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Couple Block In Car Parked On Their Driveway, Demanding £100 From Owner

Couple Block In Car Parked On Their Driveway, Demanding £100 From Owner

Cops have said it's a civil matter and they can't help either party.

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

A couple impounded a car and demanded a three-figure sum for its release after someone had parked on their driveway without their permission.

The boyfriend and girlfriend, from Northumberland, blocked the vehicle in and demanded the owner pay them £100 in order to get it back.

Surprised by seeing the motor on their land last week, the pair took to Facebook to find the driver, sharing a photo of the blue Peugeot sat on their drive.

The post read: "Could the owner of this car, registration [redacted], please remove your vehicle from my private driveway within the next 30 mins or I will remove [it] myself, thanks."

But with no sign of the owner 30 minutes later, they closed the gates and said they would need to pay to have it back.

Kennedy News and Media

Adding: "[You] are now blocked [on]. It will cost [you] £100 to get your car off my drive. Please bring cash as I don't accept card or [cheque]."

Unaware of what had been going on, the owner returned a few hours later, claiming that they had been the victim of a parking app scam, having paid for the spot through JustPark.

Police were then called to the scene and explained that it was a civil matter and wasn't something for them to deal with.

They advised the driver that they could, however, try and get their money back through the civil courts if they wished.

Watching the details unfold on Facebook, people were split, with some criticising the couple, saying the driver was just an 'innocent victim'.

Kennedy News and Media

On the other hand, some said the homeowners were well within their rights to 'clamp it' and 'charge them' to release the car.

Speaking about the bizarre incident, Northumbria Police said: "Shortly after 11.45am on October 5 we received a call from a resident stating that an unknown car had been parked and left on their driveway.

"Officers subsequently identified the registered keeper of the vehicle and made contact with them.

"It transpired that the car had been parked at the address by mistake and in good faith. All parties were issued with guidance and officers are satisfied no criminal offences were committed."

Kennedy News and Media

A spokesperson for JustPark apologised to the owner, saying they had likely been victim to a 'fraudulent listing'.

They said: "It is unfortunate that, in this instance, this homeowner (who is not a JustPark customer) took matters into their own hands and impounded the driver's car and demanded a fee for its removal.

"We have rigorous checks in place to ensure that driveways that are advertised on our platform are done so in a proper way.

"The advert for this space was submitted to us back in 2019 and our fraud team did highlight this space as potentially fraudulent, but I can see that a number of weeks later the advert was set live - this was human error on our part and we can only apologise for this.

"Like all companies, we are sometimes the target of fraudulent activity and our fraud teams work hard to detect this and to protect our customers."

Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media

Topics: Police, UK News, Driver, Car, Weird