“I guess they do it to save money renting a patch of land and setting up a proper pitch. I would have thought that the council would see it as an opportunity to charge them for a "street vending license " or something similar.”

“Another small thing -- if they are parked " well on the pavements " can`t they be prosecuted for obstruction and given a parking penalty ?”

“Totally agree with you - utterly unfair on those dealers who have proper business premises and pay Business Rates. Saw one today parked directly opposite a legitimate car dealers premises near Tesco in Central Market obviously trying to catch the eye of those visiting that dealer. Come on NELC, do something worthwhile for once!”

“If your car is taxed, tested and not a hazard, you can park it on any street.”

“Dear clivspanner - there is a difference between parking a car on a street and running a business as these people seem to be doing.”

“Quite simple. Pass a by-law that prohibits the sale of private goods on public property. That's what we do here (California).”

“Ring the number on the car and tell them that there is a load of undesirables gathered around the car looking like they are going to damage it.....

They will move it then if they have any sense.....

There again possibly not!!!

Tell them it is being towed!”

“What's so very wrong with people advertising their cars for sale whilst parked perfectly legally??

Really.. why don't people just mind their own business?”

“Problem is that many are not parked in the best places, they cause unnecessary congestion. And why should we have to negotiate a car lot just to go around the town? If we want to buy a car, we look for one at a garage or in the paper etc...
I cannot think of a situation where anyone will see a car on the side of the road and think BARGAIN! Most will not want to touch the car with a barge pole!”

“Me_Out_here: "I cannot think of a situation where anyone will see a car on the side of the road and think BARGAIN! Most will not want to touch the car with a barge pole!"

So what precisely has it got to do with you?
I'm being serious .. why does it bug you so much?

You presumably don't mind cars parked up on pavements if they're NOT for sale, so why does it bother you so much that there's a 'for sale' sign on the windscreen?

I'm being serious .. why does it bother you so much?”

“toots!!!! you got out of the wrong side didn't you.

It doesn't bother me!

I am only commenting!

just like you!”

“Funny how YOU are allowed to "just comment"!

Yet when I do it I'm wrong, or trolling or something else that causes you to go on the offensive!”

“Wrangler, what is your point? I was answering Toots, not you.

You have not said anything for me to be offended about.

If you have a point, make it....

Oh, you don't have one!! Right.

I suggest that you leave it at that then ..”

“Cars on the side of the road are usually cheaper,They dont cause congestion otherwise the council would be straight on it, also what's all the fuss about? It's nice to know people are still allowed to sell there own stuff freely nowadays, because it won't be long before they make us cough up for doing so especially the way you lot are going on!”

“Bingo!

Exactly my point!”

“If I recall correctly, there is a limit to the amount one person can sell at once, else it becomes a business and you have then to run it as such.

Otherwise, if the vehicles are not causing an obstruction and are leagal to be on the road, I don't see an issue!”

“Fantastic, you made a point well done wrangler.

I personally think that most of the cars dumped on the side of the road with a for sale sign on can be construed as being obstructive.

They are in the way one way or another.

You will no doubt have the opposite opinion, that is fine.

I cannot understand you, you pop up accusing me of all sorts!!

Some people.....

go and polish your hubcaps...”

“"It's nice to know people are still allowed to sell there (sic) own stuff freely nowadays"

Actually, I think the point is that these cars are NOT their own stuff - they have been bought with the intention of reselling at a profit, i.e. a trade. Establishing a business requires planning permission or so I thought? Enterprise is no bad thing but is such street trading really the way we want to go?

I merely ask the question....”

“An interesting point Bizzare,

If you were to stand in the street flogging things, it wouldn't be long until you were moved on, and if you kept doing it Trading Standards would want a word with you.

This is surely no different?

I am merely agreeing with the question”

“Problem is Rosieposie121, don't think these are genuine car sale, there was a thing on Watchdog about them, people from far away will be selling them, they try to disguise that it is not one seller by using several different mobile phone numbers, some have been those cut and shut cars, and one man found his was actually a stolen car and because he could not trace the person he had bought it off, he lost £4,000.
It's a shame for genuine people who are simply trying to sell their car locally.”

“Anyone that buys a car for over a grand at the side of the road is not right in the head anyway, the fact is it's cheaper if your short on cash and if your that worried there's hpi reports and bits you can use to check”

“I think garages and car lots are more likely to ********* over and charge you the earth, but we all differ in opinion I just don't see the major problem ..... Yet!!!”

