You may not know about this parking loophole…
If you arrived home from work one day and found a strange car parked in your driveway with no owner in sight, what would you do? Call the police? If so, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. There have been reports recently of exactly this scenario occurring for homeowners, only for them to be told by the police that there is nothing they can do.
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Blurred lines
It appears there is some blurring of the lines when it comes to someone leaving their car on your driveway. Strangely, the police are able to intervene if someone drives in front of your driveway, blocking your access, but not if they actually park on your property. As Smooth Radio news explains, the Road Traffic Act means all the authorities are unable to help in the event that someone leaves their vehicle on your drive. You might think your local council could assist you if the police are powerless to intervene, but they will only be able to get involved if the vehicle is clearly abandoned or if it has, for example, no MOT or insurance.
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A stranger parking on your driveway is what is known as a civil offence, and while the police can acknowledge it and record it as a case of trespassing, they will largely be powerless to do anything about it.
Of course, you could take the owner of the car to court – particularly if they are a repeat offender, or if they leave their car there for lengthy periods of time – but this will be a very time-consuming, costly and potentially stressful experience in most cases.
Invasion of privacy
On top of the fact that someone parking on your drive invades your privacy, there is also the risk of damage to your own vehicle if it is also parked on the driveway. You should always ensure your motor trade insurance is purchased through a reputable provider such as quotemetoday.co.uk/motor-trade-insurance and covers you in the event of damage by a third party.
The AA recommends seeking legal advice immediately if someone starts parking on your driveway. One way to prevent access to your driveway is by installing a collapsible bollard that you leave up at all times except when you are driving onto or off of your property.
