Unusual problem after parking on private land

ilikewatch

Hi,
I'm posting this here on behalf of a friend who has found himself in an unusual situation, for some time my friend has been parking in the car park of a disused pub while he's at work without incident until last Thursday when he returned to find a handwritten note on his windscreen telling him it was private land, and if the car was parked there again he would be liable to be charged. On Friday he (pretty stupidly in my opinion!) parked in a different spot, on a disused driveway on the same site, but when he returned to collect his car found that there has been a trench 1 meter wide, and 1.5-2 meters deep dug immediately behind his car which makes it impossible for him to get out.
My friend has talked to the construction workers who dug the trench - they have told him that the pub is being redeveloped and the trench is to lay new services to the site - they are not aware of the timescale for this, but said it may be months. The construction workers will not refill the trench to allow my friend to remove his car - the JCB they used to dig the trench is no longer on site. The trench comes right up to the back wheels of the vehicle so it is not possible to place a ramp accross the trench, and a high wall either side of the drive means it is not possible to lift the car over using the type of crane the council use to remove illegally parked cars.
My friend has no idea what to do as he deperately needs the car back, but cant see a way to get it! - any advice?

paddedjohn

Yes, dont park on private land.
If he wants his car back he should jack the car up and slide strong ramps under the wheels then reverse out.

SailorSam

Go and find a couple of good strong planks of wood or some thick plywood.
And don't park there again.

Tilt

I wonder how they managed to dig a trench that close to the car without damaging it. Anyway, could be worse, could of got a parking charge notice!

SailorSam

I wonder has he got his car out yet ?

Gavin83

At least he won't make this mistake again. His best option is to try to get something behind the wheels that he can drive across, there must be some room surely? Otherwise he's screwed.

HO87

Whilst one is tempted - as others have - to suggest that the OP's friend has been hoist by his own petard, the fact remains that (on the basis of the account provided) the effective detention of the friend's car by the former pub's owner may amount to the civil wrong of conversion. Involve the police and they will run a million miles away from any suggestion that this amounts to a theft although they may - if approached in the right fashion - attempt to mediate. The account strongly suggests that the car was deliberately isolated on the wrong side of the ditch and whilst it may be argued that this was done in an effort to stop a repeated trespass the inevitable result is that the trespass has now been "locked in". That will knock the bottom out of the argument IMV.

Your friend has a number of options. Leave his car to rust away and hope the pub's owner enjoys his new toy; exercise some self-help, fill in the ditch/use ramps/a full hoist recovery lorry to recover his car or he attempts to negotiate with the guys at the pub. If he leaves things too long it is going to become expensive and he'll end up with little option but to resort to law. The only people who will ever gain from that eventuality is the solicitors.

Best of luck

maninthestreet

OP - can you post a picture of the car and ditch (obscure the number plate of the car).

Beatdown

that is such a lame thing to happen!

definitely try an fill in that ditch with some construction equipment

muckybutt

Beatdown wrote: »

that is such a lame thing to happen!

definitely try an fill in that ditch with some construction equipment

.....Or the goons that dug the trench :rotfl:

forgotmyname

There must be room to get put planks down or get a recovery truck there. The digger managed to get close
enough.

Something smells fishy.