To still park here?

[MissJSays]

Basically there is no parking at my university. To get a permit to park in the uni car park costs just under £700 a year. There is a church down the road from the campus which has a car park, me and 2 of the other girls park there for 3 hours 2 days per week. Today I was leaving when a woman came out of the church and said 'you can't park here because you're not part of the church.' I said 'oh right' she went on to say 'because I know you do it all the time.' She said it in such a rude and patronising tone but I was caught off guard with a million bags in my hand so didn't have much to say back.
What are the rules, who owns churches? Are they owned by the council? If so am I allowed to park there? There are no signs there at all relating to parking, nothing saying you can or cannot park there.
I'll also add in 3 years at uni she is the only person I've ever seen anywhere near the church, it always seems closed.
Any advice would be much appreciated!

[MiddleClassProblem]

God owns them. He will smite you Sorry I couldn't resist

I would assume the church owned the car park. Just as a supermarket owns theirs.

[IMissGrannyW]

Unlikely to be the council.

The entitled air of some people who "know" god is 'on their side'.... One of my best friends says she'll know she's in Hell when she has to spend eternity with Ladies Who Arrange the Flowers In Church.

Look up Love Among the Lentils by Alan Bennett!!!! [it's one of the "Talking Heads" and is genius!]

[MissJSays]

Middle All I've thought about all day is 'if I park there in the morning... I'm going to hell'
It's not really a proper car park, it's just empty space in front of the church where lots of cars park. Looked on council website and can't see anything about churches.
Looks like I'm going to hell

[MissVictoria]

Whether it's legal or not for you to park there, it's really bloody cheeky!
You know its the car park for the church and you're not going in the church, so you shouldn't be parking there. Use public transport or get the permit, stop being so cheeky!

[DontTouchTheMoustache]

Is the car park usually fairly empty? If so I would continue to park to there until someone with some.actual authority tells you not to.

[5OBalesofHay]

Or just don't be so fucking entitled?

[Reality16]

I think YABU. It's the church car park. You don't go to church.

[MiddleClassProblem]

Is it spaces on the road or off the road?

[MissJSays]

No it's usually empty, church looks locked up and like I said she's the only person I've ever seen there in almost 3 years.

I would feel unreasonable if 'real' church goers were being done out of their parking spaces! Then of course I wouldn't park there but it doesn't do anyone any harm that I can see?

Middle it's off road

[PowerofThree]

Assuming we are talking church of England, the church and it's curtilage (ie: the surrounding land, usually but not always marked with a wall or fence, which can include car parks) is the property of the incumbent (vicar) and the parish church council (PCC). If the car park is within the curtilage, the PCC will be responsible for the insurance for the area and for the cost of maintaining it so yes they can ask you not to park there. It is slightly different if it is a lay by on the public road type of parking situation as opposed to an area you turn in to.

Other denominations may treat property slightly differently but it is still likely that land that is not the public road is the property of the individual church or the central denomination not the council.

[maggiecate]

Churches are owned by the church! So if it's CofE it's owned by the Church of England, RC it's owned by the Catholic Church and so on. The car park is most likely private property and the church might appear to be closed, but they may have a church hall that people are using and they need the parking for.

[CheerfullyIndifferent]

The church belongs to the church - whatever denomination that might be. It's private property, and not too different from parking on someone's drive, really. You've been asked not to, so don't.

[Gruffalosgrandma]

My church has a car park and all sorts of people park there and we don't mind at all.

[MiddleClassProblem]

Off road I would feel crap about using it. It's land owned by someone, in this case the church. But like parking on someone's drive when they're out. MN had taught me this happens a lot though

[MiddleClassProblem]

Same wave length as Cheerfully

[CheerfullyIndifferent]

Imagine the vicar comes home sick one day and finds OP parked in his/her spot...

[Bunnyfuller]

Not very Saintly...begrudging a bit of parking. I bet Jesus would let you park

[MissJSays]

Power thank you! Very informative, and thanks to everyone else too!

middle I couldn't believe the thread I read the other day. OP's neighbours had been parking on her drive while she was at work for years.

Looks like IABU. I'm only a few months away to the end of my degree and now I have nowhere to park! The uni put the parking permit price up so high to encourage the use of public transport. Unfortunately for me it'd take me close to 2 and a half hours and 3 bus changes, just not doable at all.

Time to get my thinking cap on!
Thanks again everyone.

[MiddleClassProblem]

Maybe just pop in and ask the vicar/rev etc if they mind? Surely they have to help a poor student trying to make a better life for themselves?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Its no different to parking on someones drive. They own the land and you dont therefore you have no right to park there. Whether you think it is doing no harm is not the point, it isnt your land to park on and they can tell you to move your car quite legitimately.

If you contact the church minister and offer a donation in exchange for parking there then they might be ok with it, or they might say no for fear of opening the flood gates to every student who doesnt want to pay.

Or you could catch the bus.

[Tatiannatomasina]

Why not contact the church and offer to make a donation for being able to park there?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

X post

Can you park near where the last bus leaves from and just get that one bus in?

[Benedikte2]

If there's no sign up then just go on parking there in the meantime. Sounds as if the woman is being officious because is a congregant and feels entitled. The church can put a sign up if it's bothered. Sounds as if it might be one of those churches rarely used because of a shrinking congregation.
Could you drive past on a Sunday morning to check if it's open? Is there a notice re times of services?
At the times you use it it's unlikely to ever be wanted by church people.

[CheerfullyIndifferent]

Agree re contacting the vicar. Or you could try one of those "park on my drive" type of websites where people rent their drives out?

[PowerofThree]

Maybe try contacting the vicar and asking permission to park there? If it is empty most of the time, then it may just be the not asking that is a problem. As a pp has shown some churches are happy to let their car park be used.

That said, if there is not much parking locally, they may be afraid of starting a precedent that leads to the car park being used all the time including when needed by the church. Unfortunately, although the vicar and pcc are the owners and are responsible for upkeep, the church doesn't allow them free reign and there is lots of church and planning bureaucracy if they wanted to put in a barrier because their car park has become unofficial free parking (again that is for CofE)