Two Indian-origin families are locked in a bitter row over a shared parking space outside their homes in London, with the seven-year dispute running up a legal bill of around GBP 100,000.
While Manish Kothari and his brother and sister-in-law, Sandip and Bindu Kothari, have accused their neighbours -- Ivan Soares and wife Sunita -- of "selfish parking", the latter couple accuse their neighbours of trespassing.
According to a report in 'The Times', the row has already been before a judge once and was back in a London court for another trial this week, despite Judge Simon Monty urging the neighbours -- both accountants -- to settle their differences without wasting any more money.
The report claims the dispute centres around three parking spaces outside the houses in the Harefield area of the London borough of Hillingdon. Two are owned by the Soareses and a third -- between the two -- is owned by the Kotharis.
Historically, the families reportedly agreed to swap spaces, which meant the Soareses used the two adjacent spaces on the left, closest to their house, with the Kotharis using the one on the right. However, the Soareses are alleged to have scrapped the arrangement in 2018, following a row over allegations of inconsiderate parking. They are now seeking compensation for trespass, alleging that the Kotharis continued to park in the disputed space for nearly two years after the swap deal ended.
In response, the Kotharis have asked for an injunction preventing the Soareses from blocking the shared driveway or deliberately making it difficult for their neighbours to park.
According to documents filed at the Central London County Court, the Kotharis complain that the Soareses have made it impossible for them to use their middle parking space.
"The claimants have caused deliberate nuisance to the defendants by parking a few inches away from the defendant's vehicle, making it extremely difficult to enter [and] exit," they claim.
Barrister Maxwell Myers said on behalf of the Soareses that the couple sought damages of thousands of pounds for the Kotharis' use of their neighbours' space between 2018 and 2020, as well as a permanent injunction barring them from doing so again. They are also seeking the court's guidance on how the three parking spaces around the gravel drive can be clearly delineated to prevent disputes.
"Feelings are obviously running very high," Judge Monty said, as the trial was adjourned into the new year.
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