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Balham residents complain about 'mini madness'

1:52pm Thursday 20th December 2007

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Estate agents' minis are driving folk round the bend in Balham with residents saying they are unable to park because of the sheer number of them.

The cars, which mainly belong to employees from the Foxtons group, are often parked in the side streets behind the agents' offices in Balham High Road, restricting the number of spaces available for residents.

“They clearly are not residents else they would have residents permits, instead they leave them there once the restrictions end and take up space that should be for residents.”

Peter Truman

Peter Truman, who lives in Balham High Road and has a permit to park in the nearby side streets, said that most days when returning from work he has to drive around for "a good 10 minutes" before he can find a space.

"Living on a red route means I'm forced to go into the neighbouring back streets and so it's even more infuriating if those spaces are taken by Foxtons cars.

"They clearly are not residents else they would have residents permits, instead they leave them there once the restrictions end and take up space that should be for residents," he said angrily.

Mr Truman said the situation is worse for those living on the side streets as they have to contend both with those who live on the High Road using their streets as well as the minis. And the names of the cars, for example Tooting Treasure and Balham Beauty, he said, makes the situation even more infuriating.

"It's more like Tooting Terror and Balham Bandit. I've seen up to ten minis before down one road and I've been forced to drive much further away to park, adding to carbon emissions."

He added: "It drives me mad going up and down the road looking for a space when I have paid for a permit, only to see those hideously coloured minis taking all the spaces."

Tom Yeomanson, manager of Foxtons Balham, said: "We make every effort to ensure no more than four minis are parked in any one road but sometimes this simply is not possible. We pay at the meters as would any other driver, and in the evenings most of our staff drive home so it is very rare that cars would be in the area after 8pm when our office closes."

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Tom, Balham says...
3:32pm Thu 20 Dec 07

I don't see what the problem is, if they are paying for parking they are doing no wrong. What about all the other people that go to Balham on a daily basis and use the bays? There are many other estate agents around the area, I think it is unfair to pick one Foxtons solely.

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Jim Sharp, Balham says...
3:32pm Thu 20 Dec 07

I live in Balham myself and i don't see what the fuss is about. I also drive and have to park around balham high road and i have no problems as the minis are not there all the time. They pay for the time parked which is more income to the council and surely the minis are a good advertisement for the area of which i am so proud to live in.
quote

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matt, london says...
3:42pm Thu 20 Dec 07

why complain? and bring carbon emissions into it? why are you driving in the first place mate?! a good walk never does any harm, stop complaining.... back in your box....

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naustra, foxtens victim says...
3:56pm Thu 20 Dec 07

i hate foxtens
they r slave drivers

they r worse than those call centers in india

if i had the chance ill blow up every mini that exists

suck on that foxtens

... your probably asking why i have so much hate for them................

....dont ask

2 be continued

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Katherine, Balham says...
4:13pm Thu 20 Dec 07

Me and my partner were let down recently by another Balham estate agent, leaving us with the prospect of being homeless at Christmas. Foxtons were nothing but professional & efficient and we are now settled in a perfect flat in time for the festive season. They seem to do a better job than anyone else on the high street, so people need to quit with the mud slinging of which this mini nonsense is an example, and get over this jelousy towards what I have found to be a successfull, professional company.

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natasha, London says...
4:15pm Thu 20 Dec 07

Naustra sounds like she either used to work for foxtons and was fired as she's useless or she had a partner who started there and he chose the job over her...get over it

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Natasha, london says...
4:24pm Thu 20 Dec 07

and FYI "Foxtens" is spelt "F O X T O N S"

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David, Balham says...
4:33pm Thu 20 Dec 07

Dear: naustra,foxtens victim and Mr Truman.
First of all Mr Truman: Really sorry for your inconvienience. It must be terrible, not having a place to park!! I feel so sorry for you, imagine having to walk an extra ... what? 5 min!! Please get a hobby and Merry X-mas! As for you naustra,foxtens victim: Its not your fault their are special places for people like you. Good luck with your life, you are gonna need it...

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Christian, Kingston says...
4:34pm Thu 20 Dec 07

If the cars were not branded you wouldn't notice how many took up the spaces on the street. The thing that I find interesting is Foxtons seem to be the biggest agent and everyone has an opinion on them. I think that a company that offers opening hours of 9-8pm deserves to be respected. In this modern busy world where would we be without an estate agent that stays open that late.

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Col, South London says...
5:03pm Thu 20 Dec 07

Do you lot really need to resolve this problem with petty childish insults?

While it may not seem like a big deal, I can understand the inconvience that Mr. Truman is going through. That extra walk may seem like peanuts to most people, but when you've got your weeks shopping or a sh:t load of bags to carry, it must seem like forever.

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james, London says...
5:13pm Thu 20 Dec 07

surely if your council are issuing more permits than spaces that is the real problem. This company has every right to park there - if they did not they would be towed - simple as that. Mr Truman has made himself look a bit stupid - and should avoid making comments to journalists in the future!!! Happy motoring!!

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Angie P, Wimbledon says...
5:17pm Thu 20 Dec 07

How would the rest of us feel if - every single day - we faced a battle to park outside our own houses (or even in the same road).

So these residents have to park in the next street, but where do those residents park? So everyone has to be inconvenienced because of these extra cars from Foxtons?

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Hugh, Balham says...
5:46pm Thu 20 Dec 07

Dear Mr YEOMANSON,do you also pay the fines your employees generate when they use their mobiles whilst driving?, and when they don't wear their seatbelts? or when they drive through no entry roads? You are putting others around you at risk and this is unacceptable (by law). I welcome your comments if you have any.