“And what about ebayers and people that sell from the paper? Are these people includes too? You take a risk when you buy anything like that, anyway that's the end of that for me”

“Rosieposie121 - the article referred to people parking in the street - not using the INTERNET or local papers , or didn`t you read it properly to start with LOL”

“Victoria226 - NELC did do something about this - they caused most of the cars to be parked where they are! They made their employees pay to park at work and the result is what you see along Littlecoates Road and many other areas around NELC workplaces.
Littlecoates Road - one of the main roads into Grimsby has become a chicane during weekdays.
Even Estuary Way which leads to the waste diposal facility opposite the Fish Meal factory is choked with NELC employees cars.
Yes there may be a few cars up for sale - not "dozens" but an odd two or three in each place, most by known traders, but if they are parked legally then what is the problem?”

“I was referring to an earlier comment about buying dodgy cars off the street I was only comparing it too the risk from buying off the Internet ... I think it's you that needs to read earlier comments properly nOt me thankyou very much! Baldie!”

“earlier comments LOL -- who posted the FIRST comment ? ha ha ha”

“Oooooo k then?!”

“Your original comment has moved on my friend”

“This is a simple job for the Police and the local council to sort out but I guess they are to busy looking for someone to persecute”

“I get a lot of these cars parked on the front of my house, Heaps of junk usually, People stop to look at these cars, usually unsavoury characters blocking my drive and give abuse when i ask them to move.
I ring the number on the car and ask them to move it and tell them pleasantly that there is no way the car will sell on the front of my property as i will make sure of that. They usually move it sharpish”

“i agree, itswrong we live a few doors down from a garage and his staff take up our spaces for our cars , why ? to keep his forecourt clear !!! i think its a bloody cheek,! tell ya what you pay for my house an you can have the front to sell your cars hows that ?? never mind we both work are backsides off to keep two cars on the road wich we need and pay for the house yet we cant evan park in front of it because of the lumps of junk trying to be sold, im annoyed because there is a massive fore court witch i car clear !!!!”

“If i wanted to look out onto a car forecourt I would have bought a garage instead of a house.”

“maybe if i parked my hgv 1 cab in his forecourt as a tradeoff.........?

nope wont work, because the law(haha ) abiding fella is in trouble staight away an within 5 mins the police would be there and id be arrested ......!”

“I sometimes think some people will never be happy until every moment of their lives are regulated by the State.

Just leave off, for goodness sake.”

“The law says that it is illegal to have two or more cars closer than 500m apart for sale or for repairs. This is covered by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The fine is £2500 for either offence. The offence of repairs doesn't include essential repairs, accident damage or breakdowns. But this work must be carried out within 72 hours.

Specifically regarding sales, the CNEA says:

Sect 3: Exposing vehicles for sale on a road:
(1) A person is guilty of an offence if at any time-
(a) he leaves two or more motor vehicles parked within 500 metres of each other on a road or roads where they are exposed or advertised for sale, or
(b) he causes two or more motor vehicles to be so left.

(2) A person is not to be convicted of an offence under subsection (1) if he proves to the satisfaction of the court that he was not acting for the purposes of a business of selling motor vehicles.

There is also an offence under the local government act. It relates to streets in which it is possible to gain permission to trade, and those in which it is prohibited. Leaving a vehicle in either type of street can be considered an offence under the Local Government (miscellaneous provisions) Act 1982.

My understanding is the the local council has the right to issue penalty notices, to prosecute, and to remove the offending vehicles. Report the vehicles to the local council and, hopefully, the problem will stop.

You could also, assuming you can find out whether or not the vehicles are being sold as part of an unofficial business report the seller to the inland revenue as operating a business and not declaring income.”

“Just to add, the law doesn't apply equally across the UK so check first!”

“Toots22
Why does it bother you so much, that it bothers other people.
Every body is entitled to their own opinion so why dont you Butt Out.”

“:-)

Well said Smitsus...

Couldn't have put it better.”

“snithsus wrote: "Every body is entitled to their own opinion"

Then he or she wrote: " why dont you Butt Out."

That's a bit of a contradiction, don't you think?

Challenge my comments, by all means .. but there's no need for rudeness.
It's very childish, and we're all supposed to be adults here.

(And I agree Me Out Here .. you couldn't have put it any better .. so why bother trying?)”

