Neighbours workmen parking in flats allocated parking

[orangeleopard]

I live on an expensive ‘estate’ where the houses are worth near £1m. On this estate are two small council blocks (around 8 flats in each). We pay well over £1k in rent to the council for context - so it’s not cheap. Anyway, included in our rent are two allocated parking spaces per flat. All of the houses down the road have driveways AND garages. They have this thing about parking by/on the kerb as ‘lowering the status of the area’ and as a result they send their visitors to park in our flat ALLOCATED parking spaces. We have brought it up many times to the residents and council and nothing gets done.

Well now one of the houses are having extensive building work done, which means they have 3/4 different work vehicles who they have directed to park in our flat parking because they don’t want them parking outside their house. It’s creating havoc because people are having to park in each other’s spaces as a result. I’m physically disabled with a sen child and my two allocated spaces are right outside the building due to this. At the moment people are parking in my spaces, I only have one car and two spaces and cannot park in either. I cannot even get a blue badge space installed as it removes the status of the space being allocated and any disabled user would be able to park in it… so I’m a bit lost.

The council are happy to send out letters and speak to residents regarding the houses concerns but as soon as it comes to us in the flats having issues, us and our concerns are seen as ‘less than’ because we’re in a council property.

Have you spoken to your local councillor rather than just the council? It's shit and entitled

I'd be very tempted to block them in if possible

Block them in

Are the workmen from a big company? You could try phoning them up and complaining directly

Organise your neighbours to park outside the building work house?

Otherwise ask permission for lockable bollards?

Have you spoken to the workmen and explained your situation? No reasonable person would think this is fair. I would be livid as well, but try a calm approach first ( before setting the vans on fire obvs!)

Leave notes in vans nicely wording saying it's allocated parking and in future vans will be blocked in.

If the road is permit free parking I would be tempted to get as many people as possible to park outside their house when their space is gone , I understand would be tricky on your circumstances personally. How rude to send people down to your parking.

The entitlement is awful. You need to let the workmen know that whatever they have been told, they cannot park in spaces allocated to others.

Play the neighbours at their own game: you and your neighbours should park outside their houses every time they direct someone to park in your spaces.

Call the police. I know it's a civil offence but on previous threads people have said plice have been helpful.

I would park outside their house and make sure they see you struggling. Tough shit if they don't approve.

Another one that would be parking across neighbours drives, on their drives etc.

OP, could you manage to put a note through the door of the people who are having work done, explaining your personal situation? I know you shouldn't have to, but perhaps if you ask them to speak to the workman about your particular space, and why, they might be a bit more helpful and understanding. Just a thought.

Have you spoken to your neighbours directly? Ie the people who live in the houses.

I live on a small development where many properties are also worth at least £1mill but we have a residents WhatsApp group, which includes both rental tenants and house owners. If someone is having work done, they apologise, and ask to be notified immediately if there are problems with work vans. We all understand if you are having works done with multiple tradespeople there will be new vehicles on the road. So everyone tries to be accommodating and polite. There is very little actual public parking on our road. But neighbours offer to share driveways. We've done that before. It's about being a small community. For everyone regardless of house size or ownership is part of that community.

I would just park and block them in. See how it goes when the inconvenience works the other way. You might want to film the consequences and get the local press involved - millionaires shitting on council tenants who have SEND children - that’s got to get attention. Hopefully your useless MPs and councillors might take an interest…

I agree with the polite note, or if possible, speak to the builders. Someone would have to be a major level arsehole to continue to park in the spaces of a physically disabled person who also has a child with SEN. If this achieves nothing, I'd band together as a group and park outside the house where the building work is going on en masse (as long as it's not on double yellows or anything). If they take your spaces, you use theirs. I'd also see if you can obtain permission to install lockable bollards for spaces if they are being frequently taken by visitors. The council will probably say no, but it's worth an ask. Also, pester pester pester the council and encourage your neighbours to do the same. Take photos, email daily, use social media. Best of luck to you.

Is there a name of the building company on any of the vans?
My steps would be

1. If you feel physically able, go knock on the door of the house with the works and ask nlthe builder not to do it again
2. Phone the builders company, ask them not to do it again
3. Name and shame the builders (and possibly the house number) on the local Facebook and WhatsApp groups, pointing out that you have enough problems to deal with but these builders are ignoring letters from the council, and yours and your child's disability. You might be able to do it anonymously if you feel the need to. I think that would be enough to stress out any builder.