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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2565109.stm

Police have told a Gloucester man he risks breaking the law if he forces his way into a vehicle which has been parked in his drive, blocking his own car in a garage.

The mystery car has been parked across Roger Windo's drive since Sunday morning.

He has established it does not belong to any of his neighbours in Kingsholm Road.

But neither the police nor Gloucester City Council will help because the T-reg Toyota Picnic is not causing a public obstruction.

Police told Mr Windo they could not disclose the identity of the owner because giving him the information would break data- protection legislation.

They also warned him he could face prosecution for criminal damage if he tried to break into the vehicle to move it.

"It's crazy," said Mr Windo. "I have a relative in hospital in Standish and have had to take a taxi to visit them, because I can't get my own car out of the garage through no fault of my own.

'Criminal damage'

"But the police say the car is legal because it is taxed.

"And because it is on private property it is not causing a public obstruction, so there is nothing they can do."

A spokesman for Gloucester Police said: "The van is in private property.

"If it was causing an obstruction we would get it towed away, but now we have handed the matter over to the city council.

"The van is actually registered to a leasehold company and they won't tell us who was driving it at the time."

A spokesman for Gloucester City Council said it would take action when it received official notification of the vehicle in writing.

It would then place a sticker on the vehicle, giving the owner a further seven days in which to remove it.[/i]

Holy Shit, that is stupid.

Could it be considered trespassing? or littering?? Maybe the guy should just pay to have it removed and then the owner would have to pay the tow company to get his car back.

Just tow the stupid thing. What, is towing a car away something like brushing your teeth. That which the British don't believe in?

I blame Tony Blair.

Doesn't the property owner have a legal right to have the van towed if it's in his driveway?

Fuck, that's so mind-bogglingly stupid, it's making my brain hurt.

This man is an Idiot. All he has to do is call a flatbed towtruck, and have them move it 25 feet to off his property. Any damages would have to be settled in court, and no jury I know of wouldn't side with the homeowner.

Even simpler. One big truck. One strong chain. Four tire marks. One empty driveway. Sue me.

Maybe tow trucks were banned in England when some nutjob in Scotland killed 20 people with one.

(Guess and get a cookie).

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Maybe tow trucks were banned in England when some nutjob in Scotland killed 20 people with one.

(Guess and get a cookie).

You owe me $200, as per SD.net Union Rules, I am the only one
capable of making gun control comments

(see Sec 501(c) of the Union Rules)

(Promptly thanks his lucky stars.)

MKSheppard wrote:

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Maybe tow trucks were banned in England when some nutjob in Scotland killed 20 people with one.

(Guess and get a cookie).

You owe me $200, as per SD.net Union Rules, I am the only one
capable of making gun control comments

(see Sec 501(c) of the Union Rules)

Hey, you're not the only conservative on this board.

It is trespassing since a man went onto his property and "remains" (his car) there against his wishes.

Yes...but is that so with England's laws? According to England's government...no...

Can't say I have ver heard of anything quite like that
before.

Get out a jack and some wheeled dollys and roll the vehicle out of your driveway. Obstructing public property, problem solved.

The government said that you can't move it if it's on private property. They said you'd get arrested for breaking into it to move it, and nothing about moving it without breaking into it, but from the entire legal process regarding moving the vehicle, I somehow doubt they will side with Mr. Windo if he attempted to move it any which way.

Did they actually say he couldn't move it, or did they say they couldn't move it?

Either way, it's pretty stupid.

Only in America... whooops, no, seems our stupidity is contagious after all...

Find some criminal, and tell him there's a free car for him if he manages to remove it...

Most cities have laws that you cant block a private driveway that does not belong to you. Whats wrong with this city?

damned brits...

hell if we had a law like that out here and someone pulled that shit, i'd just go get my 85 dodge ram, hook up a chain and pull the fucker into the street. or just break the window and hotwire it, then drive it somewhere else.

no one tells me what to do on my own property!

I say, it's on his property, it's his now. To do with however he wishes. Stupid laws.

MKSheppard wrote:You owe me $200, as per SD.net Union Rules, I am the only one capable of making gun control comments

(see Sec 501(c) of the Union Rules)

Pshaw!

Better get me some Union sign-up paperwork, buddy, after all the hours I put in on the NYT forum arguing on the side of liberty against a brat pack o' fascists.