Parking Space

LizziC84

We bought our leasehold flat in 2006 and on the deeds it included a small garage and a parking bay in a block approx 30 metres away from the property. We have never used the parking bay as our car has always been small enough to fit in the garage. We are now in the process of purchasing a much larger vehicle that won’t fit in the garage so we will need to start using the bay. The problem is that the bays are not marked to show that they belong to a particular flat and so residents of a nearby street park there every night, it seems like it is first come first served. How should we go about this? Do we need to contact the leasehold company and request that they mark out the bays or should I take this upon myself and get a sign or paint something on the bay? What do I do if people ignore this and continue to park there seeing as they have been doing this for the last 14 years? 

Fruitcake

This is not a legal forum so nobody here can say precisely what you are or not allowed to do.

Do you have a specific parking bay shown on your lease/AST, and the lease/AST gives you exclusive rights to park in that specific bay, or do your documents only mention the right to use a bay, but doesn't specify which one?

Personally I believe it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, so I see no reason why you can't mark the bay and put polite notices on cars in said bay if it is for your exclusive use, stating that it is your bay and nobody else is allowed to park there.
You could also get a collapsible bollard with a lock, but might need permission to bolt it to the ground.

You could buy some cheap stick on letters, clean a section of the bay, stick the letters down and then spray with suitable floor marking paint. All it would need to say is something like FLAT followed by the flat number. The words Parking Only could also be added if you wish.

I would also suggest you get into the habit of parking your existing car there for a while as soon as it becomes free, and then you will be able to mark the space at your own convenience.

Whilst you could involve the landlord or leasehold company, be wary that they might decide to bring in an unregulated parking scammer that will be detrimental to you and other residents. Whilst it might (eventually) stop unauthorised parking, once that has happened the scammer's only revenue will be to go after genuine residents and their visitors.

LizziC84

Thanks for your reply. We will check the deed again to be sure, however from memory it simply shows a boundary around the flat itself and then another boundary around the garage and parking bay, whether that means the bay is for our exclusive use I’m not sure. It certainly seems to suggest that we own the deed to the bay though. 

Umkomaas

You may need to consult your conveyancing solicitor. Get your money's worth! 😉

D_P_Dance

Why not buy a "Private Parking" ign and primt out a few pcitures of Calthrops to put on interlopers' windscreens.

https://www.google.com/search?q=calthrop&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=IKJt1VZ2JPk--M%252CqdAJMNselJvuZM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRFTied9ylE2h8LzaEOX000OtDs4A&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTpLOf8N3qAhV7URUIHZIZD-QQ_h0wAXoECAsQBg&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=IKJt1VZ2JPk--M