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Jenny, Colliers Wood says...
6:14pm Thu 20 Dec 07

I also work on Balham High Road just down from Foxtons.I live in Colliers Wood so need to drive into work and park in the same side streets as them. I have never been told to move my car by residents but have noticed on several occasions residents shouting at foxtons workers to move their car as they have parked outside their house. There is another 9 people that work at the same company as me and we all park in the same roads that these foxtons people park in. Why should they get the blame and we get away with it?? We obviously all don't have permits. And what about everyone else that works on the high street? If it's such a big deal then the council should make the roads for permit holders all day..or why don't the resident's just stop moaning???

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Jock, says...
10:55pm Thu 20 Dec 07

naustra wrote:
i hate foxtens they r slave drivers they r worse than those call centers in india if i had the chance ill blow up every mini that exists suck on that foxtens ... your probably asking why i have so much hate for them................ ....dont ask 2 be continued
I'm sure FoxtOns won't have anything to worry about if you're targeting Foxtens cars.

In any case, when there are a spate of attacks, we'll all know who to send the police to. Won't we?

Not the brightest bulb on the planet, are you?

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Jock, London says...
11:10pm Thu 20 Dec 07

Col wrote:
Do you lot really need to resolve this problem with petty childish insults? While it may not seem like a big deal, I can understand the inconvience that Mr. Truman is going through. That extra walk may seem like peanuts to most people, but when you've got your weeks shopping or a sh:t load of bags to carry, it must seem like forever.
I manage the walk from Sainsburys to my flat with 5 bags of shopping most weeks. A good 10 minute walk, so forgive me if I have little sympathy.

Foxtons are as entitled as anyone else to park on that road. Their vehicles are taxed and have parking paid. Some people, like Mr Truman, seem to think that the portion of road outside their house is automatically their own parking space. It is not.

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fed up, mitcham says...
1:05am Fri 21 Dec 07

try living in streatham road it is impossible to park anywhere your home as the road is full of cars for sale by the same people who do not live here and yet because they put a different mobile phone no. on the cars they are not breaking the law if we try to double park to unload heavy shopping the pcso's move you on and if you refuse to move and carry on unloading they call the police i wish they would introduce permit parking as i would happily pay to park near my home and stop these people leaving cars everywhere for weeks on end

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Chris, Tooting says...
8:50am Fri 21 Dec 07

This is hilarious!

Any estate agent needs a car to do their job. So long as they are taxed there is nothing you can do.

What's interesting is that Foxtons have been open what - 10 years? I can't imagine they have more minis now than they used to - certainly the office doesn't look to have got any bigger.

Despite the beard, Mr Truman looks like he has just left school so how long has he been living and driving in Balham? Probably less time than Foxtons have been there.

Perhaps he should consider moving somewhere else? I'm sure Foxtons would be happy to take him on some viewings!

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Joshua Clacey, buckingham palace says...
10:23am Fri 21 Dec 07

Your all bloody choppers! come now, Xan (short for Alexandar) lets be off.

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Ben Dover, Balham says...
10:23am Fri 21 Dec 07

I am a resident in Balham and I have my own off street parking space. (unlucky pal) The Foxtons minis and all other agents for that matter have as much right as this menstrual bloke to park on the roads as long as they are pay and displaying or have permits. This guy needs to pipe down. If he was that bothered with carbon emissions he'd buy a fuel cell car or a smart car.

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Joel, says...
1:27pm Fri 21 Dec 07

I also work on Balham High Road just down from Foxtons.I live in Colliers Wood so need to drive into work


Have you heard of the Northern Line? It's a rather handy service and doesn't require car parking...

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minky, not in Balham. says...
5:40pm Fri 21 Dec 07

Personally, I think it`s your own fault for living in Balham...

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damien, london says...
8:43am Sat 22 Dec 07

do you get the feeling that members of Foxtons are posting on here? Just to discredit the article....

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minky, not in Balham says...
10:43am Sat 22 Dec 07

I didn`t realise there was any credit in it to start with!

If they`re taxed and insured, and properly parked i.e. not illegally, then there isn`t a thing they`re doing wrong. He`s just another moaner! Anyway the walk`ll do him good, it`s good exercise.

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Jock, London says...
12:54pm Sat 22 Dec 07

damien wrote:
do you get the feeling that members of Foxtons are posting on here? Just to discredit the article....
Believe me, the last job on earth I would ever dream of doing is working as an estate agent. I have higher aspirations.

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jim, balham says...
2:56pm Sun 23 Dec 07

I am not bothered about the parking issue but I am bothered that Foxtons have ruined a very nice car with awful paintjobs...puts me off buying a mini !!

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jenny, balham says...
12:04pm Mon 31 Dec 07

Bit short on "news" then over the festive period? Thank you for this article and related comments... it has made me laugh out loud and cheered me up immensely!

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Carl Pilkington, London says...
10:35am Thu 17 Jan 08

All the Poxtons posts on here indicate to me their agents have nothing to do in the dead SW12 market, and I hope they will soon close down.

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Dr B Ching, Sarf London says...
1:39pm Thu 17 Jan 08

All these Foxton's drones will be on the dole in 6 months time, the property crash is here folks. Soon sales of Matalan suits and hair gel will die. Foxton's, too small to open in Purley, the richest postcode in the UK on earnings. lmfao.

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Helen, Tooting says...
7:58pm Sat 19 Jan 08

Who are Foxtons?

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Whatever, Kingston says...
8:00am Sun 2 Mar 08

I think you should all just get over it. It's madness, all talking about parking. Get over it.
If you want space, move out of London. The world is evolving - get over it

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Whatever, Streatham says...
8:07am Sun 2 Mar 08

BTW - just changing the subject, riveting as it is . Have you seen how much oranges are?

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Comments are closed on this article.

Peter Truman is sick of estate agents' minis parking down residential roads Peter Truman is sick of estate agents' minis parking down residential roads

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