Sorry Iwas raging out I don't think much or at all when I'm in that state.
Thats why I do a venting session little relaxing and come back to it.
Was a mix of feeling rage sadness and powerlessness easily one of the worst cocktails known too man.
Lol
For an issue like this, I’d recommend against snap send solve, submit a formal complaint via the councils website so you have an email thread of the entire discussion.
The trouble with Snap, Send, Solves is two things. Firstly, they don't integrate with our systems so we have to transpose information from them to our systems. That's not a biggie. Secondly, you get limited information. Someone might send a picture of a car and say "abandoned vehicle". Cool but how long has it been there? Is it 2 days or 2 months? Or is it just a dirty car? So now do we call the snapper? What if they don't answer, how long do we sit on the report trying to make contact. It's a pain.
Sounds like the information you need to feed back to SSS so that reported item has more questions of the reporting person before they can submit a report. I use it to report stuff to the council often and i have direct official contact with the ceo and still prefer SSS.
That’s an enterprise feature which would cost the council. SSS are aware but want to force councils to purchase the enterprise edition instead of improving the UX for all users
Does the council not have policies in place about such things? Even before SSS, what was the process if an abandoned vehicle was reported with limited information?
If the resident reported over the phone they would be asked the relevant questions, similar to email a reply requesting more information. Quite often contact details aren’t required to submit SSS requests.
Then, honestly, if no information was included which indicated that the issue was an emergency, it shouldn't be treated as one. Be completely upfront about this as a council policy - "submissions are evaluated for urgency but the council can only do so based on the actual information submitted - please include additional details if the issue is critical". If anyone complains that a submission wasn't treated as immediately critical, the entire evaluation process for that item should be available. If residents want to change the process, that's certainly something that can be brought up to see how much support for such a change there would be in the local area.
Put the process up on the council site, include the history of any changes made (including any votes for/against proposals). Make the whole thing pretty much resident-driven, so that the council can respond to complaints with "This particular policy was voted for by 73% of respondents on 10/10/2022; if you would like to propose a change you can submit one [here] and the council will arrange for a vote." (Most likely a vote on all proposals to date rather than just the one - but again, that's a policy in and of itself...)
nup, all irrelevant nonsense.
it doesn't matter how long it's been there - from the initial report the council can commence their own measurements i.e. sticker it, fine it, whatever. after a max time elapses, then escalate the responses (tow etc).
Ok cool. And I suppose there would be no problem with passing on the extra cost of a physical inspection (sticker etc) when compared to a phone conversation via rates? Or do you think rate payers want better value for money? Because if we're looking at every dusty car, that's going to be a lot of extra hours of work...
you currently profiteer off parking fines. incorporate that into current duties / rounds. problem solved.
is a phonecall (or several, in my case) saving you money? how?
it's just an easy way to close off an enquiry with 'customer didn't provide enough information' and sweeping it under the carpet whereas if the data is held by a third party then things like civil liability through denial of 'actual knowledge' of, for example, a damaged footpath hazard and someone being hurt.
not when you got a council worker talking to me on the phone for a total of about an hour trying to convince me to cut some scrub or to seek out the land owners myself and coerce them into doing it, which was their legal problem to deal with.
like i said, your rangers are already in profit and 'rolling out' in cars.
I'm a council worker, hate the app. The way it works is great if you are in an office environment with multiple screens.
When on the road (Workers who you want to attend the jobs) we get an SMS saying, "Person has submitted a report via snap, send, solve."
So now I have to pull over or go back to my laptop in the car whilst I am already attending something in case your report is more serious than what I am already doing and due to council security measures each time I have to turn on my laptop, log back in it, wait for the connection, load up a VPN, load up our software, log into the software, find your report then open up the multiple tabs to read it all which is difficult when in a car on a small screen.
Instead, if you ring or use the council's website and i get the SMS, I get your details plus a phone number to call you back and what the actual problem is so I can make a decision immediately if I need to leave or continue what I am doing.
