Allegro Club International

[Jenny Thurston]

Just got a rather nasty anonymous note through the door from someone who obviously lives in the vicinity, moaning that we have too many cars in the car park and are "using the car park as an unofficial mechanics workshop". They sign off with the words " hopefully now you have been made aware of this issue it can be rectified, otherwise you may find an official complaint will be made to the landlord of the property you occupy". Looks like some of the fleet may have to find new homes

Sorry, just wanted to have a moan about that

[Jonathan Sellars]

I suppose it depends what constitutes "too many" cars although I'd be surprised if there's any clause that prevents you from carrying out maintenance there unless it's on safety grounds or you're causing an obstruction by doing so. Would it be worth getting hold of the wording of any agreements or asking your landlord for clarification before they do?

I've been lucky in that our neighbours don't seem to mind (and actually show an interest in) my hobby.

[Paul-V]

Don't just cave in to this anonymous bullying and move all your cars.

If somebody hasn't got the guts to come and talk to you, they don't deserve to have any notice taken of them. As long as you don't occupy any ground that is not either assigned to your house or granted to you by another householder that doesn't want to use it, nobody can really do much about it. And out the front where you park the Rover may well be classed as public highway anyway.

The only risk you might be running is that this spineless individual might get spiteful and damage your vehicles, or pretend to be the owner and phone a scrapyard to come and collect a couple of them.

If you do move some of them away, do it on a gradual basis so it doesn't look like this person has got their own way.

They probably drive a dull German slab of some kind and engage in various activities that the rest of us would find undesirable or offensive.

Why can't people just live and let live?


Speaking from approx. 20 years of experience of being 'not normal' by keeping more cars than I can drive at any given moment!
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But you'd better be quick. Because the Allegro Equipe is a Limited Edition that's going to move like its looks! Vroom, Vroom!

[Jenny Thurston]

Thanks people. A little bit of background: yes we are keeping cars in space that doesn't in any way belong to us, BUT we are (or at least, thought we were) doing this with the agreement of the rightful owners of said space. From the tone of the note it sounds as if those people no longer agree to this happening, in which case it would've been nice if they'd had the courtesy to knock on the door and ask for their spaces back. The other alternative I suppose is that it's another resident with no direct connection who is just a random busibody with too much time on their hands. Either way we'll be knocking on some doors tonight, but we don't want to risk getting evicted over this so unless the people in question confirm that they don't mind us being there - in writing this time - they'll have to go.

[Paul-V]

It's unlikely you will get written agreement, it's not worth the hassle for them!

I am sure that the cause will be the 'random busybody': if you were obstructing somebody else's space, they would soon be knocking on your door!
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But you'd better be quick. Because the Allegro Equipe is a Limited Edition that's going to move like its looks! Vroom, Vroom!

[Jenny Thurston]

Yes, you're probably right... it's just that it says something like 'most residents are becoming increasingly upset and frustrated', blah blah blah... I have no idea whether it's true or not, but I hate the idea of living in the middle of a bunch of people who have been silently hating us behind our backs. I really hope that when we move out the next tenants are like our predecessors, who apparently worked on their cars wherever they wanted, well into the night, whilst playing loud music and generally looking threatening.

[James]

[Roger Feist]

Hello,

Jenny don't waste your time knocking on doors if they wrote the letter they would still say that there's no problem, as the other's have said if they were that unhappy & you were using their space they would have knocked your door.
Any room left in the unit ? if so move 1 or 2 over the next month or so.

Rog
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It's always better with the roof down ! It's the crayford's way !!

[Jenny Thurston]

Thanks all - it's nice to have it brought home that not everyone is a paranoid gutless interfering old so-and-so. (Do we have swear filters on this board? )

Current plan is to go round to talk in person to the two houses whose spaces we are in, and I have written to everyone else in our little group of houses - about six in all - and intend to put this letter through along with a copy of the one we received. This way we pretty much guarantee reaching whoever wrote it, and I have tried to use the right blend of innocence, apology and gentle reproach to make whoever wrote it look a bit silly. Basically it explains why we have been using the spaces, offers to remove cars and points out that similar problems in future could be more easily and pleasantly resolved if people actually talked to us face to face "instead of resorting to anonymous threats, as we have found this rather upsetting".

Thanks for the offer Roger - I'll ring you tonight or tomorrow if you're around.

[Jenny Thurston]

Update: Panic over. We called round tonight to speak to two of the people who share the car parking space. Neither of them knew anything about the letter, both were rather annoyed that it had given the impression that it was expressing their shared opinion, and both have given us permission, in writing, for us to use their spaces. (One even wrote that "they are always very polite and cause no trouble"!) It's not quite over because the legal owner of one of the spaces we use has swapped with the owner of the space next door, so we have one more household to call on, but I feel much better now. Considering taking photocopies of the two written agreements - especially the one saying that we are no trouble - and posting them through the doors of the other houses. Their authors have agreed to this. Would be grateful for opinions on this. Would that put the matter to bed or should we just drop it now, having got the opinions of the people with a direct involvement? Any advice appreciated, as always...

Thanks for all the support

[Roger Feist]

I would drop it now

If the landlord does get in contact with you you can show him your neighbours letters.

Roger
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It's always better with the roof down ! It's the crayford's way !!

[James]

I second Roger.

Keep the letters as ammo. You have the agreements you need so are covered