Go round to their house or trust Just Park to sort this out?

[Klona]

I live on a house estate near and airport. We have parking problems everywhere.

For a few weeks we have been getting people parking in our private off road parking spaces for days/weeks on end. A neighbour confronted one of them and they said they had paid for the space via Just Park. Got in their taxi to the airport and left. My immediate neighbours denied all involvement so I reported the most recent one to Just Park and they told me it’s a house way up the street nowhere near me. They say they are going to ask the seller to prove they own the space. But I really don’t think they give a shit, it’s all just profit for them. Anyone could say they own anything and get a listing on their site from what I can see.

Now once as a one off I would give them the benefit of the doubt and maybe having a crap listing that doesn’t explain the parking but this is the third time and they haven’t noticed the buyer doesn’t park in their sold space? So I think they are selling space that doesn’t belong to them. They are making £30+ I am making nothing and having no parking spaces for days on end.

I considered posting on the local Facebook group but this seems petty? I’m not sure whether to go round and confront them, or leave a note or just leave it up to Just Park? Just park say they are investigating the issue and will ask of proof of ownership from the seller.

I don’t know where I stand with this, I am considering one of those fixed locking bollards however as it’s a shared hard standing space (with allocated parking spaces) I doubt I have permission to install these, and who would I even ask? I don’t think the council own the parking and the developers handed it back a long time ago.

AIBU to be FUMING and has anyone come across this before?

As a mini update with no useful info, the 2 neighbours I share the parking area with are also fuming about it and fully invested in this investigation and the outcome. We have talked bollards and signs.

When you say it's a private parking space, who owns it? Ok you have the right to park there but who actually owns the land? Presumably someone tarmacs it and paints lines and so on. You need to be getting them to investigate unauthorised use and potentially supply signage/bollards (if it's a case of someone parking where they shouldn't, whether or not that involves them booking elsewhere and misreading directions) and you also need to be telling just park that your particular space isn't available and to tell the person listing their own space to make it clear that there's just the one bay available, with photos, and everything else is off limits.

Parking on private land isn't illegal. This is a civil matter.

@Oyen the parking spaces come with the deeds of the house. They are on my deeds. However as it is shared with other neighbours and a management company come round to do the lighting and gardening I need to find out if it’s freehold or leasehold. I don’t want to fix anything to the ground if I need permission first

there is a gate but it’s broken and it’s not locked so anyone could just open the gate and drive in

If you don't tarmac it yourself it's possibly leasehold. Presumably you maintain your own driveway but don't maintain your parking space.

I'm confused about the directions you got when you booked the advertised space. Did they direct you to your space? Where did they direct you? When I've used any parking app I get a very clear diagram showing which space is mine. Usually parking bays are numbered so it's clear from that. Is yours numbered?

Using what3words in the ad would sort the problem!

When I booked the space on the app it told me to turn left at X house. It didn’t show the space and it didn’t have any other clear directions. The pin on the map on Just Park is on the RIGHT (where I am) and apparently the space is on the LEFT. The main photo on the sellers page is facing the street with my house in clear view. This could be the drivers mistakes - it is a confusing street with multiple off shoots to the off road parking which is why it needs to be specific.

However I had to book the space to get any further details at all, unless you purchase they have hidden all the instructions and number of the house it belongs to.

The other listings locally are clearer and show the house/space before you book it.

FIRST SIGHT LISTING- says parking in x street. Big enough for Volvo. Single entry

AFTER PURCHASE - turn left at White House with red door. Parking on left. Don’t park on street

there are loads of white houses and the red door isn’t even facing the street so this is just all idiots bullshit and I hope Just Park make them give clearer instructions (if this is them)

I have become invested in this now too!!

I am confused about the gate though- am I right in thinking the area of the six spaces belongs jointly to three neighbours and that the gate used to be to prevent access to those six spaces? Why don't you jointly fix the gate and put a lock on it? If it used to be there then the management company shouldn't have a problem with it.

Until sorted You need to put up a sign saying the space is not a Just Park place and any cars there will be clamped

There is a gate! It’s really big and it’s broken, so if it’s windy it flies around banging. It’s on normal hinges, on a sloping angle so if you don’t close it properly it just flaps about or opens on its own. The closure/tie back part attached to my neighbours house is broken We tied it up to stop it banging. I could get this fixed but it would mean all of us with our 6 cars remembering to open and close it properly every day. I will talk to them about this option though. Yes it’s 3 neighbours. If it annoys us all this much then the gate is an option I agree

@Oyen
the spaces have teeny tiny silver plaques allocated to them in front on the walls with a letter and a number. They are impossible to see! But one side has a massive hedge in front of it which has overgrown the plaques. Nothing on the ground painted. When I say small I mean, like could fit in the palm of your hand sized

Please keep getting back to JustPark about this, though I agree about putting up a "not Just Park spaces" sign if you can with your neighbours. There's really no excuse for not having crystal clear instructions if you rent your space out with them - and it also needs to be definitively your specific space that you rent out!

coi - we've had our driveway on JustPark for years and I also invested a small amount with them when they were capital raising ages ago. So I want them to provide a decent service, which absolutely includes making sure everyone's neighbours stay happy!!!

This was happening near me for Stansted airport, the owner of the parking company had to tell people to stop because the vehicles were all getting vandalised.

@Pythonesque thank you, it is good to hear that some sellers are more considerate as I was just starting to lose faith in Just Park and how they seem to just have no obligation on sellers to be clear. How do these listings even get approved if written by absolute bozos who can’t be bothered to write more than one ambiguous sentence?

You live near me 😉

I knew it 😂

@Myhusbandearns150k I don’t agree with the vandalism if it’s parked on the road legally. I also don’t think parking companies should be charging people to dump their cars on the street, what a rip off

Fume away.

I agree @Klona I’m not a vandal but I think it’s major CF and you should all chip in buy a cheap car and block people in 😂

Put one of these on with a contact number for release. Up to you if you charge them a fee or just make them wait.

https://www.diy.com/departments/new-heavy-duty-wheel-clamp-safety-lock-adjustable-claw-home-security/5056316793681_BQ.prd?gbraid=0AAAAADt-XHmRMN1cJy9TcX8HPdWda__mD&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIj4Xi2vyMggMVGdntCh0bvgFhEAQYByABEgJRcvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They will soon get bad reviews!

The private car park lot often just clamp and make them pay to release rather than tow them away anyway.

Can you paint your house number on the spaces? Would that make a difference?

Can you put a sign at the front of your space, “this is not parking for XYZ, please go back to the main road and take ABC directions”

It’s not the parker’s fault! Imagine the stress of getting to the airport for a holiday and finding there is no parking spot. The problem is JustPark’s to solve.

We had this. Had to submit deeds. Just Park pushed back constantly. They just don't care. We got them though as subletting isn't allowed. That they cared about. The fact they were renting out space which was ours which we didn't give permission for, they didn't. Was a few years ago, I can't believe this nonsense still happens. It was so stressful, The managementcompany couldn't allow signage either. I'm so sorry.

Could you put a bollard at the entrance to the car park?

Surely fixing the gate is a quicker, easier and cheaper option than a bollard.

It is also more likely to be used than a bollard. Much less fiddly. I say that as someone who has to padlock a gate in the dark daily