Issues with Bicycle left in Communal Area

Davesnave

BrassicWoman wrote: »

If there's a fire and they can't be seen for the smoke and someone takes a wrong turn and trips over them.. that's usually why common areas are kept clear.

^ This.


You've never been in a smoke-filled building. Those who haven't, don't always appreciate that, even in daylight hours, people trying to escape a fire may have virtually no vision or sense of direction.

Catkei

I actually agree with the management company here. We also rent a flat, and the people living on the ground floor left their pram out on the ground floor landing. It wasn't in the way per se, and it was there for a while. Only after about 1 year other things started appearing on the upper floor landings too. We live on the top floor, and the neighbours had 2 bikes on the landing, next to the fire extinguishers no less. Needless to say, both the pram and bikes and other sundries are no longer there. It's a fire hazard and frankly, it makes the communal area look like a tip.

onwards&upwards

Maybe they actually have been stolen.

That is another hazard of keeping stuff in a communal area.

another_casualty

Sorry , but I have to rant here with the problem I have :
I moved into my gd flr converted Victorian flat 2 years ago.
The communal area is not very small . The 2 flats above are let out .
I am insured . One set of tenants are fine so far . Unfortunately , the others are a 'family '. I struggle for storage space in my 2 bedroom flat. As I was new, I didn't know the full set up , and just want to get on . In the communal area , there was a child's bike left opposite my door . Fair enough . Last year the mother had a baby and that meant a pram was put there as well . I wasn't very happy and I moved it opposite . Eventually they got the message . The pram is still there .

I complained twice about the noise to the managing agents over the last couple of weeks .
On the first complaint , I said that I have been patient with the bike and pram being in the communal area but now the noise etc. So the managing agents are now aware of all problems .
Now looking above , I'm not sure if I should complain again to the managing agents due to my home insurance and ask for the pram to be removed.
Having explained my situation , you can understand why I have no sympathy for the o p ...

jimbog

another_casualty wrote: »

Sorry , but I have to rant here with the problem I have :
I moved into my gd flr converted Victorian flat 2 years ago.
The communal area is not very small . The 2 flats above are let out .
I am insured . One set of tenants are fine so far . Unfortunately , the others are a 'family '. I struggle for storage space in my 2 bedroom flat. As I was new, I didn't know the full set up , and just want to get on . In the communal area , there was a child's bike left opposite my door . Fair enough . Last year the mother had a baby and that meant a pram was put there as well . I wasn't very happy and I moved it opposite . Eventually they got the message . The pram is still there .

I complained twice about the noise to the managing agents over the last couple of weeks .
On the first complaint , I said that I have been patient with the bike and pram being in the communal area but now the noise etc. So the managing agents are now aware of all problems .
Now looking above , I'm not sure if I should complain again to the managing agents due to my home insurance and ask for the pram to be removed.
Having explained my situation , you can understand why I have no sympathy for the o p ...

Sounds like a possible fire risk. Worth notifying the Management company in writing and asking if their insurance would still be valid and if there was a fire could they be seen as negligent if they didn't act on this

need_an_answer

Well done that management company..its good to see that some management companies don't shy away from enforcing clutter free communal areas.


OP you may view it as just your bikes, but if everyone was to just put their bikes or their pushchairs or their collection of shoes and welcome banners out (yes I have seen those in one place as well as family photos on the walls) then it does present a fire risk not to mention trip hazards.


If you do manage to get your bikes returned,keep them in the property going forward not outside in communal areas. it costs leaseholders to get these items removed and there are better ways to spend service charges.

TBagpuss

esuhl wrote: »

You can't just seize someone else's property without explicitly telling them and informing them how to get it back.

I'd also assume they'd been stolen and report the theft to the police and your insurers.

Except that OP was explictly told and it sounds as though there are also provisions in the lease.

It's similar to the situation you often see in cities where there are notices on railings warning that bicysles left there will be removed.

in terms of disposing of them, there may well be provisions in the lease or other paperwork from the management co. - that items left in common areas may be treted as abandoned and disposed of, for instance.


OP mau struggle with their insurance as they didn;t leave the bikes locked or in a secure location

Tom99

ProDave wrote: »

Did the management company leave any receipt to say they have taken the bikes? Did they say where you can collect them from?

If neither of the above I would report them to the police as STOLEN.

Yes waste police time and make yourself look a right plonker when they find out you have already been notified the bike will be removed.