James Field

In September I purchased a brand spanking new Scooby. I have been waiting a long time and I'm not disappointed - it is a great car.

But....I can't use it now because....

It has been stuck in my garage for the last week because someone has kindly parked their f*****g Astra in front of my Garage.

I don't think it is illegal to park in front of someone elses garage so I think calling the cops is out of the question.

Anyone got any legal tips for me for moving the car a couple of yards. Apart from:

1. Pushing the car which I have tried - the handbrake is on.
2. Asking the neighbours - because they are not there.
3. Bouncing the car out of the way - because it has an alarm and there is only myself and my friend here. And I don't know the local Rugby team.

Cheers
James F

[This message has been edited by James Field (edited 20 November 2000).]

Frazer

Surely it is illegal to block someones garage or drive way?

Chris L

James

If the car has been there for a week, is there a possibility that it has been stolen and dumped? Got to be worth reporting it to the police to check. If it is, won't the council remove it??

Chris

Stuart H

If the kerbstones drop to road level and someone has parked in front of them, they are causing an obstruction.

If the thing hasn't moved for a week it is definately worth ringing your local nick as chances are its been dumped or nicked.

[This message has been edited by Stuart H (edited 19 November 2000).]

GregW

Trolley jack time !

ian/555

I myself would never do what I am about to suggest.

Get a Trollyjack under the rear of said car raise it enough to lift the wheels clear and try to push it out the way, being very carefull that it don't fall off the trollyjack!

Kevin Greeley

Outrageous !

It wouldn't do any harm to ask the police ?

I'm sure they have the power to remove illegally parked vehicles.

They can also trace the owner but I guess they wouldn't tell you

Failing that, tip a cupful of petrol under the car, call out the fire brigade to say it's leaking and they'll take it away !

Forget I said that

Kevin.

Chris L

Nice idea Kevin

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Recounting a story that got told by some of our bikers

Car parked in m/cycle only bay - 2 bikers bounced the front wheels into the roadway, found a traffic warden, who reported an obstruction of the highway & the car was towed away inside 30 minutes

Let me know & I might be able to find a few bikers for you

H

As someone who has been booked for blocking someone's drive (Hey, it was a long time ago and I was late for work, alright!)

You need to get onto your local Gavvers and get them to impound the vehicle...the £130 plus £22/day should make him think again!!!

DavidRB

If the kerb outside your garage is lowered, then it is one of the few parking offences that the police get involved in. Round where I used to live, the neighbours would call the police if a car was only a few inches over the edge of the lowered kerb, never mind blocking it completely!

I'd go along with the other advice. Check with your neighbours then call the police and the council. If they don't come within in a couple of hours, drag the car into the middle of the road and drive off and leave it.

One week? I wouldn't have let it sit there for one hour!

gregh

I have heard that a couple of people can get the rear of a car bouncing then it is quite easy to move it around 'on the bounce'

Not that I would condone such activity.

Greg

JoeyDeacon

The road my friend used to live in (One way) has an ambulance station at the end and is also a route for double decker buses (Just off the tolworth roundabout on the A3). Parking is allowed on one side of the road, but because somebody had parked on the other side of the road the buses couldn't get through anymore and hence the traffic was held up (Pretty serious as the ambulances couldn't get through).

Anyway the police were called and me and my friend went out to see what was going on. After a couple of minutes discussion as to what to do the policeman asked us to help him bump the car up onto the kerb. Once you get the car moving I can confirm it is very easy to do. It was VERY cool having full police permision to do this!!!

James Field - I would definitely call the police first as it may very well turn out to be stolen/dumped. People complained about a car being parked in our work carpark for two weeks before anyone thought to call the police. Turned out the car was stolen.

If this still had no effect then I think I would just get my dad to borrow one of the skip lorries from his work and drag it out of the way.

Mike Tuckwood

It IS an offence to block someones drive in the manner you describe, give the local Plice a ring.

Mike.

Dave T-S

James
You are certainly more polite/higher tolerance threshold than me. I HATE rude/selfish people, I would have given it about 1 hour until it was moved (I prefer not to say how......)

robski

Ive been told that leaving stolen cars in carparks is commonplace to let the heat die down a bit. Maybe Stuart H can confirm this?

It annoys me when people park opposite my drive. Its a narrow road, and by the time you can actually start turning the car, you are vitually accross the road. Only other option is to reverse in the other direction onto the bigger road, but thats not fun
Worst case was o woman (no surprise there) who not only parked opposite, but about 2' away from the kerb. BMW 5 series was using more than 1/2 the road.

