Can I get a car towed?

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 15:24

I work in the city centre and on a saturday I park in a closed petrol station, as do lots of other cars. everyone is generally curteous, allowing room for everyone to get in and out, however a massive car has came and completely blocked the entrance, meaning that me and 4 other cars are blocked in. can I do anything about this, or just suck it up and accept that I chose to park there, therefore accepting the consequences?

chenks · 22/09/12 - 15:31

firstly are you legally parked?
secondly is the "big car" legally parked?

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 15:41

I'm not sure, I wouldnt get ticketed for parking there anyway. And both cars are in the same area, so if I'm legally parked, so is he, but he has blocked me in which is the point of this thread and my query of wether I can do anything about it. I only mentioned it was a larger car as if it had been a smaller one there would be enough room for me to get through.

chenks · 22/09/12 - 15:42

if the big car is legally parked then you would have no case to have it towed - hence why i asked.

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 15:43

ok thanks.

SnrDev · 22/09/12 - 15:44

You can but would be responsible for any damage caused in moving it. That would include damage to the transmission, if for example the other car is an automatic and the driver has left it locked in Park, or the towing equipment causes cosmetic damage etc. You can, but you're the one at risk.

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 15:47

thanks SnrDev. I'm finishing in 15 minutes so hopefully its moved since the last I checked an hour ago, doubt it though.

dosanjh1 · 22/09/12 - 15:47

The owner of the big car could be the owner of the land your parking on.

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 15:49

possibly, never thought of that. they won't appreciate the note I left on the windscreen then..

chenks · 22/09/12 - 15:56

that's the reason why i asked if YOU were parked legally, ie you had permission to park on the land.

i doubt you would have any legal case to arrange removal of the car yourself. and i doubt any towing company would remove a car unless they knew it was legal for them to do so.

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 16:01

I honestly don't know if its legal, its a closed petrol station that ive been parking in every second saturday for 3 years. lesson learned however, won't be doing it again. finished now and away to see if the other car has moved.

SnrDev · 22/09/12 - 16:02

chenks wrote: »

that's the reason why i asked if YOU were parked legally, ie you had permission to park on the land.

i doubt you would have any legal case to arrange removal of the car yourself. and i doubt any towing company would remove a car unless they knew it was legal for them to do so.

True on both points, but in the first place life isn't about absolute points of law to determine what's right & wrong, it's about not putting other people in that position in the first place. He may well own the land, the owner of the big car, but that doesn't give him any moral right to impound other cars, and certainly not without some kind of warning notices to the effect that parking is not permitted.

Secondly, it's not a case of arranging its removal, it's about moving it out of the way on but at the same location, by the sounds of it.

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 16:02

Good luck missrae, I hope you manage to get out. It doesn't seem like you were harming anyone by parking there.

chenks · 22/09/12 - 16:03

missrae wrote: »

I honestly don't know if its legal, its a closed petrol station that ive been parking in every second saturday for 3 years. lesson learned however, won't be doing it again. finished now and away to see if the other car has moved.

as right, so you decided just to park wherever you wanted without wondering if you were allowed to.

and now someone else blocked you in and you want their car towed?

count yourself lucky that your car hasn't been towed in the 3 years you've been parking there.

chenks · 22/09/12 - 16:05

SnrDev wrote: »

True on both points, but in the first place life isn't about absolute points of law to determine what's right & wrong, it's about not putting other people in that position in the first place. He may well own the land, the owner of the big car, but that doesn't give him any moral right to impound other cars, and certainly not without some kind of warning notices to the effect that parking is not permitted.

if it was the owner, then they could easily put a locked chain across the opening etc (even if there are cars inside).

just because there is no sign saying "no parking" doesn't mean that it's a parking free-for-all.

is there a sign saying "no parking" in your driveway for example?

SnrDev · 22/09/12 - 16:06

chenks wrote: »

as right, so you decided just to park wherever you wanted without wondering if you were allowed to.

and now someone else blocked you in and you want their car towed?

count yourself lucky that your car hasn't been towed in the 3 years you've been parking there.

Blimey - tough crowd. Three years of doing something suggests that it's normal, accepted and ok. If the owner has decided to put a stop to it there are better ways of doing it than this, both morally and legally.

dosanjh1 · 22/09/12 - 16:12

SnrDev wrote: »

True on both points, but in the first place life isn't about absolute points of law to determine what's right & wrong, it's about not putting other people in that position in the first place. He may well own the land, the owner of the big car, but that doesn't give him any moral right to impound other cars, and certainly not without some kind of warning notices to the effect that parking is not permitted.

Secondly, it's not a case of arranging its removal, it's about moving it out of the way on but at the same location, by the sounds of it.

People can't leave their personal effects where ever they please without associated risk. If you take a dump on someone you risk getting it flung back at you. Now that's advice

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 17:05

thanks for your input everyone. the car in front of me had moved, meaning i had enough room to get out. the 'big' car was still there. I can't risk getting blocked in in the future so will just be parking at the nearest train station.

degsyhufc · 22/09/12 - 17:15

Is it a free or pay and display train station?
If you park 'illegaly' in a train station then they can be a lot worse than private carparks with their punishments.

IIRC there are different rules for train stations.

[Deleted User] · 22/09/12 - 17:29

free on road parking.

nvingo · 24/09/12 - 14:40

missrae wrote: »

...will just be parking at the nearest train station.

&

missrae wrote: »

free on road parking.

Taxi rank:rolleyes:

[Deleted User] · 25/09/12 - 15:48

nvingo wrote: »

&
Taxi rank:rolleyes:

huh? the train station is in a small residential area with free on road parking.

FearFactor · 25/09/12 - 16:23

nvingo wrote: »

&
Taxi rank:rolleyes:

missrae wrote: »

huh? the train station is in a small residential area with free on road parking.

As is my local station. Not sure why anyone would assume you're going to park in a taxi rank. :rolleyes:

Re the petrol station - couldn't you park where the big car was in future so you can't be blocked in?

[Deleted User] · 25/09/12 - 16:28

FearFactor wrote: »

As is my local station. Not sure why anyone would assume you're going to park in a taxi rank. :rolleyes:

Re the petrol station - couldn't you park where the big car was in future so you can't be blocked in?

I would of but I didn't want to block the other 4 cars in and i assumed others would just come in further to the petrol station as there was still plenty of space there, rather than blocking the exit for the cars that were in the middle of the petrol station.

alsmama · 25/09/12 - 20:45

As far as I remember, if someone parks across a drive and blocks someone else in then you can call the police and get their help. I wonder if the same applies in this situation. As for whether or not you can park at the petrol station I guess if it wasn't allowed they should put a notice up.

Hey there!

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