Stranger shamelessly parks Volvo on couple's driveway for 12 hours
This is the moment a man brazenly parked his 4x4 car on a couple's driveway before walking away without an explanation.
The black Volvo was abandoned on Richard Bartley’s driveway in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on Monday night. CCTV shows the moment the Volvo was dumped outside his home on Cravenwood Road, Reddish, blocking his garage.
After almost 12 hours on the drive, Bartley, 37, had no choice but to call Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on Tuesday morning when the car was still parked there. The couple were considering calling enforcement to move the vehicle when the Volvo was finally picked up around 9:30am. According to Bartley, the driver retrieved the car without offering any apology.
Bartley said: "We have a community WhatsApp group, I put a message out on that and said: 'Does anybody know who this is?'
"Quite a few people have got CCTV, so we could identify what time it was. I had a look on my CCTV and saw the guy just reversed into the space, locked his car and walked away."
Bartley said a neighbour's CCTV shows the person exiting the Volvo and entering a silver car as a passenger before being driven away.
He usually parks in the garage while his partner parks on the driveway - but the car left in front meant both their usual parking spots were out of bounds.
Bartkey added: "It's just a nightmare. All the neighbours just can't believe that somebody has parked on our private drive and then walked away."
It was the first time they had faced the problem in nine years of living at the house.
Is it illegal for someone else to park on my driveway?
These are the laws regarding someone parking on your driveway without permission and what you can do to resolve the problem, according to the RAC.
If someone parks on your driveway without your consent, they are committing an act of trespassing. However, it is classified as a civil offence which means that the police do not have the power to make an arrest.
If the car is on a public highway the council can act but if it's on private property, the council cannot remove it. If the car is causing a long-term issue, you can pursue a civil case for trespassing or nuisance behaviour.
However, going through the courts can be a lengthy and costly process. You could also hire a private tow truck to remove the vehicle but this is not advised as you could be liable for any damages.
The RAC says there is little chance of the law getting involved and taking legal action will take a considerable amount of time and expense. It suggests that the best thing to do is to keep calm and not to take the law into your own hands, as you could also be prosecuted.
Read more
'Red routes' being considered to stop illegal car parking(Bradford Telegraph/Argus)
Is it illegal to park on the pavement in England and can you be fined for it? (Bournemouth Echo)
