A home buyer has sparked a furious row with his new neighbours – by paving over his front garden and converting it into a showroom for up to a dozen second hand cars.
Farshad Kia, 45, has prompted multiple complaints after displaying numerous used cars on or next to the driveway of his 1930s semi in Arnos Grove, North London.
Tempers have become so frayed between Mr Kia and angry neighbours over the unofficial dealership that police have even been called to diffuse a row.
Barnet Council has now issued Kia with a written warning, it’s understood, and could issue unlimited fines if he doesn’t stop trading cars from his garden.
Before and After: How the house has changed to accommodate the extra cars
Farshad Kia, 45, (pictured) has prompted multiple complaints after displaying numerous used cars on or next to the driveway of his 1930s semi
Mr Kia bought the house for £725,000 last year and soon removed any greenery from the front garden and instead created a paved area that can hold ten or more cars at any one time – and often does.
Most display stickers advertising them for sale and displaying a phone number believed to belong to Mr Kia.
Among those living nearby Mr Kia in the fashionable suburb close to Arnos Park who have complained about his actions are near neighbour Mel Campbell, 76.
Furious Mr Campbell says the unexpected arrival of a second hand car business in an otherwise smart area of London has significantly devalued his own nearby £1.2 million home.
Mr Campbell, who lives on a street around the corner from Mr Kia, said he was dumbfounded that his new neighbour has opened what he calls a ‘shabby car dealership’ without any planning permission.
He told MailOnline: ‘We most certainly felt we needed to object. This isn’t the area to sell cars.
‘It’s just not what you buy into. My home is what, £1.2 million, with a shabby car dealer round the corner.
‘There are just more cars than you would reasonably expect. We have four cars, and we have parking space for four cars.
‘But he has been parking his cars around here, rubbing our noses in it. A couple of times, the neighbours haven’t been able to park because he’s parked his cars along the road.’
The paved front garden which has been turned into a second-hand car lot
When approached by MailOnline, Mr Kia claimed most people living nearby didn’t mind
Mr Campbell claimed it is ‘illegal’ for Mr Kia to sell cars out of his drive, stating that he needs to apply for planning permission – a claim which Mr Kia has refuted.
Mr Campbell, who lives nearby on Marlborough Avenue, also alleged that Mr Kia allows his cars to spill onto the road, making it difficult for neighbours to park.
In his letter to Barnet Council – understood to be one of many – Mr Campbell stated there were 13 cars parked on Mr Kia’s drive at one time on a day last month, nine of which were advertised for sale.
Another neighbour who declined to be named told us: ‘It is simply astonishing that someone thinks they can do this in a residential area. People are very house proud around here and it’s quite an aspirational area.
‘The previous owner used to have shrubs and grass in their front garden and an attractive vintage VW camper van was the only vehicle. It looked really nice.
‘But the new owner simply paved over the whole thing – and it’s a really big space as front gardens go.
‘Now you routinely see ten hatchbacks with price stickers in the window parked there. It’s so tacky and downmarket.
‘Everyone who lives here who I’ve spoken to about it is furious.’
Another resident living close by said: ‘We have kept our original front garden and try to encourage butterflies and bees to come there – then some new guy moves in and parks ten cars on his driveway to sell.
‘It makes my heart sink every time I see it. Which is daily.’
When approached by MailOnline, Mr Kia claimed most people living nearby didn’t mind and that he hadn’t breached any rules, further insisting that his actions are ‘not disturbing anyone’
But he claimed that hostile neighbours who dislike what he’s doing have even forced him to call the police after one confronted his elderly father.
The 45-year-old said he had not received complaints directly from any other neighbours since he began showcasing the cars in October last year, and insisted he does not require planning permission to store or sell the second-hand motors.
Mr Kia, a businessman previously based in the Middle East, insisted he is ‘not doing anything illegal’ and is merely trying to support his family.
Mr Kia, has prompted multiple complaints after displaying numerous used cars on or next to the driveway of his 1930s semi in Arnos Grove
The 45-year-old, who moved to the address just over a year ago, said he has maintained good relationships with neighbours who have raised no issues over the matter.
He absolutely refuted claims that he was parking used cars for sale along the road, as he said he knows it would be illegal as the cars are untaxed.
Mr Kia said: ‘I’m not disturbing anyone. Every home on this road has around three cars, many have more.
‘There is only one person who seems to have any issue with this. All the other neighbours are happy with it.
‘I have two disabled parents I look after, my mother has severe dementia and my father has had two strokes.
‘I don’t rely on any support from the government, no carer, nothing. So I needed to do this to survive in this economy, and I’m not doing anything illegal.
‘They are not noisy cars, they are not modified cars. They are not disturbing anyone.
‘I keep the drive very clean. I don’t keep cars outside the driveway, and I have trading insurance.’
He even claimed: ‘The neighbours have told me they don’t have an issue.’
When MailOnline visited there were eight cars on the driveway.
While the signs did not explicitly read ‘for sale’ or display sale prices, interested buyers were able to call the number displayed on the car windows to discuss a sale.
Mr Kia said the hostility he encountered over the cars led to him calling the police last month when a man began to abuse his family about the cars.
He said: ‘I had to call the police. It’s not correct. He was very rude to my dad.
‘I had to call the ambulance as well because my father was in a panicked state.
‘I told him I am looking after two elderly, disabled people but he said he didn’t care.
‘He said me having used cars here was devaluing his property.’
He added: ‘It’s very disappointing and heartbreaking, I’m trying to keep my parents from having to go to a care home.’
A source told MailOnline: ‘The Council recently sent a Planning Contravention Notice to the owner including questions pertaining to the use of the site. They have 21 working days to respond.’
It is an offence to fail to respond to such a notice and anyone found guilty can be hit with an unlimited fine.
Another near neighbour, David Bradshaw, said he had not complained yet but might be moved to in future and was monitoring the situation.
The 86-year-old said: ‘They frequently have a car out on the front, so if someone is trying to pick me up it can be quite a drag.
Tempers have become so frayed between Mr Kia and angry neighbours over the unofficial dealership that police have even been called
‘But I don’t mind it, it’s only an issue when it spills out on to the road. But they are generally quite considerate.
‘It’s just if it gets too big, one might have to complain. I wouldn’t like that sort of situation to come about, where it becomes too cluttered on the road.
‘It has not been that much of a problem yet, but one doesn’t want it to become a problem, as long as it doesn’t get any worse.’
Another local, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘Well, it’s a business isn’t it?
‘And this is a residential area. That is my problem with it. It’s a residential area.
‘It is a disturbance really, I’m just glad I don’t live next door.’
After hearing there was more than one neighbour concerned about the use of the drive, Mr Kia said he had decided to remove the majority of cars from his drive.
He said: ‘I have moved all the cars. I only have my personal car and two more which are not gone yet.
‘Not because I am scared, because what I am doing is completely legal.
‘But if my neighbours are unhappy, if it is more than one person, I think I am quite a fair person and I think if my neighbours are unhappy, that’s not fair on them.
‘I have to find another solution.’
A Barnet Council spokesperson said: ‘Planning permission is required to turn a house into a car sales lot. However, no planning laws specifically prohibit a person from selling a limited number of vehicles from home.Â
‘We are currently investigating this case to determine whether it has a significant enough impact on neighbours and on the character of the area to justify planning enforcement action. If we think that it has, we will require that the sales reduce or cease altogether.’