New build - Bad parking space

Rony

Hi All,
So I completed on a new build flat in September, with the parking space. Both the flat and the parking space have a title deed each.
When I was viewing the car parking space, it looked like a good spot as it was near an electrical outlet (future proofing) and was near the entrance.

Now having used it, I realise that I actually have picked possibly the worst parking spot in the whole parking lot for the following reasons:

1) It is right up against the wall, and there is not much space to manoeuvre the car as the width of the path is actually quite small. Not all the parking spaces have been sold currently and so the lot is quite empty, so I am okay for now. But I have been trying to park as if the car park were full and it is very tight. If the car in the post behind me/next to me were to park slightly over the line, I would not be able to get in. (In fact, just the other day, the car behind me was parked way over their line.)

2) There are 3 floors to the lot, and I chose one on lower ground floor and I live right next to the river. Which means that it is prone to flooding

3) The other parking spots on the other levels have so much more room, compared to the one on Lower Ground.

So I have been trying to think of some solutions:

A) I'd have to sell my car parking spot back to the developer and buy another one. Will the developer even accept this? Will they try to exploit my situation and sell me the next parking spot at an inflated price? I know I will incur legal costs, but I don't mind paying this as long as I can switch spots.

B ) Perhaps when the flat sales come to an end, there may be spots left over at which I can buy at a reduced price as the developer are trying to flog the remaining spots. I can pick one then and then I'd have two parking spots. I can maybe then sell my original one to another resident. But the risk with this is that I'd be left with the unwanted spots to choose from, which may be undesirable also.


To make matters worse, my solicitors are still registering my title deeds, I think, and apparently it takes 6 months to do (from completion date mid Sep 2020). Not sure if I can do option A above.

I don't want to speak to my developer just yet, as I don't want to let them know my situation as they will then have leverage.

Any suggestions?

Many thanks!

EDIT: I have attached an image of my parking level just to illustrate.

Green parking spot is mine. Whether I can get into my spot is therefore reliant on how spot 3 and 2 park. The other day, spot 3 had their car over their line nearest to me. Luckily spot 2 hasn't been sold yet so I still have wiggle room, if the car park was full, not sure I would have been able to get in. Normally when spots 2 and 3 are empty, and I try to park as if they were full, it takes me about 5-8 point turns to get into my spot without going over spot 2's line.

bexybest

Is it feasible to reverse in? Looks like you'd have to reverse all the way round the car park but it will give you much better angles.

Rony

bexybest said:

Is it feasible to reverse in? Looks like you'd have to reverse all the way round the car park but it will give you much better angles.

You know what, as I was drawing this illustration I was just thinking that. In the space 3 spots below spot 2, I think I can reverse. I can't actually remember what's there in that space and whether it is empty and available for me to reverse. I will check when I go down next.

Although that is a slight inconvenience, it may have to do. But if the other options are viable, I may still pursue them.

Thanks,

davidmcn

Rony said:

To make matters worse, my solicitors are still registering my title deeds, I think, and apparently it takes 6 months to do (from completion date mid Sep 2020). Not sure if I can do option A above.

This doesn't matter.

Tiglet2

As a totally separate transaction, could you ask the developer if you can purchase an additional parking spot?  Has the development been built with one space per property?  If not, then the developer may be interested in selling a second spot to you - perhaps you could then choose a spot on a different level and one which is more spacious.  A year or two further down the line, it may be that spots will be in short supply and you could sell your first spot to another person living there that either doesn't have a spot or would like two?

Rony

@davidmcn
I can sell my spot without my title being registered fully? I could have sworn I asked my solicitor this before and she kinda said that I couldn't do it. But I got the feeling she thought I was causing more hassle and kinda brushed me off.

@Tiglet2
Yes, so thats pretty much my option B above. If I try to buy another one now, they might exploit me and raise the price.
I actually do not know if it is one space per property, but I do remember the estate agent telling me that the developer closed off sales of parking spaces to single bed flats (which mine is) right after mine was secured, possibly meaning that they are now short on supply. However driving around the lot, there seems to be quite a few spaces left...
Also i don't know if the estate agent said that just to keep me from dropping out of the sale, as it was around the time of lockdown.

Also, how would I go about selling that disastrous spot. They are going to be sceptical as to why I am selling that spot. I'm going to have to twist the truth when that happens :S

Cash-Cows

So you want the developer to buy your unusable space so you can have a better one leaving them with the difficulty of selling it on? Good luck with that. I would buy the space next to it if you were seeking to improve the situation. 

davidmcn

Rony said:

@davidmcn
I can sell my spot without my title being registered fully? I could have sworn I asked my solicitor this before and she kinda said that I couldn't do it. But I got the feeling she thought I was causing more hassle and kinda brushed me off.

The fact it's in the course of registration doesn't prevent transactions from happening in the meantime. You own it from the date of completion, however long the Land Registry takes to process it is of no legal relevance.

Rony

@Cash-Cows
It's not unusable, just tight, unusable if the other cars are not parked perfectly. I am not going to point out all the cons about this space when I sell it back to them of course, I'll just say that I prefer another spot. If they don't want to then so be it, I'll have to sell it myself. But I'm not going to not try, that's why I am asking here for advice.

RE buying the space next to mine, I was thinking about that too. However that would now mean I have two spaces on Lower ground, which is prone to flooding. I'm sure they have flooding systems in place, however with global warming and such, and the fact I live right next to river, it probably isn't so far-fetched a notion anymore that the system could be overwhelmed.

@davidmcn
Thank you for this!

princeofpounds

Sorry to pile it on, but you probably have no right to use the power socket anyway.(?)

It's certainly worth exploring the possibility of buying another space, and possibly selling the one you currently own. But you'll need to consider if you propose both transactions at once - as stated the developer will then be fully aware of your situation. But it may be necessary if they really are limiting spaces per household.

Rony

princeofpounds said:

Sorry to pile it on, but you probably have no right to use the power socket anyway.(?)

It's certainly worth exploring the possibility of buying another space, and possibly selling the one you currently own. But you'll need to consider if you propose both transactions at once - as stated the developer will then be fully aware of your situation. But it may be necessary if they really are limiting spaces per household.

Sorry I realise I was unclear. I meant electrical charge point for electric cars (not like an outlet for your phone charger lol). There are electrical point dotted around all the walls. So the ones who have the parking spaces against the wall will be able to charge their electric cars. But the ones in the middle can't, unless they have an extra long charging cable. But then it will cross the path which wouldn't work.

Hm yes, that's true. Although I will need to do both transactions at the same time, as I don't want to sell my spot and then realise I am not eligible to another spot. I'll have to buy it first, but then they'll question why I need two spots.

If the parking spot demand is running low, I will have more leverage. But for that to happen I'll have to wait a few more months, I think they are due to finish selling all the flats around June next year. Maybe I'll ask in first half 2021, or when the car park starts to fill up more.