- Locals in Maidstone left stressed after UK Car Park Management erected signs
- Have YOU had a dispute over cars in your drive? Email Sam.Lawley@mailonline.com
A parking firm has been trying to charge people to park on their own land, according to furious homeowners, threatening them with a £100 fine if they refuse to pay up.
Residents in Maidstone, Kent, have been left stressed and anxious after UK Car Park Management erected signs on private land demanding they pay if they want to leave their vehicles there.
The move has even led to fears that visitors to a nearby care home would start using the space to park cars.
The signs were first put up on May 10 and in the week that followed locals tried in vain to contact the parking company to get them taken down.
Penny Jackson, 73, said that she saw someone putting up the signs when she was returning home with some shopping.
Penny Jackson pictured next to a sign threatening homeowners with a fine if they parked on their own land in Maidstone, Kent. The move has even led to fears that visitors to a nearby care home would start using the space to park cars
She said: ‘I went out Friday morning to pick some shopping up from down the road and when I came back he was out there putting the signs up.
‘He was on his fourth sign – he hadn’t put the one up on the lamppost yet.
‘I went over and asked what he was doing and he just said he was told to put the signs up even when I told him he was in the wrong place and on private property.
‘He just told me I’d have to take it up with the parking company.’
The retired grandmother, who needs to be able to get a walker out of her car, said she then struggled to get hold of the company responsible but that a neighbour had been told they were investigating it.
‘It took me five goes of ringing them and I spoke to someone who said they understood my frustration and they shouldn’t be up.
‘I told her I’ll go and take them down but she said not to do that in case they were damaged.’
UK Car Park Management has now taken down the signs but Ms Jackson has demanded compensation be paid to residents for the anxiety caused by the saga.
‘I’ve sent them other emails now saying they should be paying compensation for the stress they’ve caused and any damage they’ve done,’ she said.
‘One of the neighbours was in a complete panic about it – she didn’t believe her husband that they owned the land and weren’t doing anything wrong.
‘Parking is bad enough with people visiting over the road as they park out the front.
‘If my kids come round to see me they struggle to park. So if any visitors have a permit they’ll think they can come round here and think it’s an overflow car park.’
The signs (pictured, behind the Maidstone properties) were first put up on May 10 and in the week that followed locals tried in vain to contact the parking company to get them taken down
Genette Pinwill, assistant director of tenancy and housing change at Golding Homes who manage the properties, said: ‘The car parking signs near Northumberland Road were put up by mistake by our parking management company CPM.
‘We’ve spoken to CPM were out on Friday afternoon to see our customers and have removed all of the signs. We’re sorry for any upset this has caused customers.’
UK Car Park Management has been approached for comment.