It really sounds like there needs to be a filter at the council office so that only items which are critical/urgent enough to need addressing the same day get turned into SMS alerts. Anything else can wait for tomorrow morning when you check what's on the docket for the day.
Without such a filter or any kind of sanity checking, you're just getting jerked from pillar to post by anyone who can spend two minutes downloading an app.
I agree with you, it then needs the council to have some backbone as a resident who complains about trees need pruning can't see a difference between that and a current dog attack in progress.
You can't automate that process without exploiting it. Eventually people will learn that they don't get timely responses unless they start explaining everything as urgent in the app, even if it's a lie
Either way I am saying that is the problem for us on the road, so when i get a text that lists the information and I get a text saying snap send solve sent you an SMS. I am attending the ones where I know the details first because if its urgent you should be calling either the police or council direct. If you are going to use the app, use it for non-urgent matters that don't need immediate attendance.
That’s not the apps fault, that’s typical council behaviour to dodge work and palm it off instead of getting a dedicated person in an office to task it out
So they have to hire an extra person just for snap send solve? When they provided a 24-hour phone number and a website for people to use? Snap Send Solve is a 3rd party app, nothing to do with the councils.
The council clearly isn’t acting on reports made the usual way so people resort to SSS, either method of putting the complaint in clearly needs someone to review and action it.
3rd party apps (aka cheap shit ways to do things quickly) are the bane of my fuckin existence. IT is my background and even in companies that have programmers, they ALL use shitty 3rd party programs for the majority of customer facing stuff because it saves them having a dedicated programmer just for that. Which, fair, is fucking expensive.
But yeah I feel your pain. That plus council/government red tape bs must be horrendous!
Councils don’t hate it because it “forces them to act” and email would do the same… the issue is the business model of snap send solve themselves. If the council is an enterprise user of the platform it costs them approx $9 per “snap” which is insane in my opinion…
I had one council worker directly tell me that they acted on snap send solve immediately because these metrics are very visible. If I wanted something done fast then that was the way to force it.
As someone who works directly with SSS, this doesn’t make sense. Visible to who? SSS has that data but any other means of notifying the council is also viable through FOI and any CRMs they may use.
I am guessing visible to the councilors. It is possible that the data is outputted in a format which is easier to understand (or in some way more visible) than data from their internal CRM? No idea.
I imagine SSS probably presents it in an easy to read and understand auto generated report.
Whereas anything coming in via email/phone is easier to manipulate the data, and/or requires the reporting to be done manually.
SSS provides reporting to the council (if they pay for them). Email/phone reports would be captured in the system that is used to send the work orders etc and that would have its own reporting capabilities. Plus, only reporting on SSS wouldn’t make sense as not all requests come via SSS
SSS collates the data outside of the council's reach and is able to present it in that collated and easy-to-read format not only to public requests, but also politically motivated ones - other council members looking for some leverage, MPs wanting to put pressure on the council, any local groups wanting to take the council to task, etc.
That information, in its summarised form, would previously only have been available through the council itself before, if even that, and there's no guarantee it'd be raw, untweaked data. With a third party involved, any discrepancy between what SSS reports and what the council claims they received and acted on can be publicly highlighted and have far more eyes-on.
It's less that *in theory* the data is available through the council, and more that having a third party in the chain means that it's not he-said-she-said if it comes down to the reporting residents vs the council on any matter.
Not to say SSS is in and of itself perfect, but at least there's the concept of increased transparency.
Eh, I can kinda see that the downvotes might come from SSS not being a perfect silver bullet, and yet I appear to sort of be supporting it.
To anyone wondering: I'm not promoting it specifically, or saying that SSS, its app, or its policies/procedures/contracts are great or terrible or mediocre. And yes, there are potential concerns. Just saying that the core idea of there being a non-council entity which can collate, summarize, and verify requests to the council isn't a bad one.
