Illegal parking on the footpath.

dbs103

Thanks in advance for any help.

There is an Airbnb around the corner from my house. The house has no off street parking but on the advert it states that outside the house, on the footpath, is the parking for the house.

The footpath narrows after this so when cars park there it makes access very difficult when trying to walk by.

I have reported the issue multiple times online to Dublin street parking services. I'm not sure if any fines have been issued to vehicles that I have reported. If they were issued, as the house is rented by different people, the next person along parks here also.

Can anyone tell me if they know of any other options open to me?

Thanks.

mikeecho

Rent the Airbnb, then leave bad reviews, especially about the parking situation and how you got a few tickets, and that the renter lied about parking.

Or, just get on with life the best you can.

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120820181#Comment_120820181

I'm not going to pay 400 quid to stay 50 feet down the road for one night.

magicbastarder

can you make a complaint to airbnb that the owner is claiming parking is available, but only if the cars are parked illegally?

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120820249#Comment_120820249

Worth a try, but I'm not too sure they would do anything about it.

zell12

Contact a local councillor about it - the property may not have planning to be a short-term let, the Council don't authorise footpath parking. Contact the garda about the footpath parking, they are required to enforce it too. Contact Airbnb and say the owner is encouraging illegal activity by suggesting visitors park on footpaths and airbnb encourage this posting

Spook_ie

Link to the advert please

jd

Get something like this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheets-Labels-Adhesive-Sticker-Printing/dp/B07NV5BC5W/ref%3Dasc_df_B07NV5BC5W/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=278530490328&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9532228006952300927&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007850&hvtargid=pla-751643862362&psc=1

and have a notice on it not to park on the footpath? Stick on the windscreen. It may find its way to the airbnb reviews.

hoodie6029

My experience of DSPS is that they are only interested in the ‘low hanging fruit’, overstaying on the meter, blocking clearways etc in the same few high traffic locations.

Get on to you local councillor, log the amount of times you see cars parked there, take photos of the blockages.

The councillor might be able to make on roads with someone who can help in the council.

If there is a local newsletter or Facebook page it might be worth posting it there too. If a few of you can get on to the councillor, they might take it a bit more seriously.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120822925#Comment_120822925

And I hate to say it, put a lental in the dust caps of the illegally parked cars. You can't leave bad reviews but enough guests with bad reviews will solve the problem.

M3CS

Just get on with your life. Honestly, if somehow it happens that no cars park on that path ever again will it improve your quality of life in any way?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120823142#Comment_120823142

It's not very smart to immobilise a car that you want moved, by letting down its tyres. Plus you could be accused of causing damage to the car if caught on camera - which I'd say the airbnb owner likely has.

Don't punish the visitor who has been told by the Airbnb owner that they are allowed to park there. It's the Airbnb owner who needs to be dealt with, not the visitor.

Or, heres a crazy idea. Instead of skulking around interfering with vehicles and letting down tyres, knock on the door and tell the visitor that in case they are unaware of it, they're parked illegally. And let them take it up with the owner.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825881#Comment_120825881

The owner telling people to park illegally is part of the problem, people parking illegally are committing the offence and are the problem. If they are Irish they will already know it's illegal to park on the footpath and if a forgiener doesn't bother to learn the local laws that is their problem.

The car isn't damaged by letting air out of the tyres. The tyres may be damaged if the operator skips their daily inspection and drives for a long distance, if you can't tell that you have flat tyres when starting off you shouldn't be driving.

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120826955#Comment_120826955

From a previous thread in legal

Firstly, it may be an offence under S113 RTA 1961. The specific offence is that of Unauthorised interference with the mechanism of vehicle. This applies in a public place.

Secondly, it may be an offence under the Criminal Damage Act 1991 as Robbo points out. Under S1 of that act to damage means ...." to destroy, deface, dismantle or, whether temporarily or otherwise, render inoperable or unfit for use or prevent or impair the operation of,..........

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828427#Comment_120828427

We don't enforce our laws. The repeated illegal parking isn't actioned. People don't slow down for red lights. We've a massive problem with anti social behaviour. It's illegal to be intoxicated in public. Etc

The chances of getting done for letting the air out of an illegally parked vehicle are miniscule. And if you are a video won't show you removing the dust caps. My lace where open so I had to tie it, then I noticed that the other was loose so I tied that. Reasonable doubt! Or use the defence that the scumbags used to get off pushing a woman under a train on camera, the others lead me astray and it was peer pressure.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120826955#Comment_120826955

Someone knocking on the door and telling the occupiers they're parked illegally, and they should speak to the owner, will get the message across to the owner far more quickly than letting their client's tyres down, which could be seen as a random act of vandalism.

