Many motorists are used to fighting over car parking spaces, but not usually ones included with their own homes.
However, a group of Edinburgh residents are getting revved up after the council threatened to take away their private car spaces.
Despite them being included in the original property sales, a legal loophole may see the plots given to the local authority.
The group live on the Springfield Estate, which was originally built by property magnet Taylor Wimpey over four decades ago.
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Despite residents thinking they’d got pole position when buying the homes with the space included, the developer recently approached Edinburgh Council to adopt and maintain the street – meaning that they could take back the plot despite them appearing on the deeds.
The local authority has even hit back at the residents, claiming that ownership does not mean that they have the right to control how the road is used.
However, Maureen and Jimmy Stewart are attempting to fight this with the married couple taking up the issue during a councillor's surgery - bringing endless documents with them.
"They are private spaces and it's just those six our of the whole estate that are going as the council has adopted the road. We have been told by so many people that they can't do it, even one of the surveyors who worked on the initial development,” Maureen told Edinburgh Live,
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She added: “The whole thing is actually quite upsetting to be honest as we have spent so much time reaching out to different people.”
It’s not surprising given that husband and wife have lived on the estate for nearly 40 years, with few issues with their home.
To make matters even worse, the rising cost of parking in the Scottish city means that they could pay between £41-£398 for a 12-month permit if they lose the space.
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Because of this, the couple has taken some extreme measures in an attempt to keep the plot – including putting up metal poles to mark off the space.
Fellow resident Ian Dick has also been frustrated by the dispute, saying that a ‘private parking’ sign was even included by Taylor Wimpey when he moved in.
He told press: "There is a sign outside saying 'private parking', we never put that up. It was put up by Taylor Wimpey over 30 years ago. It has been made clear that those spaces are ours.”
A spokesperson for the property developer has said that they are ‘unaware’ as to why the changes were suggested, saying that ownership has been ‘set out’ in the 1980s.
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Here’s hoping the council will park the ongoing dispute soon.
Featured Image Credit: Media Scotland