31 August 2010

Does anyone else have a issues living in apartments in Canberra??

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I have a constant battle with idiots parking in our communial driveway, obviously blocking our access to our underground carpark!!!

Its the same cars everytime!!

I’ve left notes on their windscreen and called the body corporate BUT still nothing is done about these people who have no obvious consideration for those who actually live in these apartments!!

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MischaSimmons11:25 pm 06 Jul 23

There is a VERY easy solution. Require adequate parking for ALL streets, ALL units, ALL new developments, ALL apartment blocks, ALL government buildings. I have lived in other, larger places, and YES it can be done. Canberra is rapidly becoming the most congested, stressful tiny town in the world. You fight for a space as though you are trying to park in downtown Manhattan! I suspect poor, flawed, inadequate, and woke/Green planning might have something to do with it.

Someone parked in my designated car space this evening and I am p%ssed off! I therefore googled to find out what my rights are and how I can in force them. I read your responses here and whilst funny (especially taking the wheels off) they did not provide a answer without committing property damage or theft. I believe I have the answer – wheel clamp!

I have read the Crimes Act 1900 and Crimes Code 2002. I can not apply stickers or paint because I would be committing property damage. I can not have the car towed because I would be inducing the tow truck driver to commit theft. I can however apply a wheel clamp because I am not dishonestly taking the car (it is still there officer) with the intent of permanently depriving the owner of it (just inconveniencing him/her for a while officer). I am also not “driving” or “riding” in the car either which are two elements of car theft.

I have also reviewed the current territory statutes and can not find one regarding “wheel clamping”. I am going to write to our Minister for Municipal Services, Shane Rattenbury, for clarification. He said in August that wheel clamping was an option for private car park owners. I will keep you posted.

Dracon388 said :

We have the exact same problem at our appartment block in bruce – very small visitor parking – so communal drivway gets blocked up – as well as the disabled spot – sometimes by residents (you see them parked in the underground carpark at other times)

frustrating if nothing else.

I think you’ll find it’s the same apartment complex 😉

JessicaNumber said :

My old apartment block had a maintenance guy who was pretty turned on to this stuff. He had the big brightly coloured stickers that went straight over the driver’s side and had very difficult to remove glue. He also had the right kind of solvent but most people were not brave enough to ask, they would just spend a few hours removing their stickers and remember never to do the wrong thing again!

^ I have been told by my Body Corporate that this is actually illegal as it defaces the vehicles.

The same thing happened at my apartment block. The cars would block the garage doors for the bins and so the garbage man couldn’t empty them. We erected signs up but people sometimes still ignore them. I think the main culprit moved out as their car is no longer parked there.

We have the exact same problem at our appartment block in bruce – very small visitor parking – so communal drivway gets blocked up – as well as the disabled spot – sometimes by residents (you see them parked in the underground carpark at other times)

frustrating if nothing else.

JessicaNumber10:38 am 01 Sep 10

My old apartment block had a maintenance guy who was pretty turned on to this stuff. He had the big brightly coloured stickers that went straight over the driver’s side and had very difficult to remove glue. He also had the right kind of solvent but most people were not brave enough to ask, they would just spend a few hours removing their stickers and remember never to do the wrong thing again!

UrbanAdventure.org said :

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…. I used to have this problem a lot as I lived in a block of flats near a busy shopping centre that had very limited parking. Each flat had a designated car parking space. I’d work shift work and come home to find cars parked in my space. Usually I just parked my short car in front of them and when they came knocking I’d ask them politely not to do that again. Most people were considerate, and never parked there again. Some were polite, but still parked there now and then. Others got irate and yelled and screemed about how inconsiderate I was for parking them in.

One of my mates told me to toughen up and said he’d deal with it. So the next time he was around and some one parked in my spot he pulled out my jack and lug wrench and proceeded to remove each wheel of the car one by one, shoving them underneath the car so the car was resting on four wheels that laid flat on the ground. It was a BMW if I recall rightly.

