Couple hit with £10,000 worth of fines for parking outside their luxury flat
A couple have managed to rack up £10,000 worth of fines for parking outside their luxury block of flats in Bristol.
Alyssha Harriot and Konrad Koscinsci moved into the gated community two years ago and have already amassed over 100 parking tickets.
The couple insist their tenancy agreement allows them free use of the community’s car park, but they are nonetheless handed tickets on a regular basis.
MORE: Revealed: The most affordable property hotspots for first-time buyers
Residents can pay £50 a month to rent a parking space, or face the prospect of being fined if they fail to display a valid permit.
However Alyssha, 26, says her tenancy agreement contains a clause granting permission to park on Level B of the three-storey car park.
She’s already won two court cases and cleared a £1,500 debt but faces an arduous legal battle to overturn each fine individually.
She described the situation as “absolutely ridiculous”.
“It was so beautiful when I moved in and now it’s absolutely ridiculous but people are hesitant to say something because they have bought here,” she said.
MORE: Hard Brexit ‘will lead to 10% increase’ in car repair bills for British motorists
“From the outside they make it look so lovely and it was when I moved in but it has gone downhill so quickly.”
Frustrated residents have even set up a Facebook group to share advice about how to contest the fines in court.
Alysha’s boyfriend Konrad, 25, has now resorted to parking in nearby streets.
“I’ve been parking ten to 15 minutes walk away from our place because I couldn’t deal with the hassle,” he said.
“Luckily I have found a quiet street to park but it’s a way away. You can’t park anywhere nearer because the locals vandalise your car.”
“What’s worse is when people are winning in court and then they are still being ticketed.”
MORE: Uber drivers gang up on customers to manipulate pricing, study reveals
The award-winning development was built by Urban Splash and is maintained by RMG, who in turn contracted Link Parking to run the car park.
A spokesman for Link Parking said: “Ms Harriot’s tenancy clearly does not state she has a right to park, this is a fact she is aware of.”
“She is also aware that she does not pay Urban Splash the sum of £50 per month to rent a a parking bay. Her actions cause disruption to those residents that adhere to the terms of parking at Lakeshore.