It's a parking one. Advice please!

[RibenaMonsoon]

Oh my golly gosh! I don't even bloody drive... I'll try and make it quick and painless to read as possible.

Obligatory diagram attached.

We live in flats that come with a car park. Each space is numbered 1-9. There are 10 flats in total.

We live in flat 5 on the top floor. Would usually be simple but flat 5 used to be a penthouse flat. The owners then partitioned it into 2 separate flats. 5 and 5a. So which flat gets the parking space??

It was advertised to us with a parking space. Flat 5a moved in before us and have the permit for flat 5s parking space. Up untill now we've had no need to use it as neither myself or DH drive. Although I've been taking driving lessons and will be taking my test in January so I will need it at some point. (If i pass)

I rang the landlord to find out what was going on parking wise and were assigned flat 9s parking space and were told that flat 9 doesn't have a parking space allocated anymore. I assumed the flat was vacant when they told me this.

My mum does a lot of my childcare and she needs to start looking after DS at my place rather than hers. So I'll need the space. Starting tomorrow.

There have been random cars parking in our space for a few weeks now. Not all the time but a day here and a day there, always different cars. It must be people in the other flats or their visitors but none of them seem to have a permit. It's getting more frequent.

I've checked with the landlord and flat 9 is vacant at the moment. We have the permit for that parking space and the landlord has confirmed that they have not advertised flat 9 in letting agents with free parking.

How the hell do I find out who these random parking ninjas are?

I thought about leaving notes on the windscreen of any car that parks there from now on. I want to word it as politely as I can.

I know I'm probably not BU but it feels really strange to me that I should be telling someone not to park in space for flat 9 as flat 5 needs it. Plus the people in flat 8 seem a bit confrontational from what I've seen and heard.

For now I only need the space 2 days a week but my work is quite erratic and there are no set days I work. 2 days a week, most of the time random.

Any suggestions on how I can word this note so I don't sound too douche baggy? Any advice would be appreciated.

[OlennasWimple]

HAve I understood?

Although you live in Flat 5, because Flat 5a has got the permit for Flat 5, you are going to get the permit for Flat 9 because it's vacant?

I know it's not the point of your OP, but what happens when someone moves into Flat 9?

[RibenaMonsoon]

The landlord has said that they wont be advertising flat 9 with free parking. Because they advertised our flat with a parking space when we took it, they had to honour it.

[Eatalot]

Is it permit only. Can you report people parking without one? Or at least leave a note saying you will after today as you have a permit for it and will be using it from now on?

[MyKingdomForBrie]

Make a sign - reserved for flat 5. If anyone parks in it start giving the LL their reg numbers. Leave notes on their windscreen (politely). It’s not their fault they don’t know it’s assigned now so you just need to communicate that.

[Pickleypickles]

Flat 9 is advertised with no parking.

If you have the permit to the space (which o presume you stick in your car somewhere) then surely nobody can question why you have it, thats between you and LL

[SpongeBobJudgeyPants]

Penguin bollard?

[OlennasWimple]

Ah, sorry, I missed the bit about Flat 9 not being advertised with parking.

Can you get a cone or something that you can put a sign on that says "Reserved for Flat 5"? Notes under wipers are easy to just ignore and throw away, especially if they get wet and turn to mush

Can you tell your neighbours about you starting to use the parking space, and let the grapevine do its job?

[PuppyMonkey]

Yep is there somewhere to put a sign? -"permit holders only, allocated parking for flat 5a."

[SvartePetter]

Most parking spaces are not marked with the number of the flat, this is not recommended due to the risk of burglary. (No car - noone home). We have a parking space but no car. If I see anyone parking there persistently I normally put a note under the windscreen saying that it is private and to not use again. Seems to work.

[DontTouchTheMoustache]

You will need to report the cars individually i think, who runs the car park? Obviously you can try speaking to the car owners first but it might get confrontational

[HundredMilesAnHour]

Just leave a polite note on the windscreens of cars who are parked in your (new) space. People will take advantage when they know no-one uses the space "officially" but once they realise it's in use now, they'll go elsewhere usually.