Then we sat across the road in a shop and waited for the owner to turn up. They arrived about half an hour later and looked at their car. It was deeply amusing to see the look on their face. They tried knocking on my door. Got no response there and eventually called the RACV to put the tyres back on their car. Oh yes we were young and somewhat immature but it was fun and no harm done.

But the simpler soloution I adopted was to put a small but obvious sign that read “Cars parked in this space will be charged $10 per minute or will be towed away at owner’s expence.” Never had a problem after that.

LOLz Awesome !

UrbanAdventure.org8:55 am 01 Sep 10

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away…. I used to have this problem a lot as I lived in a block of flats near a busy shopping centre that had very limited parking. Each flat had a designated car parking space. I’d work shift work and come home to find cars parked in my space. Usually I just parked my short car in front of them and when they came knocking I’d ask them politely not to do that again. Most people were considerate, and never parked there again. Some were polite, but still parked there now and then. Others got irate and yelled and screemed about how inconsiderate I was for parking them in.

One of my mates told me to toughen up and said he’d deal with it. So the next time he was around and some one parked in my spot he pulled out my jack and lug wrench and proceeded to remove each wheel of the car one by one, shoving them underneath the car so the car was resting on four wheels that laid flat on the ground. It was a BMW if I recall rightly.

Then we sat across the road in a shop and waited for the owner to turn up. They arrived about half an hour later and looked at their car. It was deeply amusing to see the look on their face. They tried knocking on my door. Got no response there and eventually called the RACV to put the tyres back on their car. Oh yes we were young and somewhat immature but it was fun and no harm done.

But the simpler soloution I adopted was to put a small but obvious sign that read “Cars parked in this space will be charged $10 per minute or will be towed away at owner’s expence.” Never had a problem after that.

ConanOfCooma8:06 am 01 Sep 10

Multiple park in. Call your friends, and really box the bastards in.

I like the idea of parking the repeat offenders in and leaving your mobile number. Only thing, hire a big burly bodybuilder to be your stunt double!!

It is a pain in the butt and extremely inconsiderate.

Had a similar problem in Sydney with a private parking space in a block of units but like P1 I used to park them in with a note on their windscreen with my number.
Upon receiving their call I’d advise that I’d be down to move the car, depending on their attitude that may had taken anywhere between 15 mins or 1 hour with an explanation on my arrival about respect for other people’s car parking spaces etc etc.
Never happened more than once with the same people nor did I ever experience threats, damage to property etc.

The cat did it10:55 pm 31 Aug 10

An acquaintance of yours might take it upon themselves to wedge a match into a tyre valve or two, to let the air out of the tyres. Non-destructive but very inconvenient.

Sticky address-style labels on the drivers windscreen are also an option. They could be printed with comments like ‘This is public access. Please don’t block it again.’ Or something less polite. Best placed early in the evening, before any condensation on the windscreen might reduce their sticking powers.

According to the ACT rego webpage (http://www.rego.act.gov.au/parking/parkingrules.htm) it is illegal to park ‘anywhere other than in a marked bay in a car park marked into bays’.

Logically the body corporate should be able, through a lawyer, to advise the ACT government of this illegal parking and have the offending car owners fined. If the ACT government won’t respond then surely they are liable to be sued as they are not enforcing their own rules.

Can a body corporate put up a ‘no parking’ sign?

troll-sniffer10:22 pm 31 Aug 10

I have found that letting two tyres down per vehicle discourages further inappropriate parking. If you don’t have a valve tool, unscrewing the valve cap and inserting a small length of twig or a tiny pebble in against the valve usually results in a satisfying exit of air from the tyres under the partly screwed in valve cap.

If the problem persists and seems to be intractable perhaps your body corporate needs to invest in a set of wheel clamps, and a notice to the effect that parking in the driveway incurs a fee of $200 and offending vehicles will be clamped.