“Toots??? your point???

I was actually suggesting that you allowed other people an opinion, just because it isn't the same as yours should not make it wrong!

I have been past the Humber Royal today and there were two, shabby looking cars up for sale. The notice in the window was hand written and looked like a 5 year old had written it.
Quality cars!!!

The cars were actually adding to the extra problems on that stretch because they were right in the middle of the road works.”

“MOH said: "I was actually suggesting that you allowed other people an opinion, just because it isn't the same as yours should not make it wrong!"

After reading my comment again, I agree with you. It did come over as being bolshy. I'm sorry.”

“the council need to get them cars off the taxi rank near macs on grimsby road for sale i can never get on that rank on match days to do my job as there is heaps for sale and some times there on there with no tax”

“Reply received from council re long standing problem in Grimsby and Cleethorpes. Parking cars up in road side parking places with for sale signs on them. I forwarded to council a photograph of a road side traffic sign in Hamphire were they have made it illegal as it causes "an obstruction"
This is the reply I received
Good morning
I enclose the response form the director responsible for this, it is not an easy one and I am disappointed that the removal of these vehicles can not be done with less difficulty but I will try obtain some action when ever the opportunity arises

Dear Cllr Brookes
Further to your email below, regarding cars for sale blocking limited parking spaces and apologies for the delay in responding to you.

At the present time the display of vehicles for sale on the highway is not considered to contravene any legislation, unless the signs indicating goods for sale are of such a size as to require planning approval or that the advertising represents an overspill from an adjacent car sales outlet.

Recently attention has been focussed on a number of identified hotspots where vehicle sales have been observed. In viewing these sites it is considered that the use of formal Traffic Regulation Order restrictions (yellow lines etc) forms the only viable means of providing enforceable action. However, it is recognised that yellow line restrictions will also affect local residents and can lead to a displacement of problems from one site into adjacent streets.

My enforcement officers have looked into the cars parked for sale and have provided me with the following details:
Location VRM Tax details Comments
Humberstone Road opp Brian Ave junction S632UYA 30.06.2012 Land Rover Freelander Phone # 07889049910
North Sea Lane - O/S Humberstone Motors FL56VWG None Vauxhall Astra - large For Sale sign in windscreen
North Sea Lane - O/S Humberstone Motors DK04VZF None Ford Mondeo - large For Sale sign in windscreen
North Sea Lane - O/S Humberstone Motors FY04 CLJ None Nissan Primera - large For Sale sign in windscreen
Grimsby Road - nr junction of Neville St KM51XAW 31.08.2012 Vauxhall Corsa - Phone # 07597289057
Grimsby Road O/S Macdonalds X208GMO 31.03.2012 Honda Accord - Phone # 07928117360
Daubney Street O/S Brereton Motors N234NTL 31.03.2012 Renault - Large For Sale sign in windscreen
We have notified the DVLA regarding the 3 untaxed vehicles on North Sea Lane but as an Authority we have no powers to enforce tax.

The South Hayling sign appears to refer to national legislation regarding obstruction of the highway. Issues of obstruction are for the Police to enforce and I would consequently suggest that the Police should be consulted in relation to the use of such a sign. Consideration must also be given to the range of signing that may be required (for example TRO plates are required to be spaced at a maximum of 60 metre intervals along every side of road for which the restrictions apply). The potential therefore exists for a significant and substantial funding requirement if this approach were to be employed for the whole of North East Lincolnshire , although this is not an approach I would be recommending to Council. It could prove effective in tackling problems at isolated sites but may well call into question the ability to enforce at sites where this form of signing is not present.

Regards
Councillor Keith Brookes
Leader of the Conservative Group”

“My main point I was trying to get over was surley it is illegal to park these cars half way on the path as most of the cars are near the Humber Royal AND the Council should take some action against the people who park the cars for sale there!”

“Here is the solution, introduce a residents parking permit system and limit the parking to one hour or 90 mins no return on affected roads, job done.”

“One more small thing to consider ----- buying a car from the side of the road would not come with any sort of guarantee. If the car packed up fifty feet from buying it then tough luck. At least from a proper trader i.e. garage , you should have some sort of guarantee , even just a 30 day job, which is better than nothing.”

“baldfatman .. No private sales come with a warranty.”

“A red rover was parked for sale on Grimsby road all last week when a drunk driver smashed into it on Friday night, it was rather smashed up.
What a shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”