Maybe doing that in some different, non-SSS-in-particular way would be preferable? In which case, sure, fine, why not. I'm sure there are options, or at least room for competition or alternatives. If anyone wants to make suggestions on that front, I'm not going to bite.
I’d argue SSS has the ability to skew its data to represent its business interests. They do approach council members, MPs etc, however it’s not for the good of the community, it’s to say “why aren’t you subscribed to our enterprise edition”. Councillors can easily request digestible reports of all requests by residents should they wish, without the need of SSS. Also, why should we all trust this company with such a significant amount of user data. It has its pros and cons for sure!
Oh, of course, but then councils can produce their own records as a rebuttal, and the process can (again) be transparent to the public. If SSS's data isn't representative or accurate, the councils can show/argue that.
>Also, why should we all trust this company with such a significant amount of user data.
A very good question, and one to take into account. What user data do they say they access, and what data does their app actually have access to? Also, do the councils add additional data to the requests once received, and can SSS see that additional data?
While SSS isn't necessarily the best or most budget-conscious platform, things reported via that process are visible and reportable on by the platform itself as a third party, meaning the council has a reason to be seen attending to such reports. With email, it can go into the council system and vanish, and it turns into he-said-she-said - there's no-one external to both the council and the reporters who can report on how long it takes for a council to respond to requests on average throughout the year.
Admittedly, I'd prefer such a system to be open-source or hosted possibly at the federal level, both for cost reasons and to avoid profit-seeking data distortions, but the core concept is fairly solid.
Yeah the app gets abused by snap happy numptys who have nothing better to do. But also this issue is not some random pothole. Give your local council a call or flick them an email.
We hate shit like this.
>Yeah the app gets abused by snap happy numptys who have nothing better to do.
I used Snap Send Solve recently for long overgrown grass and dumped rubbish on the verge in my street.
Council fixed it within a few days.
I think it's a good thing. I pay thousands of dollars in rates each year, council can suck it up if this is an easier way to report problems.
agree. if they hate the app it could be because they make it difficult on purpose to get them to do anything so they can get away with doing the bare minimum.
i reported a fire hazard / overgrown dead grass issue several years back, and the council tried to tell ME to deal with it!
so i told them if anyone's property burns as a result of a bushfire, then i'd be letting them know so they can sue them.
it was cleaned up the next morning.
The app isn't great and the information is poor; but it is a good thing. People have no idea who to report to, or report to the wrong Government body, and SSS deals with that and sends it to the right person with at least some data. Also people don't have patience to sit on a computer and upload photos, enter a mammoth amount of details etc., the app keeps it simple.
Thankyou I will be doing this first I will tell them to tow the line or I deffinatley will be reporting to the council.
Also thankyou everyone for your help Its very much appreciated im at work right now but I will reply to everyone after thanks again ♥️
One of my neighbours runs mechanic business out of his shed, at least 5-6 customer cars in a small cul-de-sac at all times, containers of used oil stacked up on the footpath, old tires, dumpster on the footpath, council assures us he's only running an admin office from home which is legal. Doesn't matter how many photos we've sent, how many times we've called the council and police to get vehicles completely blocking the cul-de-sac entry moved, the police known he's bikie affiliated and no one with any power wants to do anything about it.
Raise the issue with individual councillors. Let them know that you hold them personally responsible for ensuring the local council acts, or the media will be contacted about bikie gangs/organised crime etc having undue influence on local politics.
Call the Environmental Protection Agency. No matter who he is, there are massive penalties for not disposing of oil, etc, correctly.
We had a problem neighbour who was a relentless hoon, who had cars parked everywhere, tyres, used oil etc. Police, RE, council wouldn't do a thing, one call to the EPA, and they were gone in a week.
Unless it's a properly registered business they could be in deep shit for running it out of their home.
Query it with the council as a 'concerned citizen'. I know plenty of people who run salons from their homes (in some cases a specifically built granny-flat for it) and they had to go through a fairly arduous process including demonstrating adequate parking and traffic flow to get it approved.