Letting down the air in someone's tyres is scumbag behaviour, and will just be attributed to scumbags, not someone who has an issue with parking.

Have the courage of your conviction and knock on the door and tell the occupier face to face that they're parked illegally. Or confront the owner yourself. You can contact them through the listing on Airbnb.

Your other "solution" seems somewhat cowardly to me. Two wrongs don't make a right.

Spook_ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120828868#Comment_120828868

You can do what you like, just don't say you weren't told that it was actually likely to be criminal damage to let the air out of a tyre.

magicbastarder

Is anyone else finding it bemusing that some people seem to be objecting more to the idea of people deflating tyres of those parking their cars across footpaths, than to the idea of people parking their cars across footpaths?

I mean, I'm not saying either is right, but I'm having a chuckle about which one is being portrayed as the abominable criminal act.

Spook_ie

No I find it bemusing that people advise people to break the law.

I also find it bemusing when people seem to condone doing so by having a chuckle

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825462#Comment_120825462

Thank you for your response, but I have to ask how your reply actually answers my original question?

If this issue didn't impact me then I wouldn't have raised it in the first place.

Maybe you could respond to questions within the context that they are asked instead of just making flippant remarks. Thanks though.

dbs103

Thank you for all the responses.

I've contacted a local councillor to see if they can help.

I've also reported the parking aspect of the advert as incorrect with the advertiser.

I don't want to get into planning permission aspects etc. as how a person rents out their property is up to them.

Thanks again for your help.

AUDI20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120825462#Comment_120825462

will improve the quality of life for the people that do use that footpath, fair play to you OP for highlighting it

M3CS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120844452#Comment_120844452

How exactly does it impact you? Is it that you occasionally have to walk around a car which adds an extra couple of seconds to your Sunday evening lap around the estate? If it was directly outside your own house you might have a point but it's around the corner and out of sight.

I offered some genuine advice to not let such a trivial issue continue to consume so much of your time and energy. You were up at 3am last night posting about this. Forget what I said and carry on stalking Airbnb, writing to councillors who couldn't care less, contemplating vandalising the guests cars and losing sleep for the next few months/years over a car that's parked on a footpath.

M3CS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120846268#Comment_120846268

Why don't you follow his lead and walk around your estate tonight to see how many cars are parked on the footpath? Report them all in the morning and if you're lucky you might get a pat on the back as well for highlighting it.

magicbastarder

I, for one, wish the OP well because people storing their cars on space which is intended to be reserved for pedestrians grinds my gears too.

coolbeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848081#Comment_120848081

Bang of I'm alright Jack off this post. Nation of scofflaws is all we are. I'm not going to even explain the myriad reasons why cars shouldn't be on the path to you because I doubt you'd understand in your self centered little world.

M3CS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120849811#Comment_120849811

Read my posts again. I'm not condoning parking on footpaths or arguing that there's nothing wrong with doing it - I don't agree with it either. All I've said in this thread is that the OP is investing a lot of time and energy into a cause that will ultimately lead nowhere and yield no results. This neighbour has rattled the OP and now he's dedicating hours each day to try and get one over on him. Did he forget to include the part where he confronted the owner of the property about this issue? Or did he just report it to Dublin Parking Services "multiple times" without even attempting to contact the one person that can do something about it immediately?

My advice to the OP was to let it go and move on. There's more important things to worry about. This isn't something that should be preventing him from spending quality time with his family, sleeping through the night and generally enjoying his life - but it clearly is.

magicbastarder

'dedicating hours each day'? How long does it take you to send a few mails?

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120833266#Comment_120833266

if you want to take from my post that i condone letting the air out of tyres of tourists who have been mistakenly led to believe that it's OK to park there, that's on you.

but i will note again that you are more exercised about the idea about letting the air out of the tyres - which was a hypothesis or suggestion, not something the OP has done - than you seem to be about illegal parking.

however, you mentioned a previous thread from which you quoted some legislation which might cover it - what was the context there? do you have a link?

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848081#Comment_120848081

I don't want to get into an argument with you but just because you can't understand why I want this to stop just shows that you would probably find no problem with parking on a footpath.

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120848081#Comment_120848081

How does the time I posted at make any difference?

Have you ever heard of shift work?

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852074#Comment_120852074

How do you know how much time I'm investing, I asked for advice from othe boards users.

You seem to be spending a lot of your time on finding out how you can avoid paying VRT.

