A HOMEOWNER who had a random stranger’s car left on his driveway for a year has said that the ordeal has been a nightmare.
Omar Badran, from Stoke, had been stuck with the motor after allowing a stranger to park on the drive because he wasn’t using it.
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Despite his good deed, Omar had to endure the car on his property for months as he faced a battle to have it removed.
Initially, the owner just point-blank refused to take the car away before then becoming unable to contact.
Omar had previously stated: “I agreed on the condition that when I wanted to use my driveaway again, I would be able to.”
Omar explored many legal avenues but was surprised to find that removing property that isn’t yours from your property is considered legally a “grey area”.
He added: “I was shocked by my initial search, it’s legally a grey area and you might not be able to get the council, police or the DVLA to do anything about it, even though the vehicle is uninsured, isn’t taxed and has no MOT.
“I phoned up all these places and they said they couldn’t do anything.”
He eventually discovered a solution in the form of the Torts Act.
A tort occurs when someone commits a wrong against another person.
Tort law allows individuals who have had a wrong committed against them to claim damages against the person who was wronged them.
“It took me several weeks and a lot of stress, I thought I was going to be stuck with a really bad situation that would involve thousands of pounds spent in a civil court.”
Omar then placed a sign on the windscreen of the car on his driveway last month which read: “Under the Torts Act, this vehicle will be disposed of in one week from 27/06/22 if the owner does not collect it.”
The frustrated homeowner said: “This entire thing has made be really miserable and so many people have told me I’m stupid for having allowed him to park on my driveway but I was just trying to do a nice thing.”
Thankfully for Omar he has now finally had the car removed from his driveway after eight months of legal wrangling.
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After the original owner didn’t come to claim it, the motor was sent to the scrapyard to end the stressful ordeal.
Omar said: “The car was removed by the scrap guy who took it away. It didn’t cost me anything else other than the legal fees for the legal advice. I just want to move on with my life now.”
It comes after a man was seen receiving a ticket for parking outside his own house on a road with no lines.
Meanwhile, a woman was left gutted after being slapped with a £70 fine for parking at a hospital despite registering her details.
What are your rights if someone parks on your driveway?
- Under a bizarre loophole drivers who decide to leave their car on someone else’s drive could get away with it.
- Cops and the council can’t remove the vehicle because there’s no criminal law to punish those who dump their car on someone else’s land.
- It technically counts as trespass – a civil offence – as the drive is part of the property.
- DON’T try and remove the car yourself as you could be liable for any damage caused.
- Try and speak with the owners or leave a note on their car to resolve it quickly.
- In a worst case scenario you’ll have to bring a civil claim to the courts to have the car removed.
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