when I became too ill to work. Getting better now and hope to get back into work soon. However, during my time without a car, I've noticed both my neighbours using my private parking bay. I don't have a problem with this, even though it would have been nice if they asked first. Anyway, OP, best thing to do is confront him and tell him what you have told us. At least that way you'll be getting this off your chest.

If a little extra money would help you could always put some flyers through neighbours doors offering the space for rent. Saw it quite often in my old apartment building.

Malt_Vinegar · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:56

They rarely get in the way. It's really not a big deal. There are dropped kerbs and they never block these, so the driveway entries are clear. I have two such areas directly outside my house on "my land" and when someone does park there, I still have full access to my drive, as does he.
Will try and get a picture of his signs and the parking spots later.

Malevolence · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:59

Mate of mine has a pretty long driveway, and idiots park on that all the time. His solution is simple, if someone parks on his driveway he goes out and locks the huge gate at the end, effectively locking the car in and the owners out. More than a few times the police have been called by irate drivers who have returned to find their car behind a large wall and some hefty locked wooden gates.

Orionaut · 18 Jul 2017 at 18:59

Rroff said:
Depends on the exact status of the land they are parked on and how he is representing it - if he doesn't own the spot and/or making it look like a council fine, etc. that would be fraud, if it was an invoice for some kind of "damages" type thing then he is on dubious grounds but not doing anything illegal.

In some cases the "Ownership" of the land is actually the central line of the highway.

However, as a highway there is a right of way for the general public over it.

And however again, this doesn't necessarily mean that there is a right to park on it.

It is possible, particularly on an "Unadopted" road, that somebody parking on the "Highway" might actually be parking on somebodies "Private land"

I would love to see the outcome of it going to court!

Malt_Vinegar · 18 Jul 2017 at 19:08

The road ownership thing is odd. Basically the borders of our property appear to hit the centre line of the road from our boundary lines.

So each house seems to "own" a small rectangular patch of pavement and road.

We are not responsible for the upkeep of the road though, so it seems to be a very unusual situation. The houses are all post war, so it's not a new estate, and it's ex military ground/housing.

Our house was purchased from the army directly by the previous owners.

So it may be a hangover from when the road was MOD owned?