What Happens If You Are Blocking Access To A Garage?

If you are blocking access to a garage or know someone who may be doing so; whether intentionally or unintentionally, you will find guidance in the blog post below to learn about the consequences of such an act and how to avoid having a complaint filed against you in such circumstances.

What Happens If You Are Blocking Access To A Garage?

If you are blocking access to a garage especially by leaving your vehicle parked in front of it for extended hours, the person whose garage access you are blocking can complain to the local council about you and if that does not work, they can report you to the police.

While blocking access to a garage is not a criminal offence, it is still considered antisocial behaviour. If you have left a vehicle for an extended number of hours which is causing a hindrance to the residents to access their own garage, they can also have your vehicle clamped or removed if you are not cooperative in removing the vehicle on your own.

Even if you are sure that your neighbour does not have a vehicle to park in their garage or that you have made sure to maintain sufficient distance or that you have parked on the street and not private property, you should keep in mind that under any of these circumstances, if you vehicle has blocked access to the resident’s garage or has caused any form of hindrance to them from accessing their parking space, they have the right to complain to the local council or the police against your actions.

The matter becomes of higher concern and will need to be informed to the police if, in addition to blocking access to a garage in a residential area, the parked vehicle leads to any of the following consequences

• parked over a dropped kerb
• parked on a pedestrian crossing (this includes the area marked by zig-zag lines)
• parked in an area that is reserved for Blue Badge holders, residents or motorbikes

You must understand that while it may be completely legal to park outside someone else’s house especially if there is no dropped kerb; if one parks their vehicle in such a way that it obstructs the passage especially by clocking access to a garage (irrespective of whether or not the garage is being used), it becomes a matter of civil offence and will be counted as antisocial behaviour.

Can You Be Reported For Antisocial Behaviour If You Are Blocking Access To A Garage?

Yes, you can be reported for antisocial behaviour if someone complains about you blocking access to their garage due to the way you have parked your vehicle. However, such incidents do not take place all of a sudden. If you are blocking access to a garage, the affected resident(s) would first need to speak to you and explain how the situation affects them.

It is expected that one would remain calm and cooperative in such cases. It is only in cases where the affected residents do not find a positive response from someone who is blocking access to their garage that they would complain to the local council and report anti-social behaviour.

You must keep in mind that this is not the only action that can be taken against blocking access to a garage as your neighbour can also complain about you to the police if you choose not to cooperate with them.

What Happens If You Are Reported For Antisocial Behaviour For Blocking Access To A Garage?

If someone reports you to the local council for antisocial behaviour for blocking access to a garage, you can expect the following events to take place in the next few days:

• you may receive a written request from your neighbour (if one was not sent earlier) to remove your vehicle due to the obstruction being caused by it
• if you don’t respond to this letter positively or don’t make a change, the next letter will come from the local council office
• alternatively, they may also send officials to your place who will explain the hindrance being caused and the repercussions of not cooperating with the authorities 
• depending on the situation, the local authorities may recommend the intervention of a mediator or a counsellor to sort out the matter amicably
• it is in extreme cases where the authorities are forced to take legal action by taking the matter to court or if the offender is a tenant (not a property owner) their landlord can evict them on the grounds of antisocial behaviour

In extreme cases, especially when there is an exchange of tempers during such neighbourhood disputes, aggrieved parties have also been known to report antisocial behaviour to the Metropolitan Police.

Conclusion:

The above discussion brings us to the conclusion that blocking access to a garage may not be a criminal offence but it can lead to dire consequences if someone is found guilty of it.

References:

My neighbour is blocking my garage: as a private tenant, is there anything I or my landlord can do to get him to stop? | Homes and Property | Evening Standard

Nuisance parking and abandoned vehicles | Metropolitan Police

What to do if a car blocks your driveway – DAS Law