Underground Parking space been taken up for a week - what to do?

bobbysands81 · 19-08-2008 01:31PM #1

A fella I work with came home from hols last week to find a car parked in his space. The car has been there at least a week now. It is in a secure, very small, underground car park, each space is allocated and numbered accordingly.

He has asked around the complex and cannot find the owner of car. He cannot block it in or park anywhere else in the car park due to its size (it's very small and parking anywhere else will block others in) and there are no visitor's spaces there.

There are some difficulties with the Management Co, ownership of which has not yet been vested in the apartment owners. This is leading to the Management Agents moving very slowly on the issue as they are afraid of any legal comeback that the person who has left the car there might have if they remove the car. He has to park his car a couple of miles away as a result so he wants to sort this out as quickly as possible.

What can he do about this?

Westwood · 19-08-2008 02:05PM

the bloody cheek of some people. but on the other hand the car could be stolen or used in organised crime. or someone needed somewhere to park while they went on holidays. either way its on your property and you have the right to remove it. id ring the guards with the registration first to see if its been reported stolen etc and ask them whats the best course of action to take. If it were me I'd smash the window let the handbrake down and roll it outside.

BC · 19-08-2008 03:07PM

Call the clampers. Number is on the dublin city website.

seamus · 19-08-2008 03:15PM

Clampers have no authority here.

Your first bet is to ring the Gardai, report it abandoned and give them the reg. If you can get a Garda mate to look at it, all the better as he'll be able to tell you whether it has been reported stolen or whether it's just some ignorant prick.

If it's been reported stolen, obviously the Gardai or the owner will come and get it.

If he's friendly with any towing companies, he could get them to tow it onto the road and leave it there.

Otherwise interfering with the vehicle (letting the handbrake off to move it and so forth) is illegal, but plenty of vehicles can be opened using the old tricks, and the Gardai won't dust for fingerprints.

mikemac · 19-08-2008 03:19PM

Westwood wrote: »

If it were me I'd smash the window let the handbrake down and roll it outside.

There's a flaw in your cunning plan. It's an underground car park so how will they roll it up the ramp to get outside? Key word here being "underground"
Unless the OP's friend is a strong fiend or can get a few lads this is going to be a problem.
I still like the plan though

Raytown Rocks · 19-08-2008 03:19PM

If you have any mechanic friends, get a loan of a few trolley jacks.
Under the car they go, hoist that baby up and then push the car ( on the jacks) out of the parking space and onto the road.

You may need a few bodies to help, but it can be done
Chef

JohnDigital · 19-08-2008 03:24PM

As someone above eluded to, many stolen cars end up in apartment complex underground carparks to cool off, check for trackers, or just to be stored hidden away for future use. Call the cops and see if its been reported stolen.

Del2005 · 19-08-2008 03:25PM

If you get a couple of trolley jacks and some friends it could always disappear from parking space, just dump it at the side of the road and someone will deal with it.

The Gardai won't deal with it as it's on privare property.

I'd be questioning how someone managed to abandon the car in a secure car park

How Strange · 19-08-2008 04:04PM

Not much you can do really, unfortunately

Some people are just pig ignorant.

Report the reg to the local gardai and see if it's stolen.

Buy a clamp and put it on one of the wheels. Not strictly speaking legal.

Sarn · 19-08-2008 04:25PM

The thing is it is on private property. Surely if I came home and found a car parked in my drive blocking my access I would have the right to have it removed?

Del2005 · 19-08-2008 04:55PM

Sarn wrote: »

The thing is it is on private property. Surely if I came home and found a car parked in my drive blocking my access I would have the right to have it removed?

The problem is that while the OP owns the property, they can't do anything(legal) about it as the property is managed by a management company who look after these issues.

The OP is trying to do this legit without the owner of the offending vehicle having any comeback against them or their MC.

There are plenty of easy ways to move a car;)

Victor · 19-08-2008 06:15PM

bobbysands81 wrote: »

There are some difficulties with the Management Co, ownership of which has not yet been vested in the apartment owners. This is leading to the Management Agents moving very slowly on the issue as they are afraid of any legal comeback that the person who has left the car there might have if they remove the car. He has to park his car a couple of miles away as a result so he wants to sort this out as quickly as possible.

Talk to the solicitor who dealt with the purchase and have him have words with the management agent. Have him remiond them that €X,000 was paid for this space.

You might ask the Garda to phone the owner to move it. Put a warning notice on the vehicle to say it will be moved. Buy a parking bollard. http://images.google.ie/images?gbv=2&hl=en&q=folding+parking+bollard&btnG=Search+Images

bobbysands81 · 19-08-2008 08:48PM

Thanks for all the advice folks. The Management Agents (on behalf of the Management Co) have since got back to my colleague to say that there is nothing that they can do!!! The developers still control the Management Co so I wouldn't agree that there is "nothing that they can do." Essentially he is renting something that he is deriving no utility from. The Management Co should be protecting their asset, they are not.

Gardai seems to be the first port of call alright, don't know what will happen then.

However, the car is a Mini so would be quite easy to move.

Ste.phen · 20-08-2008 12:58PM

I'm surprised the management company don't have a contract with APCOA or one of the other private car park companies to do clamping and towing of non-resident cars, seems to be pretty common...

Moving it might be the best option

Del2005 · 20-08-2008 02:08PM

bobbysands81 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice folks. The Management Agents (on behalf of the Management Co) have since got back to my colleague to say that there is nothing that they can do!!! The developers still control the Management Co so I wouldn't agree that there is "nothing that they can do." Essentially he is renting something that he is deriving no utility from. The Management Co should be protecting their asset, they are not.

Gardai seems to be the first port of call alright, don't know what will happen then.

However, the car is a Mini so would be quite easy to move.

I'd leave the Gardai out if you are going to move it yourself, and AFAIK the Gardai will do nothing as it's private proprety, incase the owner comes back to find their car interfered with and your name on the Garda records about removing it.

Just push it out onto the road in the middle of the night.

jetski · 20-08-2008 02:28PM

leave a note on the window ?

Zulu · 20-08-2008 02:36PM

take the plates off it, and report it abandoned.

thirdmantackle · 25-08-2008 09:55PM

get the car details from a garda friend

then ring the garai at some stage and report it stolen... using the car details above.

Hoorah. Its been found!!!!

bobbysands81 · 27-08-2008 10:11AM

thirdmantackle wrote: »

get the car details from a garda friend

then ring the garai at some stage and report it stolen... using the car details above.

Hoorah. Its been found!!!!

LOL!!!:D

Slicklink · 27-01-2009 02:14PM

Cover the car in bubble rap and tape it over several million times with industrial wrapping tape - the brown stuff.

Otherwise I'd what Zulu recommended might work,but if you that make sure you dont get caught! especially by cameras etc.

Underground Parking space been taken up for a week - what to do?

Comments