How can i stop people parking in our private car park?

Question

We only have 5 spaces in work & it is clearly marked private parking only. The parking spaces are about 1 metre away from my window & people have the audacity to park right outside then walk out of the car park into the dentists next door!! I just glared at a woman doing this 2 minutes ago & she's giving me dirty looks!! There's plenty of spaces on the road but the trafic wardens go up & down. How can i stop people parking in private land? I previously posted notices on peoples windows, am i still allowed to do this? It's really getting to me!

I've put a sign on her window stating that it is private parking - just in case the dosy cow missed the big one at the car park entrance!
Now all the guys have gone out on messages & i'm scared in case she comes & says anything to me!

Answer 1

Personally, I would contact your local council and ask them first of all what your rights are - then at least you know what you are talking about if it ends in a slanging match. Secondly, I would put a notice (type up a professional one) stating that illegal parking will result in wheel clamping! Bloody cheek of these people - same thing happens where I work but as our boss always gets his own space, he doesn't care about the rest of us

Answer 2

Put up a large sign saying "Parking for .......only" Insert the firms name . Also state all unauthorised parking will be issued with a fine and state an amount. If this doesn't stop them call the Police and get them towed away. You are within your rights if it is private land. You could also close it off using a very heavy weightchain and large padlock. This way they'll find it impossible to remove their vehicle with the notices displayed. Also have a word with the dentist next door and tell him to make his parking allocation clear. Then there should be no misunderstanding.

Hope this helps I know the frustration this can cause. We have a small car park and people use it to go and do shopping. I stick very sticky notices on their side windows and believe me they are a real pain to remove but there are warning notices and if they wish to risk it - so be it.

Answer 3

It seems strange your solicitor couldn't find out so there are only some general assumptions / starting points and thoughts you might consider. How old are the houses, were they all built approx the same time and or by the same builder .. that might indicate the builder retains ownership .. of course they might no longer be in business. Can your local planning dept help ? Your deeds will indicate the initial land owner although with registered land old, helpful documents might have been weeded out of the files. Normal situation is the builder undertakes to build a road acceptable to the local authorities standards and they then 'adopt it.' In the absence of that, and even if that is the case each house fronting the road will / or may, own it up to the half way position. The ownership is a bit technical as the ownership will then be subject to the rights of other people to pass and re pass .. bit like a farmers foot path .. he owns the land but people can walk along it. Could the road, due to its age and custom and unhindered practise actually be a public right of way and no longer totally and exclusively private .. again the farmer owns his field but the public can use his footpath. Since your solicitor can't help it is unlikely that there are formal easements or covenants on the land .. that is rights capable of being enjoyed and enforced by people who don't own the land against the true owner. If there are the expectation is that every one who uses has to contribute to the up keep. This puts us back to a public right of way due to long term usage. Consider asking your local council for details and how to register a new, public right of way, over the land. Anyway, you can ignore private parking tickets - the only chance they can ever be enforced, assuming land ownership and rights can be clearly established which doesn't seem to be the case, is by action against the actual driver in the County Court. A registered owner has no obligation to disclose who was driving or enter into any correspondence with the ticket issuer. Equally any so called 'permits' don't seem to be worth the paper they are printed on. Time to contact your local Councillor for help maybe. That's the best I can suggest. Sorry its so long!

Answer 4

Sounds like you are in the UK, so it may be different for you. In most places in the US, the owner of the parking lot can display a sign that reads 'Parking by Permit only -- Vehicles without a permit will be towed'. Then you (or the apartment owner) can make permits for the five people who are supposed to park there, and the next time someone else parks there, you can call and have them towed.

If you saw a woman who just parked there and all you did was stare at her, she just thought you were weird. If you want to tell her not to park there, tell her not to park there--don't assume she knows why you are giving her dirty looks.

If you have no such law allowing towing where you are, a little graffiti at the parking area may make people think twice about leaving their car in 'that neighborhood', but I wouldn't recommend it because then you'd be living in 'that neighborhood', even if it isn't as bad as you made it appear.

Answer 5

Get in touch with a clamping company. They will check out your space and they will not charge you as they get their profit from undoing the clamp. Failing that get the dentist to put up a notice in his waiting room to the effect that cars parked on the adjoining private car park will be clamped. Also put a notice on any car that parks there to say that the registration number has been recorded and should it park there again it will be clamped. What ever way you choose word will get around. Finally try blocking the space with something heavy.

Answer 6

Have a sign made up stating that unauthorized vehicles parking in private spaces will be towed away at owner's expense and list the name and phone number of the local policing agency. This is the legal format required by most state vehicle laws. Tow away a vehicle or two and you will see a marked decrease in illegal parking.

Answer 7

Put up another notice that states that all illegally parked vehicles will be towed away. Another notice could display that the car park is for your company name and not the dentist name. Speak to the Dentist and ask them to display a message (prepared by yourself) somewhere clearly visible. Warn them that their patients vehicles will be subject to being towed away if they park in your spaces. It is not unreasonable. In the meantime a polite notice placed under the windscreen wiper of any vehicle not visiting your premises is a reasonable act. Please bear in mind that most of these people just do not know what they are doing they are not being bloody minded.

Answer 8

If you are really distrub with this particuler situation than you'll have to increase parking space around one metre from the outside of the park and keep a window or door outside the parking boudry.It can easilly reduce people parking in your private car park....

Answer 9

I think you're in the UK, so don't "call the tow truck". The simplest way is to block the entrance to your car park - traffic cones will do, or a chain with a padlock would be better. It means all your authorised parkers will need to get out with a key but it will certainly stop the hassle.

Answer 10

Ask the building manager if they can start having the offenders towed away. That will stop it! Put up a big sign that says "Private parking - violators will be towed" and then follow through. It won't take long for them to get the message.