Unadopted Land - Car Parking

[smiths]

I live in a terraced house and our backs (the road running between the houses) is where we all park our cars. There are a lot of people and a lot of cars and sometimes things get a little tense. Its 1 car wide most of the way. The backs are classed as an unadopted road.

What is very unfair is that currently, there are a number of cars in this road that are not used, not taxed, not insured and not SORN. They are parked in a location where they are not really blocking access in and out, but they are taking valuable parking space that someone can use.

As it is an unadopted road, I have assumed I am unable to do anything about the cars being parked on this bit of land but I thought I would ask so see if anyone has any ideas. No point in talking to the owners, thats not an option in this case.

Can anyone offer some advice please?

[pauln90]

As the road is unadopted by the local authority then vehicle excise licence offences cannot be enforced.

However the Road Traffic Act defines a road as

"any highway and any other road to which the public has access and includes bridges over which a road passes".

Therefore if the public have access to this unadopted road a vehicle would need an MOT and insurance

[cassa333]

Find out who owns the land and offer to buy it then make your own rules up?

[bednobs]

out of interest, how do you know they are not sorned? As mr bednobs knows to his cost, if they are neither, they WILL get a fine

[buildersmate]

Generally a piece of road like this is not part of the highway and it is not owned by anyone. However Paul's point above does apply.

[cassa333]

I was under the impression that just because a piece of land or highway isn't adopted just means that the local council doesn't maintain it and have rights over it such as yellow lines etc.

It could be in someones deeds that the home owners have a share in it. Who maintains it?

[buildersmate]

It could indeed be, Cassa, but unlikely. More often, these bits of access land just got forgotten about.

[smiths]

Thanks to everyone for your answers. Since the post one of the cars has now been SORN, however I believe Paul may have something so I can going to follow that route to see where it takes me.

Does anyone know who enforces the road traffic act.