New build - Unfair Changes to parking allotment

Manac0r

We live in and have purchased a Barrats home.

Recently the company in charge of maintenance and grounds keeping has changed the parking policy.

Each household receives 1 bay, and is now required to display a permit for that bay. The Visitor bay areas are now changed to 4 hour stay only.

Every household in my block alone, owns 2 cars. Before the visitor bays were used for this purpose and it worked out fine, no complaints.

Now these changes mean most households will have an issue with parking, and this private company can gouge us for fines for not parking in the one allotted slot. Also parking anywhere except a Bay Area will result in a fine.

I find this highly unfair and was wondering what we, the numerous households that are affected, can do about it?

princeofpounds

Depending on their basis, the so-called fines may well not hold any legal validity.

As for the visitor's spaces - second cars are not visitors. Where are the visitors supposed to park if residents are permanently occupying them with second cars? As you yourself say, it's not as if there is any other parking whatsoever. You say there have been no complaints, but I bet you there are plenty of frustrated people.

Guest101

Manac0r wrote: »

We live in and have purchased a Barrats home.

Recently the company in charge of maintenance and grounds keeping has changed the parking policy.

Each household receives 1 bay, and is now required to display a permit for that bay. The Visitor bay areas are now changed to 4 hour stay only.

Every household in my block alone, owns 2 cars. Before the visitor bays were used for this purpose and it worked out fine, no complaints.

Now these changes mean most households will have an issue with parking, and this private company can gouge us for fines for not parking in the one allotted slot. Also parking anywhere except a Bay Area will result in a fine.

I find this highly unfair and was wondering what we, the numerous households that are affected, can do about it?

1: they aren't fines. They're invoices.

2: who owns the parking space? Is it on your deed? If so u do not have to display the permit

3: who owns the visitors spaces?

3:

Guest101

princeofpounds wrote: »

Depending on their basis, the so-called fines may well not hold any legal validity.

As for the visitor's spaces - second cars are not visitors. Where are the visitors supposed to park if residents are permanently occupying them with second cars? As you yourself say, it's not as if there is any other parking whatsoever. You say there have been no complaints, but I bet you there are plenty of frustrated people.

Depends who owns the land. They aren't fines, but the owner is allowed to impose restrictions.

This is governed by trespass laws, and is based on loss ( which there won't be in this case any loss).

Who's the company doing the parking enforcement?

moneyistooshorttomention

I'm reading your post as stating that each household is allocated one parking space specifically for that household and the other parking spaces are for visitors.

Any second car owned by a household isn't a visitors car (ie as the owner lives there). If home-owners there are parking in the visitors places, then where are visitors to park?

I would say this issue has arisen because visitors are complaining that they aren't able to park in their visitors places because residents have been using them to park their second cars in.

If they are visitors carparking spaces, then they are visitors carparking spaces (ie not for second cars owned by households living there). With that, I cant see what the problem is. Its convenient for a home-owner to be able to use other peoples visitors carparking spaces, but visitors have first rights over their visitor spaces and if there aren't enough to spare any for households 2nd cars, then there aren't. Hence the restrictions have come in to enforce what householders were told in the first place.

It doesn't sound to me as if this company is doing this to make money out of charging fines. It sounds as if they have had to do this in order to make sure visitors can park in visitors parking spaces.

AdrianC

The enforcement of the visitor parking bays is BECAUSE residents are misusing them.

What does your lease say about parking spaces?

What can you do about it? Only own as many cars as you have space to park. That's the simple way to deal with the after-effects of your original error, which was buying a house that didn't suit your needs.

Manac0r

The current system seems to work, as most visitor bays are empty during peak times. There are also lots of unofficial space people use. I understand the importance of being fair, however no one I have spoken to (50+ residents) is happy about the new arrangement. So far the consensus is that this is not a beneficial change.

The company is called UK Car Park Management Ltd, on request of the freehold management (Charmonixs).

The notice of change came yesterday and will be enforced on the 1st of September.

E: in regards to purchasing a house that didn't meet my needs, needs change and evolve. I would even be happy parking off site, however there is no viable option.

princeofpounds

And, as asked, who owns the spaces? (why should the owner not get to decide who gets to use them?) and what does your lease say about the parking?

Manac0r

princeofpounds wrote: »

And, as asked, who owns the spaces? (why should the owner not get to decide who gets to use them?) and what does your lease say about the parking?

The only reference I could find is that 'common parts' which includes parking space is owned by the Landlord, Catalyst housing. I believe.

e: I understand this but several families are seriously affected by this change, with young children and babies. The nearest alternative for households with more than 1 car is to park 5 minutes away via a busy main road.

Manac0r

Found this about Private companies issuing so called fines/invoices:

Can't post link but it's from these forums.

Apparently PCM are well known scammers and cannot issue a fine of any sorts.

Guest101

We'll tell the 50+ residents that these are not fines, that they should appeal as no loss to land owner.

But clearly the parking situation either through developer poor planning or owners taking advantage, isn't working.