Moving vehicles blocking access

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw scotland
We had this conversation with the car which was slurried. If the car is on private land then it is not a police matter but a civil one. That may involve the courts and local council but not helping to get into the field. Be very careful that you may damage the car when moving it as £1000 does not go far and the police may be involved.
It all seems very unfair to the landowner. If I was not in a hurry to get access I would just leave a large implement to block it it in with my phone number on the screen. Then they would be inconvenienced and I would at least know when they had left.
If emergency vehicles access are possibly blocked then that is maybe police but a field would hardly count
 
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Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
Is it possible to make a financial claim against the car owner or their insurance?

E.g. combine harvester at £200/hr, extra drying costs if it rains, missed hay cutting opportunity etc. etc.
 

Oscar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Only this week spraying early and went to a block only to find a DHL van parked across the gateway blocking access to 5 fields . It's right by a brand new development of 25 houses and no idea who or where the driver was . Left a stern but polite message about in country not blocking gateways ! While I got back in machine thinking what to do as 5.45 am when local contractor turns up with 2x tractor trailers and forager also needing same gateway ( we have road closure due to tar and gritting) . I left them to it as I had one off lying field to do . By time I got back ,van was moved !!!
 

Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
We had this conversation with the car which was slurried. If the car is on private land then it is not a police matter but a civil one. That may involve the courts and local council but not helping to get into the field. Be very careful that you may damage the car when moving it as £1000 does not go far and the police may be involved.
It all seems very unfair to the landowner. If I was not in a hurry to get access I would just leave a large implement to block it it in with my phone number on the screen. Then they would be inconvenienced and I would at least know when they had left.
If emergency vehicles access are possibly blocked then that is maybe police but a field would hardly count
Do what the "get the bailiffs in", do slings and straps on to Telehandler or those skids under wheels etc
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
never worked/understood why civil law, can override 'normal' law, but in many cases, where police refuse to act, you can, under 'civil' law. Understand some bigger shop chains, are using civil law, to take shoplifters etc to court, whereas the police will only caution. For, harassment issues, or deliberate vandalism, you have far greater redress, under civil law, than normal law, also no CPS to kick it out. A lot of it can really help farmers, and I am surprised the NFU don't promote it more. An example, farmer had a load of pikeys turn up, and set up camp, 20/30 vehicles, police said they would act, but on hearing nothing back, went to station, and asked, reply, oh, they said they would move on, in a day or two, no further action required ! He was told, by an elderly sergeant, he had the right, under civil law, to evict them, using all necessary means, if he acted within 48 hrs of arrival, and put a notice on each vehicle giving them 12 or 24 hours notice. Checked it out, correct, informed the police, who begged him not to, anyway, rang round for assistance, for the 'time', 40/50 of us, tractors diggers etc. Police seriously tried to change his mind, no, Police officer, walked into the field we were waiting in, saw the numbers, read us the riot act, pleaded with us not to, but on being pressed very hard, had to admit it was legal, and she could not stop us, but would arrest anybody that went on to the A road, pushing the vehicles out, told the c####s they could gather at the service station, just along the road, with no interference from police, and called the riot police out from Bristol, 20/30 police there, end result, out they went, gathered at service station, where the traffic cops tested every tank for red diesel, great and no trouble since!
 
Another related question. Combines are wide, do we need to be left enough room or do parked cars only need to leave say 3m so that standard width vehicles can get through? I’m talking about a high street through a village now.

Roads should be passable by emergency service vehicles, so in my view a 8 or 10ft gap is needed.

If someone is blocking you on the highway, ring the police. You have as much right using the road as anyone, irrespective of what vehicles are involved.
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
Is it possible to make a financial claim against the car owner or their insurance?

E.g. combine harvester at £200/hr, extra drying costs if it rains, missed hay cutting opportunity etc. etc.

One would assume so, if its a civil matter its purely a question of damages. If your actions (ie moving the car) damage it then you are liable for any damage to the vehicle. So logically the reverse applies - any damages the landowner suffers as a result of the actions of the car owner could be claimed for.

The problem would be a) discovering who the car owner is, as you can't (legally at least) find out from the reg number, and b) proving what your losses are. If it was a clear cut case of a field of hay that was fit to bale and loss of access meant it all got rained on and ruined, then that wouldn't be too hard. But if you are just held up for half a day, but still get your harvest done in the end, how do you prove losses from that? A contractor might have a better claim for lost time, because in his business every hour the machine isn't working is lost revenue, but an owner driver can't make the same claim really. He can only claim on the loss of value of his crop, which if he completes harvest eventually is not going to be that great.

Incidentally I have a feeling that blocking someone in is more of a crime than blocking someone out. I think its because blocking access to the public highway is a crime. It might help if a car was blocking an access gate, and you could get a smaller vehicle in by another access point (perhaps that is not suitable for large vehicles) and then call the police claiming you were blocked in and need to get out.........
 

Adeptandy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
PE15
Another related question. Combines are wide, do we need to be left enough room or do parked cars only need to leave say 3m so that standard width vehicles can get through? I’m talking about a high street through a village now.
I've given up trying to get through the village now between farms, but the 40-60 min detour can be frustrating, generally move farms 11pm now to make it easier on the detour route as the roads are still narrow on that trip
 

tw15

Member
Location
DORSET
Simiar situation. Car blocking the farm track and needed to get hay in. Checked everywhere for the owner - nowhere to be found, so I rang the police just to keep things right as I moved the car (an old Micra) about 5m. I was told if I touched it that I would be arrested. It didn't matter that rain was forecast and they were blocking my legal access. Next time I will just move them. If I am going to get arrested at least I would be able to get the hay in first!!!
What's the point of asking plod and telling them your name just move it and don.t admit it let them work for it . Some don't like that sort of thing .
 
There is one. Village I avoid With the combine as parked cars all down one side with Railings on the kerb on the other
just takes too long to get through
we go a different way which has narrower roads but when in convoy with escort it is quicker
a combine with tracks scare many car drivers even though it is half a metre narrower than the wheeled Model

since covid 19 travelling on the road has been easier less bmw s Audi’s and school moms
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
traffic wise corvid has been bliss, get to put a couple of good points across, when dairy xing the road, walkers are interested, as they don't drive no, very few cars have to wait.
 

Extreme Optimist

Member
Livestock Farmer
What's the point of asking plod and telling them your name just move it and don.t admit it let them work for it . Some don't like that sort of thing .
Was trying to do the right thing. Desk Sergeant very sympathetic and suggested we move the car when an officer was on site. The WPC who came out must have been jilted by her boyfriend the night before - severe attitude problem and for a change I was very polite. I tried to do things properly, next time the car will just get moved.
 

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