Is it legal to park on private land where there are no signs telling you not to?

[kp1975]

yesterday I parked my car behind a block of flats next to my children's school as there was no space on the road; I thought I would be ok as I was only going to be a few minutes, there were no signs telling me I couldn't park, and also I wasn't blocking any exits. Unfortunately a resident whose children also attend the school came out and told me to move the car, he was very abusive and even took a photo of my car. I moved my car when asked, but he then refused to delete the photo of my car. Firstly are there any laws stopping me from parking my car, and secondly is there anything I can do (legally!) to make him remove the photo of my car on his phone?

[jackthehat]

He can't do anything to stop you.......and you can't insist that he deletes your photograph.

[chas2008]

no & no, (as already said) my daughter lives near a school and when the school run is on parking is virtually impossible some have even parked on the pavement against her front gate so she couldnt get out,so i can see where the guy is coming from if its an on going problem...
My daughter has spoken to the local plod (PCSO) and parking warden who was busy nicking cars on yellow lines, neither were interested.

[dasherman]

The police won't be interested as it's a civil matter, and if the land is private then you have no right to park there in the first place.

[woofgang]

Its trespass which is a civil matter. there isn't a sign on my drive telling people not to park there and i bet there isn't on your drive either.

[FredPuli43]

Not sure why anyone thinks it's all right to park on private land. They might not think so if someone parked on their garden or drive. Why should it need a sign to say it isn't allowed ? Only to remind people; it's not asserting some newly claimed right in the landowner ,which didn't previously exist. It requires the consent of the landowner, which might be obviously inferred, as with van drivers delivering . Parking to access a nearby school is not in that category.

[tonywiltshire]

As Fred & others rightly say you should not assume you can park on private land. If there are signs saying wheel clamping will occur this will be possible up to 01-10-2012, the object of the signs is to assume the motorist has consented to such a consequence. If you wish to try to have the photograph of your vehicle deleted you should provide the full information and seek legal advice, you may have to have deep pockets and there will be no guarantee of success. You may be interested in Arthur v Anker 1995.

[woofgang]

If he is a resident in the block of flats and therefore an owner or part owner or part renter of the land, then he has every right to ask the OP to move, the same as if you came and parked on my drive.

[ladybirder]

I have posted this before but when I phoned the police about somebody parked in my private parking space they said I could either get it towed away or, if I gave them the registration number, they would try and get hold of the owner for me and get him to move it. They did and the car was gone within 10 minutes.

[jno]

I once found someone parked in my drive and there was nothing I could do - if he'd parked outside across the drive, he'd have been obstructing access, but he wasn't. Police weren't interested, as ZebUK says. Nonetheless it's not legal.

If you were doing the same to him I can't blame him for being cross. You can't stop him photographing your car.

[DSJ]

Someone once not only parked their car in my private parking bay but then abandoned it there. The tax disc had run out, too. I couldn't use my own space & had to park my car some way off on a metered street.

I reported it at a nearby Police Station and was intitally told that there was nothing that could be done as it was on private land. I asked the officer what he would do if someone abandoned a car on his drive. An hour later, the car had gone! I'm sure it was police intervention.

[joko]

how do you know it was private land? did the guy just tell you that?

what was the space like?

[zebo]

An friend lived near a sporting venue and some oik parked on his drive. When friend tackled him about it, it was a two finger salute, and Whatyer gonna do abart it? What in fact he did do abart it was park his two Land Rovers behind the car, lock the gates and go off for his holiday in New Zealand for a couple of months! It became a bit ugly, no-one had any keys, cough cough, and the police wouldn't do anything about it.

[Batterseadog]

Park 10 minutes away and walk your children back to the car having a nice chat about their day whilst getting some fresh air and exercise.
I am driven crazy twice a day not being able to get in and out of my gate due to lazy mothers, very very annoying