A homebuyer has caused a fury with his new neighbors by paving his front garden and turning it into a showroom for up to a dozen second-hand cars.
Farshad Kia, 45, has sparked multiple complaints after displaying numerous used cars in or next to the driveway of his 1930s semi-trailer in Arnos Grove, north London.
Tempers have become so tense between Kia and neighbors angry over the unofficial dealership that the police have even been called to calm the dispute.
It is understood Barnet Council has issued Kia with a written warning and could impose unlimited fines if it does not stop marketing cars from its garden.
Before and after: how the house has changed to accommodate the extra cars
Farshad Kia, 45 (pictured), has sparked multiple complaints after displaying numerous used cars in or next to the driveway of his 1930s semi-trailer.
Mr Kia bought the house for £725,000 last year and soon cleared any vegetation from the front garden and in its place created a paved area that can and often does accommodate ten or more cars at a time.
Most display stickers advertising their sale and display a phone number believed to belong to Mr Kia.
Among those who live near Kia in the fashionable suburb near Arnos Park and who have complained about its actions is nearby neighbor Mel Campbell, 76.
Furious Mr Campbell says the unexpected arrival of a second-hand car business in a posh area of London has significantly devalued his own £1.2million home nearby.
Campbell, who lives on a street around the corner from Kia, said he was stunned that his new neighbor had opened what he calls a “shabby car dealership” without any building permits.
He told MailOnline: ‘We certainly felt we had to oppose it. This is not the area to sell cars.
‘It’s just not what you buy. My house costs about £1.2 million and there’s a run-down car dealership around the corner.
‘There are simply more cars than one would reasonably expect. We have four cars and we have parking for four cars.
But he’s been parking his cars around here, rubbing our noses in it. A couple of times the neighbors have not been able to park because he has parked the car on the street.’
The paved front garden has been converted into a second-hand car park.
When approached by MailOnline, Kia claimed that most people living nearby didn’t care.
Campbell claimed it is “illegal” for Kia to sell cars off its property, claiming it needs to apply for a building permit, a claim Kia has refuted.
Campbell, who lives nearby on Marlborough Avenue, also alleged that Kia allows its cars to spill onto the road, making it difficult for neighbors to park.
In his letter to Barnet Council, understood to be one of many, Campbell stated that there were 13 cars parked in Kia’s driveway at one time on one day last month, nine of which were advertised for sale.
Another neighbor who asked not to be named told us: ‘It’s just amazing that someone would think they could do this in a residential area. People are very proud of their house around here and it is an area with many aspirations.
‘The previous owner had bushes and grass in the front garden and the only vehicle was an attractive old VW caravan. It looked very good.
‘But the new owner just paved everything over, and it’s a really big space as far as the front gardens go.
“Now it is common to see ten hatchbacks with price stickers on the windows parked there. It’s so tacky and sleazy.
“Everyone who lives here that I’ve talked to about this is furious.”
Another resident who lives nearby said: “We’ve kept our original front garden and try to encourage butterflies and bees to come there – then a new guy moves in and parks ten cars in his driveway to sell.”
‘My heart sinks every time I see it. Which is daily.’
When approached by MailOnline, Kia claimed that most people living nearby didn’t care and that he had not broken any rules, further insisting that his actions “don’t bother anyone”.
But he claimed hostile neighbors who don’t like what he’s doing even forced him to call the police after one of them confronted his elderly father.
The 45-year-old said he has not received direct complaints from any other neighbors since he started displaying the cars in October last year and insisted he does not need planning permission to store or sell the second-hand engines.
Kia, a businessman who previously lived in the Middle East, insisted he is “not doing anything illegal” and is simply trying to support his family.
Mr Kia has generated multiple complaints after displaying numerous used cars in or next to the driveway of his 1930s semi-trailer in Arnos Grove.
The 45-year-old, who moved to the address just over a year ago, said he has maintained good relations with neighbors who have not raised issues about the matter.
He strongly refuted claims that he was parking used cars for sale along the road as he said he knew it would be illegal as the cars are not subject to tax.
Mr Kia said: ‘I’m not bothering anyone. Each house on this street has about three cars, many have more.
‘There is only one person who seems to have a problem with this. All the other neighbors are happy with it.
‘I have two disabled parents who I care for, my mother has severe dementia and my father has suffered two strokes.
‘I don’t depend on any support from the government, or any caregiver, anything. So I needed to do this to survive in this economy and I’m not doing anything illegal.
‘They are not noisy cars, they are not modified cars. They don’t bother anyone.
‘I keep the disk very clean. I don’t leave cars out of the driveway and I have commercial insurance.
He even stated: “The neighbors have told me they don’t have any problems.”
When MailOnline visited, there were eight cars in the driveway.
While the signs did not explicitly say “for sale” or display asking prices, interested buyers could call the number displayed on the car’s windows to discuss a sale.
Kia said the hostility he encountered over cars led him to call the police last month when a man began abusing his family over cars.
He said: ‘I had to call the police. Is not correct. He was very rude to my dad.
‘I also had to call the ambulance because my father was in a state of panic.
‘I told him I was looking after two elderly disabled people, but he said he didn’t care.
“He said the fact that I had used cars here was devaluing his property.”
He added: “It’s very disappointing and heartbreaking, I’m trying to save my parents from having to go into a nursing home.”
A source told MailOnline: ‘The council recently sent a Planning Contravention Notice to the owner which included questions relating to the use of the site. They have 21 business days to respond.”
It is an offense to fail to respond to such a notice and anyone found guilty may receive an unlimited fine.
Another nearby neighbor, David Bradshaw, said he had not complained yet but could be moved elsewhere in the future and was monitoring the situation.
The 86-year-old said: “They often have a car at the front so if someone tries to pick me up it can be a big hassle.”
Tempers have become so frayed between Kia and neighbors angry about the unofficial dealership that the police have even been called.
“But I don’t care, it’s only a problem when it spills on the road.” But in general they are quite considerate.
‘It’s just that if it grows too much, one will have to complain. I wouldn’t want that kind of situation to happen where the road gets too congested.
“It hasn’t been a big problem yet, but we don’t want it to become a problem as long as it doesn’t get worse.”
Another local, who did not want to be named, said: “Well, it’s a business, isn’t it?”
And this is a residential area. That’s my problem with that. It is a residential area.
“It’s really a pain, but I’m glad I don’t live next door.”
After hearing that more than one neighbor was concerned about the use of the road, Kia said it had decided to remove most cars from its driveway.
He said: ‘I’ve moved all the cars. I only have my personal car and two more that haven’t left yet.
‘Not because I’m afraid, because what I’m doing is completely legal.
“But if my neighbors aren’t happy, if it’s more than one person, I think I’m a pretty fair person and I think if my neighbors aren’t happy, that’s not fair to them.”
“I have to find another solution.”
A Barnet Council spokesperson said: ‘Planning permission is required to convert a house into a car sales lot. However, no planning law specifically prohibits a person from selling a limited number of vehicles from their home.
‘We are currently investigating this case to determine whether it has a significant enough impact on the residents and the character of the area to justify planning enforcement action. If we think so, we will demand that sales be reduced or stopped altogether.’
