£100,000 bill in neighbours’ parking saga

TWO accountants have spent £100,000 in a seven-year dispute over a “few feet” of parking space.

Neighbours Ivan Soares, 53, and Manish Kothari, 41, have been fighting over the parking space in their west London cul-de-sac since 2015.

Mr Kothari and his brother and sister-in-law accuse their neighbour and his wife, Sunita, of “selfish parking” and claim they deliberately parked close to their cars, leaving too little space. Mr and Mrs Soares accuse the Kotharis of trespassing on their parking space.

Tensions have run so high during the seven-year saga that police have been involved. The fight has already gone to court once, leading to £100,000 in legal fees, and is set for another three-day trial at the Central London county court.

The dispute revolves around three parking spaces outside houses in Fallowfield Close, Harefield, two owned by Mr and Mrs Soares and a third, in between them, owned by the Kotharis.

Mr and Mrs Soares had allowed a “swap” arrangement, parking their vehicles in the two adjacent spaces on the left, closest to their house, with the Kotharis using the space on the right.

However, after allegations of inconsiderate parking, the neighbours fell out, with Mr and Mrs Soares revoking the agreement. They are now claiming compensation for the Kotharis having “trespassed” on their land by continuing to park in the disputed space for nearly two years.

The Kotharis are countersuing for an injunction to stop their neighbours from blocking the shared driveway or doing anything to make parking their car more difficult.

Manish Kothari, presenting his own case, claimed he and his family had been the victims of blocked access.

Judge Simon Monty KC noted how the police had become involved in the spat, adding: “Feelings are obviously running very high.”