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852074#Comment_120852074

What is your reaction to this (UK) video?

https://twitter.com/BlondeHistorian/status/1679090869289222145

Should we let the likes of that go or should shitheads who park like that be challenged? What is the difference with the shithead in the video and one who dumps their car on a footpath without a care and blocks a blind person or someone with a buggy (or both) - and there are loads of examples of this everywhere you walk?

https://twitter.com/TransportActio2/status/1678371030090276864

coolbeans

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120852074#Comment_120852074

Your attitide is one of a true mé féiner. Bugger all criticism of the offender but plenty to say to the one trying to do something about it.

For every person trying to get people to behave themselves in this country there seems to be another arsehole **** on their efforts.

M3CS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120857189#Comment_120857189

What did the owner of the property say when you went to them about the issue?

M3CS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120857784#Comment_120857784

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120857791#Comment_120857791

You're missing the point. I already clarified that I don't condone parking on footpaths and I don't ever do it myself. It's clear that the OP has an issue with this particular neighbour and that's what this thread is about - it's not about his noble crusade against people that park on paths with no consideration for others. He couldn't care less about anyone else in the estate that's doing it - it's just this one person around the corner that happens to be using the property for short-term rentals. This is personal and my advice to the OP was to let it (the gripe with the neighbour) go and move on. Either that or talk to the guy like a reasonable person but he doesn't seem willing to do that.

mrslancaster

Fair play OP for taking the time to follow this up. Report to Gardai & Airbnb. Owner obviously knows it's illegal so can't see you getting much joy there.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120860308#Comment_120860308

He couldn't care less about anyone else in the estate that's doing it

i hope you have listed telepathy on your CV. because 'making **** up about other people's arguments' looks bad on it.

M3CS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120860762#Comment_120860762

It's blatantly obvious from his posts that this is down to an issue with the neighbour. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out.

Quay_Koncept

Would the garda at the station not be throwing the eyes up to heaven if you rang in with such a complaint? Would they really do anything? Are they obliged to act on the call / log the complaint? Would be less awkward if there was a website you could send the picture of the offending vehicle too🤫

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120860093#Comment_120860093

The owner doesn't live there, it is an Airbnb.

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120860308#Comment_120860308

No, I have no issue with the neighbour. I've never even met them. I have an issue with people parking illegally on the path and block it.

I never said it was in an estate.

You seem to be jumping to a whole lot of conclusions with out many facts, and each of those conclusions it completely incorrect.

The parked car(s) blocks the path making it very difficult to get by as you have to step out onto a busy main road. People with buggies, wheelchairs etc. may not be able to get by if there is a large car parked there.

Like I said, I don't know the neighbour and the neighbour doesn't live there.

Before you make accusations about a persons motivation for doing something you should actually read, and take in, what they have typed.

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120860791#Comment_120860791

Again, it isn't down to the neighbour as I don't even know them.

You have put 2 and 2 together and gotten 5, you clearly are no genius.

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120865889#Comment_120865889

That is the thing, I'm sure the guards have more important things to be worrying about.

zell12

OP, did you get on to the Council and state that people are storing their private property on the public pedestrian thoroughfare that they are required to safeguard for citizens.. vehicles being used to deliberately restrict and obstruct vulnerable pedestrians navigating on the designated path, and they are refusing to act?

dbs103

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120877190#Comment_120877190

I contacted a local Councillor and will wait awhile and see what they come back with.

I'm not sure about the owners situation with planning and don't want to interfere with them renting out their property, I just want the cars to stop blocking the path.

Quay_Koncept

On my way to drop the children to school there are 2 cars on the same street we encounter that do this. You have to side skirt into the persons garden for the first one as there is no garden wall. The second you need to go onto the road as they have a garden wall and the buggy and bike cant fit through. Its quite selfish, are there really people of car driving age that are that unaware? This thread has me thinking ill drop a note on the car wiper next time passing, im such a chicken lol

M3CS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120876942#Comment_120876942

On every Airbnb ad there's a 'Contact Host' button that anyone can use to ask questions about the property. Why haven't you used that yet? Seems like the obvious thing to do in this situation and it's far more likely to yield a result than reporting the ad to Airbnb which you've already done.

Did the local councillor get back to you yet by any chance?

The J Stands for Jay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120855629#Comment_120855629

Not as long as it does to stay on the thread criticising the OP

The J Stands for Jay

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120855629#Comment_120855629

Not as long as it does to stay on the thread criticising the OP

zell12

Any update OP?