I had a similar problem when I started renting a car parking space in my development. It's in a key position so Tom, Dick, Harry and most of their friends tend to park in it (totally unauthorised and against the rules of course) as it's the shortest walk to the front door. I had to leave a lot of polite notes on windscreens. I will admit the notes became less polite as I started to lose patience. There may even have been hand gestures and some rude language at someone who dared to park in my space seconds before I drove in. I used to find it stressful driving home as I never knew if someone would be in my space or not (and if they were, I'd have to park in someone else's allocated space until they moved out of mine, and so the problem was passed on....it also meant I had to constantly keep looking to see if the person in my space had moved so I could move my car back).It took a few months but eventually all the neighbours twigged that I use that space now and I haven't had anyone park in it for ages. Got there in the end!

[Pearlsaringer]

Leave a printed (not handwritten) note on every car that parks there.

“You are kindly asked to remove your vehicle which is parked in a resident’s allocated parking space”

I have had this. People will be cheeky if they think it’s a spare space but generally stop when caught out.

[SweetieBaby]

Could you put a note through each letterbox explaining that you have the permit for that space and advising anyone with a problem to contact LL?

[mmzz]

I wonder if you will find it advertised on parkonmydrive, or similar? Might be worth a bit of googling. It might even be the landlord who has been letting it out by the hour.

[Rooooooood]

If there are only 10 flats it wouldn't be too much trouble to drop a note to each of the otherflats.

Dear the occupiers of flats 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10

Please be aware that the parking space numbered '5' is now assigned to Flat 9B with immediate effect. We would be grateful if you could make sure that the space if kept free at all times.

Thank you for your cooperation

Flat 9B

If all the flats have the same landlord then you could add that if they have any questions that they should contact the landlord or letting agency directly. I'd also put a sign up in the parking space.

[funnyfoursome]

I agree with Rood - put a polite message through the other doors. It is probably their visitors but this combined with a polite firm note on windscreens should work - good luck

[BewareOfDragons]

The note through doors is a great idea! I would do that. :)

[RibenaMonsoon]

Thank you all for your replies. It is permit only with a massive sign in the car park saying as much. It warns that anyone parking without a permit will be fined. I'm surprised so many people decided to risk it.
I like Roooods suggestion a lot. I'll try that and report back.
Thank you all!

[swapsicles]

Just let your neighbours know either face to face if you see them about or a note, I lived here for 8 years before I got a car so my space was often used by the neighbours, once I started parking regularly then they soon got the hint 🙂

[Unicorn81]

Agree if the notes do t work, penguin bollard

[JonSnowsWife]

I don't think advertising it without parking will shop them OP. I live at no '50'. CFs live at no '40'. No '40' was not advertised with free parking, so the CFs just constantly park outside ours and the NDNs instead Can you get LL to send a note reminding tenants of the parking rules? They're less likely to ignore LL than they are a tenant?

[RibenaMonsoon]

I have a bit of an update. Not sure what to do now really.

Someone moved into flat 9. It seems they are only there for 3 months. They haven't got a car but they are telling their guests to park in our space and that it's theirs. Fair enough assumption though.

DH saw them parking at one point and politely told them it's our space and that we had been allocated it and given the permit.

The guest jumped on the defensive and said that they had the permit (although couldn't produce it and have never displayed it on their car). DH thinks they already knew this and probably saw this coming judging their reaction. Perhaps they had asked the landlord for the permit and had been told no.

I rang the landlord to confirm and the space is definitely ours.

Now another of their guests is parked there this morning. I've tried knocking on number 9 to ask them to move as i need the space today. No one's answering.

Would I be a complete nob if I reported them now? They know it's ours and are clearly still telling their guests to park there.

[MagentaRocks]

Who would you report them to?

[afreshnewname]

Can you park behind them and block them in?