How to stop parking space drama before it even stops

[CarDrama009]

I have purchased a flat within a building that contains 8 flats. Each flat has an allocated parking space but no numbers exist on the ground to show that's the case.

All the times I've visited the flat (3 times) there has been a car parked in the space designated to my flat. The surveyor has also visited and there was again a car parked there. When I first viewed the place there were tenants in my flat and they informed me that they think there is a flat that has two cars, and those occupants clocked on that their parking space wasn't being used, so just started to park their second car there.

The flat is now vacant and there is still a car parked there

What do I do if I come to moving in and there is still a car parked in my space?

I have asked the owner to let the current building occupants know that she has sold the flat and the parking space is needed. There is still a car parked there.

Stressing about this and I haven't even moved in yet. How do I stop this car parking drama before it even stars?

Thank you everyone. I will have a knock on everyone's door and introduce myself and mention it. There were other spaces empty every time I visited so hoping this won't be an issue.

I've flagged this up to estate agent and solicitors and the reply I'm getting is the owner has no idea who is parking there.

Don't know how stern to be before I move in or to go speak to everyone myself and just hope they don't use it again.

I could park in another empty space but I'd have no idea who it actually belongs to so will feel a bit off doing that as soon as I move in.

My solicitor refused to exchange when we were buying a place with a car parked in the space that was allocated to the property we were buying.

You wouldn't buy the flat if one of the bedrooms was being used to store someone's shite that wasn't going to be removed would you?

I would speak to your solicitor put a (very polite) note on the car and say that the purchase is being held up as the space belonging to the property is in use and to please not use it. Once they do vacate, you could install a folding bollard or whatever.

These are your new neighbours with whom you ideally want to get on. You can be friendly but still firm from the outset, but what I wouldn't do is assume there's a problem or go in arsey before you know there is one. If other spaces are available then hopefully the person using it can just use one of those.

My brother had this but it wasn't any of the other tenants, it was some random woman. The flat had been vacant for a while so parked there while she was a work.

You don’t need to be stern when you first ask. Rather than knocking on people’s doors, why don’t you leave a note on the car saying you have moved in, believe this is your space and you now need it. Any issues to call you.

But you’re assuming there is a problem before there is one. There may not be - OP could very well tell the car owner it’s her space and she needs it, and they will not park there again.

No need to go in all guns blazing.

I'd leave a note on the car ASAP.

Google parking space signs

you can get them cheap ones £10 or so that stick to the floor or wall and do no damage

start as you mean to go on otherwise you will end up in a parking war

Yes and no doubt a war will break out
See post about neighbourhood parking that got out of hand.

Parking is always a contentious issue.

But is the spaces aren't numbered, how do you know he/she isn't in the right spot?

It's pretty common; it will be on the title deeds for each flat.

The other thing which is pretty common is parking spaces and flats are often initially numbered as plots when being built and the car park plot number doesn't match the eventual property postal/door number. Merry hell when people who haven't followed their deeds insist that because they own flat four they should have space four.

This

When you purchase a property it is usual as part of the sale agreement for the seller to confirm that the property will be sold with vacant possession which means all belongings will be removed other than those it has been agreed will be left. I would have thought that would also apply to a parking space so it is the sellers duty to ensure that the space is empty before completion. Even though the car doesn't belong to them they have allowed it to stay there and I would have thought that makes them responsible to ensure its removed. I think you should ask your solicitor about this and what the procedure is should you need to make a claim against the seller if the car is still there on completion day.

It seems nuts that for the price of a can of white spray paint and some number stencils, the owners don't just spray paint the number of the flat on each space.

I would just put a polite note on the car in question wth a copy of your deeds showing your space marked. It's possible the person parking there doesn't even live there, so better to go direct to that person.

Just put a polite note on the car with contact details if any problems, I certainly wouldn’t be going round knocking on all the flats doors 😂

Completely agree with pp who've rightly said this is an issue for the vendor, not you. I'm surprised they haven't addressed it already. If I were selling a property and I'd allowed people to park in my space/ driveway because I didn't have a vehicle, I'd have spoken to them when I was preparing to put my property on the market and explained that I couldn't do them this favour any longer. Your vendor has been a bit lax imo- but I guess in a seller's market, they've been able to.

Pass it back to them now. Get your solicitor to instruct their solicitor that you can't proceed until the issue is sorted. That's not making a mountain out of it; it's simply what ought to happen. It also avoids it becoming a personal issue that involves you.

I don't want this guy to know which flat I live in.

easier to achieve in a big block, of course.