How Preventing The Abuse of Car Parking Regs Can Save Residents From Other Forms of Abuse

Being able to park your car within a comfortable distance from your own front door is an emotional, and expensive, issue. If you have purchased a property, or renting an apartment which has two parking spaces, then you and your household need to be able to use those spaces without obstruction. Apart from the fact that you have that legal right, you may have mobility issues, or are juggling small children – the convenience of knowing that, when you get home, you can actually park is an expense that many consider essential. Which is why residential parking contributes as much as 15 per cent to the value of a property.Arriving home after a hard day at work with a car full of children and not being able to park in your allotted spot is at its best, inconvenient. It can also put you in the path of vitriolic abuse should you then attempt to confront the vehicle owner and request that he remove his car.For blocks of flats and private residential areas managing and monitoring the use of allotted car parking is not just about enforcing the legal position of the permit holders but is also about protecting them from the potential vitriol from those who abuse and violate the parking regulations.What is a residential car parkNot to be confused with a local authority residential public street car parking scheme which is controlled and monitored by the council, a private residential car park is the land allotted to car parking in a residential area that is not a public highway.While in a perfect world each ‘unit’ would use their allotted spaces with no cross over, our imperfect world means that there are a number of parking problems that fluctuate in line with the ebbs and flows of the residents over the years.Common issues include:Non resident parking – car owners are using the residential parking to go about their own business. This is particularly prevalent in town centres, or areas which have a higher density of shops and offices.Multiple occupancy vehicles – a number of properties may be rented out on a multiple occupancy basis, which means that one property could have several cars belonging to it. This does not mean that the property has the right to an equal number of car parking spaces. Usually the allotted number per property is stated in the individual lease document.Parking outside of the main bays and using space that is not specified for parking use can cause dangerous obstructions, and degrade the appearance of a well maintained car park, which opens it up to further abuse.Visitor bay abuse – preventing the permitted use of the bays for legitimate reasons.Illegally parked vehicles causing obstruction, possibly endangering lives in the event of a medical emergency or fire.Implementing a residential car parking solution that is managed by a company experienced in dealing with parking abuse will immediately relieve any tension between the property and lease owners affiliated with the residential area. A car parking management company has the legal knowledge and expertise to devise a car parking strategy which will fulfil the obligations of the lease, removing responsibility from the residents while protecting their rights.The car parking management company will then be in a position to instigate a number of enforcement measures that are designed to quickly and efficiently pull the shutters down on any attempts to park illegally.Warden PatrolsUniformed enforcement officers can regularly patrol the residential car park, monitoring repeat offenders and keeping an eye on the patterns of parking behaviour. Maintaining open means of communication with the residents, they can diffuse any potential abuse, diffusing difficult situations before they arise.The value of having a physical human presence can not be underestimated. The sight of a uniform patrolling the area could be the difference between an individual pulling up and chancing his arm, or deciding to drive on by and find another place to park.The collaboration with residents could also be implemented without the need for them to become personally involved in confronting any offending vehicles.Self ticketing applicationsResidents can download a self ticketing app linked to the car parking management company. They can then discreetly take photographs of any vehicle which is illegally parked, and upload the information to the company’s central office, who then verify the registration details and issue the owner direct with a PCN Penalty Charge Notice.This service is completely confidential for the resident, and eliminates any need for them to become personally involved with strangers parking illegally in their private residential car parking spaces.If you are a developer, or part of a residential committee looking to improve and enforce car parking regulations then please contact us for further discussion. Previous Counting The Increasing Costs For Motorists Next Car Park Management By The Professionals