Clamped in my own parking space! Or not as it seems...

Alan_M_2

As I went to do my grocery shopping this morning I was thinking about this thread...ok I'm easily amused.

There's an underlying problem that thread is reflecting in societies change that has very little to do with the parking space itself and is about accountability and fault.

There doesn't seem to be such things as a no fault accident or a genuine mistake any more, someone somewhere has to be responsible for everything. It seems the buck eventually has to stop at somebody's door.

This thread is a fine example, the letting agent has (not intentionally as far as I'm aware) omitted to inform you which space was yours. Firstly, did you not think to ask? I see those two events counterfeiting each other to start with.

Secondly, after having parked there for a month, you'd have thought whoever owned it would have been courteous enough to leave a note on your screen asking that you park in your own space and not his rather than inform a company to clamp it. Another reflection on our lack of ability to communicate.

The upshot is, you've parked your car in someone else's space, this has arisen because the agent omitted to inform you AND you forgot to ask.

It's not even a mistake, or an accident, it's simply an oversight which has had a unfortunate conclusion. In my mind this goes down as "One of those things" which we learn from in this rich tapestry of life.

Sure, chance your arm and approach the agent, you might find a sympathetic ear and get a result.

However what I'd read into this is, don't assume, then when you find your assumption incorrect, don't try and make someone else accountable for your assumption.

I think I'd make a good Judge Judy

MJMum

Really once you were told you should then have moved the car and checked with the letting agent before parking there again.

I agree. Fair warning, I think. Although very annoying!

PosterBoy77

Alan_M wrote:

As I went to do my grocery shopping this morning I was thinking about this thread...ok I'm easily amused.

There's an underlying problem that thread is reflecting in societies change that has very little to do with the parking space itself and is about accountability and fault.

There doesn't seem to be such things as a no fault accident or a genuine mistake any more, someone somewhere has to be responsible for everything. It seems the buck eventually has to stop at somebody's door.

This thread is a fine example, the letting agent has (not intentionally as far as I'm aware) omitted to inform you which space was yours. Firstly, did you not think to ask? I see those two events counterfeiting each other to start with.

Secondly, after having parked there for a month, you'd have thought whoever owned it would have been courteous enough to leave a note on your screen asking that you park in your own space and not his rather than inform a company to clamp it. Another reflection on our lack of ability to communicate.

The upshot is, you've parked your car in someone else's space, this has arisen because the agent omitted to inform you AND you forgot to ask.

It's not even a mistake, or an accident, it's simply an oversight which has had a unfortunate conclusion. In my mind this goes down as "One of those things" which we learn from in this rich tapestry of life.

Sure, chance your arm and approach the agent, you might find a sympathetic ear and get a result.

However what I'd read into this is, don't assume, then when you find your assumption incorrect, don't try and make someone else accountable for your assumption.

I think I'd make a good Judge Judy

I totally agree with this. The reason people are now being forced to blame someone is because some authority is issuing a penalty charge and ticket. Why can we not go back to the old ways where someone would just be told, or a note left for them? Why the penalties?

Beate

The building I lived in before we moved had 6 flats and 6 parking spaces behind it. It didn't state in the tenancy agreement which was our parking space but there was a drawing on the notice board in the hallway which showed the spaces and the corresponding flat numbers. Though it was a private parking area just for this building, everyone around used to park there as it was so convenient for them. I didn't have a car so wasn't bothered at first but then the bf moved in and he had a car. We started by leaving notes on the cars but frankly, not a lot of people cared. They cared a bit more when we started to park them in, but got a lot of indignation on how dare we do that, even though THEY parked incorrectly! The managing agents couldn't have cared less and we were told we would have to remove the cars by private clamping firms as they were on private land. Not wishing to incurr costs for that all the time, we did the only sensible thing and invested in a lockable post on our parking space. Our Landlord was good enough to install it for us and even split costs 50:50 with us. Problem solved. I can understand the OP's indignation on the heavy-handedness of clamping his car, but frankly, he should have investigated which was his space and appreciate how much hassle it can be to remove cars from spaces they shouldn't park on.

Having said all that, where we live now has a huge parking area in the courtyard, where everyone living there has a right to park but no-one has an allocated space so you can just park whereever, and it works a treat.

Catmeister

mikael wrote:

I totally agree with this. The reason people are now being forced to blame someone is because some authority is issuing a penalty charge and ticket. Why can we not go back to the old ways where someone would just be told, or a note left for them? Why the penalties?

Mikael you seem to be forgetting that OP was told - whilst !!!! was totally within rights to clamp on day 1, they put a courtesy notice on OP's car before clamping on day 2, thus giving OP the benefit of the doubt in unintentionally parking in someone else's owned spot, and the chance to move before incurring extra fines.

OP you should have asked which space was yours. As they say, ignorance is never a defence. From the speed with which the EA told you which was your space sounds like they had the info already - probably just forgot to mention which space exactly was yours. Yes they should have, but I really can't understand why you wouldn't ask? This said, you incurred the fine after you were told that you were illegally parked. As you yourself state, !!!! pointed out that the parking spaces bore no correlation to flat numbers, so as you hadn't actually been told space B was yours, I don't know why you carried on assuming that !!!! was wrong. So I don't see why the EA should be liable for your clamp when you remained parked in full knowledge that you were in the wrong.

Catmeister

prudryden wrote:

I would tend to think that if the contract said you have a parking space in the parking lot, but didn't mention that it was a certain designated space, then one could rightfully assume that you could park in any available space in that parking lot.

Why would you ever assume you could park anywhere in a numbered/lettered car park?

prudryden

Catmeister wrote:

Why would you ever assume you could park anywhere in a numbered/lettered car park?

I can appreciate what you are saying. However, the contract doesn't indicate that the OP can't park in any space and, therefore, the OP hasn't breached the contract. Had the OP not been given any warning before being issued a ticket, then he would be due a refund from the managing agents.

It even turns out that the spaces are randomly assigned in any case and have no relation to the flat number/letter.

suffolkb

I have lived in my house for over 3 years and have just found out that I`ve parked in the wrong space all this time. 8 of us live on a private road at the end of a cul-de sac. 2 terraces of 4 houses.I assumed that the space next to my house was mine.It turns out that I am in a visitors space and mine is outside house no 3. Nobody told me and just use my space for visitors. We are lucky though in that there are 12 spaces for the 8 houses.