New build - Unfair Changes to parking allotment

Guest101

Manac0r wrote: »

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.

Well if u read two lines that doesn't make u an expert, there are plenty of cases they have won in court. The point is that these are defensible! Quite easily. Costs approx £1 each time, costs the PCM approx £20 each time.

Enough people do it and they'll back off as an unprofitable site

snifflette

Manac0r wrote: »

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.

Sorry, why can't the family car have the parking space? If it were me, I'd be telling hubby he's the one that must park miles away!

I'm guessing a neighbour or two has complained in secret. I would if I only had one car!

poppasmurf_bewdley

If you own your own property, and your neighbours likewise, then presumably in your deeds there will be mention of parking spaces. You need to consult this and see what it says.

If the company suggesting these alterations is employed by a management team on behalf of the home owners, then you should be able to tell this management company to go back to the drawing board and think again, as presumably they are working for you, not the other way round.

princeofpounds

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.

They aren't any more seriously affected than any other family who has bought a house or flat with parking for one car when they want two cars!

It's not that complicated; those spaces are not owned by the householders. They are also not public. They never were. You complaining about not being able to park there whenever you want is about as sensible as complaining you aren't allowed to park on your neighbour's driveway whenever you want. Parental inconvenience is not an excuse to assume defacto ownership of land.

Now although I think your reasoning is messed up, I'm still going to point you in three directions to better understand the parking invoice issue. You can find more on this topic on:

- The motoring sub-board here on MSE
- Pepipoo forum
- The parking prankster blog.

If the company suggesting these alterations is employed by a management team on behalf of the home owners, then you should be able to tell this management company to go back to the drawing board and think again, as presumably they are working for you, not the other way round.

It's very possible that the freehold to these areas is not owned by the residents but by a management company that bought it from the developer. Depending on the legal structure it may or may not be possible for the residents to take over the management and/or ownership of these areas.

PasturesNew

Always buy the spaces you need - you can't rely on the "goodwill" of others to accept if you have more cars than you own spaces for. It's the abuse of the "goodwill", causing people's visitors to not have the space those owners believed they were buying when they bought their flat, that's the problem.

If I buy one space and access to visitors' spaces, then I expect my visitors to often be able to find a space .... I'll accept there are times they can't and advise them accordingly. What I wouldn't accept is that there are no visitors' spaces because rude/arrogant/'entitled to' mentality means they are full of 2nd-cars. That's just theft of my rights and what I'd have paid for.

Bluebonnie

OP says that the parking spaces belong to the landlord/freeholder and are included in the "common parts" of the development.
Mentioning "common parts" suggests that the place is leasehold. If so, is there a separate lease for a parking space?

The question is - what does OP's documentation given he when he bought the place say specifically about parking rights? Does it say OP shall have an allocated space? does it say there may be two allocated spaces?

What about Barratt's - did they promise parking in writing, in the sales particulars?

Or, is the real beef the lack of adequate spaces for the cars residents have brought onto the property? this is only likely to get worse.

pinkshoes

A friend of mine lives in a development like this where each property has a parking space, then visitors parking.

Of course those with second cars use the visitor bays, so although i can usually park during the day, trying to visit her in the evening is a nightmare!

if your property only has one space, then you shouldn't take any additional spaces for granted. Can you sell one of your cars? Or move house to somewhere with adequate parking?

For what it's worth, I think all new builds should come with at least two parking spaces.

silvercar

I agree that it is the owner's second cars that are blocking up the visitors bays, but a restriction of 4 hours on visitor's bays, stops you having friends for the weekend arriving in their car - which would annoy me.

dodger1

Why would a buyer who owns and uses more than one car purchase a property with a one vehicle restriction for each property.

AdrianC

That's simple, Dodger. It doesn't apply to them, because they're _special_...