A furniture creator asserts that he has incurred losses amounting to £43,000 due to his van being stuck in a parking lot for over two years.
In December 2022, Mark Lucas, aged 48, parked his Vauxhall Vivaro at a mechanized multi-story parking facility located on Rathbones Square in London while he was outfitting a neighboring house.
That night, he couldn’t get his car back because the stacker had “broken down.”
In an interview with The Telegraph, Mr. Lucas stated: "Upon our arrival, it was around 8:30 in the morning."
“The head of the concierge invited us to use the underground car stacking system and so we pulled up the doors of this stacker, unloaded all our tools to fit the furniture, and put the van into what looked like a garage but was a stacker.
We approached the concierge, handed over the keys, and spent the entire day working. However, around 6 PM, we returned to the concierge and requested they bring the van up to ground level.
Mr. Lucas was first informed that he could pick up his van after the weekend; however, he asserts that he hasn’t been able to reclaim it for more than two years due to purported technical issues.
The van, having seen just nine months of use, was priced at £39,000, and Mr. Lucas asserts that this entire situation has set him back by £43,000.
Mr. Lucas says he spent the entire weekend waiting to learn when he could reclaim his van, but it never arrived; instead, he received a mailing stating that the problem would be addressed soon.
On January 31, 2023, he received an email stating that the van was immobilized because of issues with the lift platform, and they informed him that it would take approximately 40 weeks for repairs and installation.
He rented a van for a short time, which set him back around $1,100 per month.
A year later, Mr Lucas was told the repairs were unlikely to take place before May 2024 but that any losses would be recoverable from the party found to bear overall responsibility.
"Each time we believed we were nearing the date when we expected to retrieve the van, they postponed it," he stated.
He asserts that the entire procedure has set him back £43,000 when you factor in the legal costs, depreciation of the van, and the expenses for renting the vehicle.
Mr. Lucas states that his firm has experienced difficulties due to financial strain, and he has been grappling with "substantial frustration."
I've experienced significant frustration and considerable anxiety about this situation; as a result, our company hasn't expanded because we simply can't afford to invest additional funds.
He added: “I would like to be reimbursed for the money it has cost me, and for this whole debacle to be history for us and to be able to move on. It’s been very difficult to move on without the van.”
Double Parking Systems, which manages and maintains the parking facility, stated: "Regrettably, the primary reasons for the delayed resolution of this problem were extended procurement approval procedures and hold-ups in obtaining specialized components from international suppliers—factors completely beyond our control."
Although we apologize for the delay in restoring access, we maintained integrity throughout each phase and promptly initiated repair work once we received authorization and necessary equipment.
Full vehicle access was reinstated on March 15, 2025. We continue to be wholly dedicated to enhancing the reliability, safety, and efficiency of our parking system going forward.
The management of Rathbone Square, who oversee the car park operations, have been contacted for their input.
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