Homeowner left fuming as ‘no parking’ concrete posts are put up in front of his new driveway
Nigel Serrell, 58, is embroiled in a bitter dispute with a neighbour who claims she owns the land where he has parked his car for the last 18 years
A DAD embroiled in a bitter parking row with his neighbour was stunned to come home from work to find his driveway blocked by concrete bollards.
Nigel Serrell, 58, claims his neighbour persuaded the local housing association to put up the barriers in July because she claims the land on his driveway is hers, despite him parking there for the past 18 years.
The land, outside Nigel's home in Rowley Regis, West Midlands, has been officially unclaimed for 20 years after the building company who owned it went bust.
Nigel, who works in sales and marketing, claims he has been using it as a parking space for his car since he moved into his home in 1998 - and according to his solicitor he has the right to use it for parking because of the laws of adverse possession.
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The bizarre dispute started when new family moved into the area earlier this year.
The homeowner claimed she had discovered that the land actually belongs to her, so told Nigel he could not park there any more.
But Nigel disputed this - and says she hit back and become confrontational, with his car mysteriously vandalised later.
Nigel said: "The land was part of a development about 20 years ago, but the building company went bust.
"The land was left unclaimed and I have parked my car there since 1998, when I moved in.
"There is a woman three doors down who has been here since 2007, but about 18 months ago someone told her incorrectly that her house had a claim to the land.
"When she heard that she ordered me to stop parking on the land.
"After I refused, I found my windscreen scratched with keys and I was threatened by her partner.
"My solicitor said I had a right to park there by the laws of adverse possession because I had parked there for so many years.
"But she got Midland Heart Housing Association to put up no parking signs."
The argument continued and eventually Nigel called the police - who advised him to build his own driveway on the land.
He spent £5,000 knocking through his back garden into the disputed land to create a secure fenced-in driveway - but was shocked when a scrap car had been placed outside the entrance to his drive in a bid to block him from using it.
Months later he returned from work to find 4ft bollards installed which had been paid for by the Midland Heart Housing Association, who refuse to move them leaving him unable to park his car there.
Nigel added: "It got so bad that I called the police, who advised me to build my own secure drive in my back garden, so that my car was secure and I was only using the disputed land for access.
";I spent £5,000 clearing out my lawn, putting down paving slabs and putting in a gate.
"But as I was installing the gate my neighbour said: 'That will be a waste of money because we'll knock it straight down.'
"When it went up in January they bought a scrap car and parked it in front of my drive, so I couldn't get in or out.
"My councillor complained to Midland Heart, but they said they backed their resident.
"The car stayed there for six months until July 31 when I went to work and came home to find two concrete bollards installed right in front of my drive.
"I checked my CCTV and you can actually see my neighbour rolling the car forward and getting the builders to install the concrete bollards.
"Midland Heart paid for the bollards for my neighbour and they are refusing to move them.
"People who come and visit me can't believe what they are seeing and keep on telling me to rip them up but I am trying to do things the right way, going through the right channels but it is getting me nowhere.
"It meant nobody came to visit me over Christmas."
Nigel's fight to get his driveway back is supported by local MP James Morris, who said: "Whenever a local constituent contacts me, I try to do all I can to help resolve any issues that they may have.
"This issue has been particularly difficult, and I ask that Midland Heart carefully consider Mr Serrell's concerns and come to a reasonable conclusion for all those involved."
Nigel Collumbell, Director of Housing Management at Midland Heart, told the Sun Online: “We have been working locally with residents for some time to understand and resolve the complex issues around parking and access via land owned by Midland Heart which is designated for use by Midland Heart customers.
"These discussions are still on-going in order to find a fair solution for everyone involved.”
Nigel added: "Midlands Heart claim they own four spaces outside the house but I'm not asking to park there, I just want access on and off my drive.
"When I contacted the police they said it was not a criminal offence - because they had blocked me off rather than on the drive.
"The council said it wasn't their problem because it is technically unadopted ground and its all down to Midland Heart.
"But even if they do own those spaces, my solicitor says because I had parked there 18 years and they never put up any signs previously, maintained the spaces or even spoke to me about it, I have legal access over that space due to the laws of adverse possession.
"But I'm not bothered about parking there now - I'm just asking for access to get on and off my property.
"It all seems very petty and I just want to get to my house."
Earlier this year residents in Surbiton, south west London, faced a similar dilemma as the local council slapped them with fines for parking on their own driveways.
And another video showed neighbours behaving badly in Kettering, where a mum holding her toddler was caught spitting at a local resident who complained when she parked across their driveway.
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