Maybe I will go and paint some yellow lines there when noones looking

As far as I know the acid test that the police use is that you must be able to get a fire engine through, so they will not allow an obstruction that prevents this. Stuart H, can you confirm?

robski

XRS

Reminds me of the time (about 20 years ago) when my brother and I came out of the gym to find a mini blocking my car in. Since we had just been lifting weights we had no probel lifting (not bumping) the car well out of the way (should I mention the problem he/she would have had moving it aftewards?)

Jerome

I heard of someone who parked across the entrance to a large private car park. A guy in a Range Rover was trying to get out and got fed up of waiting, so pushed the car out of the way, doing loads of damage to the other car. The other guy just happens to turn up at that moment and is rather unimpressed with his damaged car so calls the Police. The Police attend and tell him that because the "crash" happened on private property it was a civil matter and they weren't interested. I gather the Police hinted that it served him right for being stupid enough to block a private car park in the first place.

Jerome.

Mac's Power

I was parked in a private car park last friday and when I returned there was a 92 Jaguar XJ6 parked right to my bumper blocking me and the car beside me in.

This was at 10.30 in the morning. I cursed the owner and guess that he wouldn't be all that long. An hour later I was still there!!
I tried all the local shops to find the owner but to no avail. I eventually called the cops and they said that because it was a private car park that they couldn't help.

Can you imagine my frustration? I was there another hour when i found the owner of the car park. he told me where the guy worked and when I went there I was told that he was out of the office for the day and was uncontactable on his mobile.

meanwhile the owner of the other blocked car returned and couldn't believe it either. i called a tow truck company and they wouldn't help!

Eventually at 4.30 pm I went back to the office where he worked and the receptionist was quite snooty and said that he hadn't come back. I got ratty and wanted to know who to bill my time to? She threatened to call the police if i didn't leave. After creating a big fuss this guy came out of the office wondering what was going on. Who was it only the owner of the Jag!!!! he had been in the office all day!!! he claimed that it was his normal parking space and that i had no right to be there. he had known all along and it was now 5.30pm

What would you have done??? is there anything I can do??

Annoyed!!!!!


[This message has been edited by Mac's Power (edited 20 November 2000).]

matrix

According to a friend of mine

It is illegal to block somebody in but not to block them out. He blocked somebody from getting into his garage and when the police came they said that as long as the car was parked legally and that the person trying to get access cosuld get access by other means i.s on foot that was o.k. however the police did say that if it were blocked in then it was considered a fire risk

Regards

Mike

James Field

Thanks for all the hints and tips.

An update for you all.

I live on a mews and it turns out that it is a private road.

I have called the police, they can't do anything.

I have called the company that own the mews, they say they can't do anything apart from post a letter to all of the residents. Which to their credit they did within a few hours of me calling.

Got back from work - the car is still there. The mews owners reckon the owners may have gone on holiday. Can you f*****g believe it. Some people are born with s**t for brains.

This is turning out to be the definition of agony. I'm getting withdrawl symptoms from driving the scoob....... aggggghhhhhhh!

Dave T-S

OK i'll say how.....a six cell Maglite through the drivers window, let the handbrake off and push it out of the way. If anybody blocks me in anywhere that's what they'll get and i'll take the consequences!!

Mr Angry from Essex

[This message has been edited by Dave T-S (edited 20 November 2000).]

RB170

James

Where do you live? Let me know and I'll come round and help you move it. Inconsiderate parking is something I have to put up with every day and it really pisses me off!

ian/555

Ok send off there Reg to DVLA get there Address, then arrange for some nice skip to be left on there drive for a month!

Or failing that get the local Stables to deliver 10 Tons of there finest! lol

Dont forget to sue for the inconvenience and other cost's and time they wasted!

Kevin Greeley

If you can get the VIN number from the windscreen, you might be able to get a duplicate key from a Vauxhall dealer - probably have to show proof of address and take driving licence and explain situation. As it's private property, I doubt the owner could do anything about it if you moved it a few feet and left it secure. If the alarm goes off, it should cancel after a while.

HTH

Kevin.

lego

james
if you know some one with a truck or van and tow it a few feet .a good diesel should pull against the handbrake.

[This message has been edited by lego (edited 20 November 2000).]

sunilp

Dont use a scooby though because you'll kancker your ****ty clutch if you use that to tow it!

H

XRS...Idiot! your so macho being able to lift the car out of the way!

"were all really impressed down here, I can tell you"

XRS

H,
Get a life.
The folk on this BB like to lighten situations with their experiences. I guess your latest was getting out of bed on the wrong side!
And it was only a mini.

H

Cool...how much R U benchin?