One mother was furious when she found a mysterious car parked in her driveway that had been there for five days. Debbie Flynn, who lives within five miles of Birmingham Airport, believes her driveway was sold fraudulently to a vacationer through a parking app.
Debbie and her partner Leon woke up and found the silver Vauxhall Mokka next to her garage on Outmore Road, Garrett’s Green. The mother of two says she has not been able to remove the car from her property, although she has contacted police.
Debbie said West Midlands police had confirmed that Vauxhall had not been stolen, but said they were powerless to relocate him as it was a civil rather than a criminal matter, Birmingham Live reported.
READ MORE: Urgent warning as fraudsters target the £ 150 tax rebate scheme and call people requesting bank details
“It’s like the car just fell from the sky,” she said. “It’s a complete mystery. We don’t understand how or why this happened, but since the owner hasn’t been back for a week, we suspect it’s due to someone selling a place on my street near the airport.”
“We went to bed around 10.30pm on Tuesday night (April 12th) and when my partner woke up the next morning, he was parked in our car,” Debbie added. “The insolent bastards opened my gate, parked it and closed the gates after leaving it on the grass.
“The policeman who came to see us said he had never seen anything like it in all his years. I am furious because there is no law that stops someone from parking on your drive.
“It’s perfectly legal, so the police can’t help it. But if we tried to move it and damage it, then we would be committing a crime. Kids can’t even play outside on the street now if they kick a ball or something and accidentally damage it. “
Read more related articles Read more related articles
Debbie posted an appeal on Facebook, but no one said she wanted the vehicle. She has chained the tire, so if and when the driver returns, they will have to knock on her door and explain why they parked there.
“Police said there were parking apps used by fraudsters to advertise unsuspecting people’s drives as parking spaces and charge car owners a fee,” Debbie said. “I want answers – when, how, why and who you paid?
“We just have to sit and wait for the owners to come back. It’s an absolute joke. I’m angry and disgusted that every Tom, Dick and Harry can park on your drive and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Because the driveway is part of a property, someone who parks on your device is technically considered a violation, which is a civil crime, not a crime, explained John Charnock of Stress Free Car Rental. He also said that if a car has up-to-date maintenance, tax, insurance and is not in a situation where it could endanger everyone around, the council is also powerless to move it.
For more of the latest news, sign up for our email newsletters
Read more related articles Read more related articles
Add Comment