False threats by resident over parking dispute

[tiredTraveller]

I'm not sure if this is really the right place to ask - but worth a try...

 

My girlfriend works in a small town where it is difficult to park, and this morning she managed to find a place onstreet with no parking restrictions or legal reasons that she shouldn't.

 

Whilst she was parking a man in a car started flashing his lights at her, then knocked on her window to get her to wind the window down, which she did. He then began to 'guide her into the parking place' by repeatedly instructing her to go forward. She didn't follow his instructions, however, as if she had done then she would have hit the car in front. She nervously parked whilst he was barking instructions at her and locked the car and started to leave.

 

meanwhile the man then went into the house she had parked outside and returned with 3 other men who began making notes of the details of our car and seemingly making mobile phone calls. They accused her of hitting the car in front (which she didn't) and informed her the damage looked 'expensive'. The person doing most of the talking told her these were 'his staffs car and his staff park here' and told her that this was an accident, but if she went away and parked somewhere else it would be forgotten.

 

She tells me there were no other parking spaces and after this confusion (she sounded very shaken on the phone) she really didn't feel fit to get back into the car and as it was parked okay she left it.

 

Question is... Although these are probably empty threats to bully someone out of a parking space which they had no more or less claim to than anyone else if they do make a false claim of a hit & run to the police what can we do about it? When she left the car there were no marks on their car (despite one of them kicking at the bumper) and a couple of dents on ours - it's a 10 year old second-hand car with a few scratches and we have photos that show these were there when we got it. But it is the word of several 'witnesses' against her (although only one can claim to be there at the time of the 'accident').

 

I personally would've taken a photo of everything as it was on my phone, but she didn't have a camera at the time was was under stress so wasn't able to think that clearly.

 

Any thoughts?

[Conniff]

The police aren't stupid. If an allegation is made, it won't be that easy to pull the wool over their eyes.

[Mrs E Blackadder]

This sounds like a case of residents getting fed up with people parking in their road. Unfortunatley for them, unless there are restrictions of any kind they don't have a leg to stand on and are just using bullying tactics. I speak from personal experience as I used to live in a road of terraced houses, so no driveways. There were a couple of people who thought they 'owned' the parking spot outside their homes and would readily damage the vehicles of anyone else daring to park there. As it was public highway, with no restrictions, there were actually 100% in the wrong.

 

I would suggest that your girlfriend goes to the police and asks for their advice. I'm not sure if she could report it as an incident. Even if your girlfriend had hit another vehicle, the damage to both cars could be matched up (traces of paint, shape of dent etc), so she could easily stand her ground on that one.

 

If these people have formed their own vigilante group then they have no right to do so and the police should at least know what they are doing. If, as the man told your girlfriend, his staff park their cars there, so what? They have no more rights than anyone else and if there are no parking restrictions then it's highly unlikely his staff have any kind of permit from the local council.

 

I'm sure that if your girlfriend had been a 6 feet 4 inch body builder with a large rottweiler in the back of the car these people wouldn't have said a word. Treat them for what they are - pathetic bullies, and let the police know what they are up to.

 

If they are into making false insurance claims, it could be a case that they are operating in the same area on a fairly regular basis. The police might want to know about this to help them link any other complaints of a similar nature. Also, reporting anything like this to the police will put your girlfriend in a better position should any false claim be made.

[sailor sam]

When he says 'his staff', does this mean there's a shop near by which he owns? Also, is this person of English origin? This sounds very similar to an incident I had a few years back when a 'person' of Aisan origin asked me to move my car from 'his parking space' at the side of his shop which was a take a way. I simply said 'fine mate, i'll just take my £50 food order else where then... byee!'

 

Just wait and see what happens and if you get anything through the post come back and let us know.

 

__________________

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my scales at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

[qa19]

I would inform the poilce in writing as it seems they were trying to delibrately make the car hit the bumpers in order to make a false claim. He has probably tried it to many others and intimidated them enough for them to leave.

[kwaks]

4 men essentially harrassing a single female. Sounds like a visit to the BiB is in order. In addition I would be making sure my car was parked there as often as possible (by me not the GF)

[Conniff]

Get all your mates to go fill up the road at 6 in the morning before they get out of bed, that will shake them when they come to work.

[tiredTraveller]

When he says 'his staff', does this mean there's a shop near by which he owns? Also, is this person of English origin? This sounds very similar to an incident I had a few years back when a 'person' of Aisan origin asked me to move my car from 'his parking space' at the side of his shop which was a take a way. I simply said 'fine mate, i'll just take my £50 food order else where then... byee!'

 

Just wait and see what happens and if you get anything through the post come back and let us know.

 

__________________

Please Note

 

The advice I offer will be based on the information given by the person needing it. All my advice is based on my experiences and knowledge gained in working in the motor and passenger transport industries in various capacities. Although my advice will always be sincere, it should be used as guidence only.

 

I would always urge to seek professional advice for clarification prior to taking any action.

 

Please click my scales at the bottom of my profile window on the left if you found my advice useful.

 

Other way around - She isn't english (although you'd be hard-pressed to know it), but they all were.

This annoys me in a way because when I was living in Spain with her I think I was far better looked after than she has been over here at times, but that's another story. It was just a house, not a shop or anything recognisable as a business premises, so I'm sure that if someone running a business in a residential area and acting in a manner that is interfereing with their neighbours enjoyment of their properties there has to be something wrong. Again - something for the neighbours to take up if it's a problem...

 

We've not heard anything since so I think it was an excess of testosterone or a lack of coffee first thing in the morning on their part and can probably be forgotten about.

 

I've told her if it ever happens again to just fire off a few snaps of the car and the front/back of the other cars and just walk away without getting into a debate. If there's multiple people involved then she should just call the police, take note of who she spoke to (seeing as they'll probably brush it off as not important), and go about her day.

 

Probably won't happen again, but if it does at least we won't get taken completely by suprise.

 

If I was in the mood to be petty and park there myself just to hack them off I'd just wait a bit to be honest - My L-plates would probably give them a bit of ammo claiming it was down to lack of experience

[wheelergeezer]

The police aren't stupid. .

 

Erm, yes they are! See this youtube clip for confirmation.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfQrDK9YHas