As for the assertion by martlark that towing is not an option, I think you’ll find that it is. have the body corporate erect Private Property No Parking signs, Tow Away zone, and you certainly do have the right to employ a tow truck operator to remove the offending vehicles. Absolutely.

brake fluid + water pistol + shoot car
hehehehe

Towing cars is not allowed. As a member of a body corporate I can tell you that there is nothing they can do. Unless your body corp has an arrangement with ACT parking there is nothing they can do. Bricks seem a good option.

A letter from a legal firm to the body corporate should get their attention. Otherwise have the cars towed. Hmmmm having heard the police say they want people to phone in to bust drivers using mobiles whilst driving, how about calling in the offending parked cars.

caf said :

I-filed: Actually, they’ll write tickets on any roads or road-related area – private land or not – unless it’s specifically signposted as “Private Property”. They even write tickets within private carparks like the Westfield one.

caf – no, sorry. Westfield have an arrangement with the parking inspectors, as does the ANU and various other institutions. The confusion arises I think because they will book cars parked on “your” nature strip, which is of course ACT Government land. Without a ratified agreement, they won’t book on ordinary private land – with or without a sign. I doubt whether any apartment owners have such an agreement with ACT Parking.

Have a nice feed of seafood, prawns in particular, then leave the heads in the plenum chamber of the car, the juices from these will etch in the plastics.

No visible damage, not identifiable immediately, but the car will stink inside everytime it is driven for 6 months…..

Hells_Bells74 said :

Everyone’s had their cement pills here I see. I would park them in too, although I would imagine you could risk damage to your vehicle.

Some people hey!

Everyone knows a friend with a total bomb who can come over at short notice for some drinks. Good person to have with you when responding to the irate phone call too.

Or if there is a nice garbage hopper near by, the sort on wheels, a length of rope connecting one to their car will provide much amusementª.

a - actual amusement may vary.

I-filed: Actually, they’ll write tickets on any roads or road-related area – private land or not – unless it’s specifically signposted as “Private Property”. They even write tickets within private carparks like the Westfield one.

Eyeofthetiger said :

Call Roads and Traffic management (I think they’re called that), I’ve had experience with a similar sort of thing, and they can give you a number to call and they’ll recieve a nice yellow envelope on the windscreen. 🙂

Eye of the Tiger – if it’s on private land, no, they won’t!

Tyres. Nails. Problem solved.

Hells_Bells744:37 pm 31 Aug 10

Everyone’s had their cement pills here I see. I would park them in too, although I would imagine you could risk damage to your vehicle.

Some people hey!

Pommy bastard said :

Oh my heart bleeds, the inhumanity of some people…

Obviously you’ve never had inconsiderate or bogan neighbours.

Eyeofthetiger4:31 pm 31 Aug 10

Call Roads and Traffic management (I think they’re called that), I’ve had experience with a similar sort of thing, and they can give you a number to call and they’ll recieve a nice yellow envelope on the windscreen. 🙂

the flaw was to leave notes in the first place and to have contacted the body coprporate – now anything happening to these vehicles (and accidents do ‘appen, know what i mean?) they’ll come looking for you.

what you need is an accomplice and an alibi…

If they are parked there when you come home, I’d suggest parking them in. Leave a nice note, so they can call you to come move your car when then next want to go somewhere. This will give you the opportunity for a frank and honest exchange on the subject of appropriate parking places.

A couple of 2 inch nails in the tyres should do the trick if polite notes don’t work.

Try a brick. They are cheap and you can use them over and over again until they get the message. If that does not work then I suggest using old paint.

Pommy bastard3:59 pm 31 Aug 10

Oh my heart bleeds, the inhumanity of some people…

Keep bothering the body corporate, over and over and over again. It’s their job to look after that kind of stuff. Don’t let up until you have a resolution.

Captain RAAF3:34 pm 31 Aug 10

Easy fixed, call a tow truck!

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