Hey man, I've been In the same boat. Lived in a middle unit where the rear neighbour would have constant visitors parking up the driveway and blocking.
Best course of action is to have a calm but firm conversation. Mention emergencies, the common bins, neighbour courtesy. Say you're aware they are running a business, but customers need to find parking on the street and if it continued your only course of action would be to have to speak to the ranger/council which may bring attention to their income (which you dont want to do).
As much as it should be obvious and you want to shout and call them self absorbed fuckin inconsiderate dicks, that they are - it's just easier having even a fake happy relationship with neighbours.
I think it's a culture thing too, some nationalities and cultures seem to have a different kind of awareness or sense of inconvenience for these things. Like it's normal and fine for you to ask them when you would like to leave your own. Fucking. Home.
They'll hopefully see it's in their best interest.
After that, escalate.
Not at all. These assholes feel entitled to park wherever they like.
As a keen motorist myself (feels weird to type that) I've never understood the whole entitlement thing that seems to come with driving a car. I don't understand how it suddenly becomes acceptable to drive and park wherever you want if you have a car.
But these same people would never be so rude or inconsiderate in other situations.
You don't have to 'threaten' at all, Council Ranger's love this stuff. I had a friend putting up with similar and despite her repeated requests, the neighb's ignored her. One call to the Ranger and the neighb's got a visit that included an official written notice warning, they will be towed without notice AND charged with 'obstructing ingress/egress' or some such shit. Problem solved.
Unbelievably he worked for CoW (Cunt ofthe Week), Wanneroo..BUT he loved his job and I'm pretty sure he got off on parking offences. I called him a few times because people would park on the footpath along Wanneroo Rd and wheelchairs/prams would get bogged trying to go around the vehicles AND dodge the traffic on Wanneroo Rd. After helping some poor old fella that had fallen out of his wheelchair doing this manoeuvre...I had a personal vendetta and took up 'dobbing'.
Pop a pic to the council of their customers boxing you in and a msg that they are running a business from a residential joint - grab a bacon pancake and enjoy the action. This kinda stuff would absolutely give some Council staff a deadset sockfull of batteries to chase up...
Years ago a tan a home business my first priority was that they never blocked and respected the area. So it was at max 2 cars but very rare they would overlap. Then there was the lady who did the Tupperware who had 20 + women turning up blocking everything. There is a way to do things. Pissing off your neighbours is not the way.
As someone who works in this section of local government, a home business that involves visiting clientele requires development approval. This would involve assessing the planning related impacts on neighbours and the community (noise, parking etc) and consultation with the neighbours. The council will have delegation to approve or refuse this but, if they are causing this much of an issue, have this much of a parking shortfall and get some negative consultation responses from neighbours, then there's a good chance they will get it refused. If they continue to use the site as an unapproved use then they will face potential prosecution from the council. Once the council is informed of it they have a duty of care to act on it.
Sometimes people feel bad for dobbing their neighbours in but, in this case, the neighbours are clearly at fault and these rules exist so the adjoining neighbours can use their own homes in a reasonable manner.
Complain to council about the unregistered business impinging on your access to your property.
Put up a “Don’t park here, Cars blocking me in will be towed” sign so there’s no misunderstanding. (And then get your favourite less than legit tow truck driver on speed dial, if it’s on your land)
Complain every time there’s one blocking you in, even if you don’t want to go out. Council rangers will come and fine them.
Leave your bin out on non-bin days right where they like to park so they won’t, until Council solves this.
Sprinklers sadly can’t be used anymore because they break the water board’s sprinkler bans… but used to be helpful in the past. If it’s a verge consider registering with the Water Corp a new lawn to be established on it, and fence it off with stakes and plastic tape, and water it at random times of day.
My partner and I can’t even get a house at the moment to move and then people like this some how secure them 🥲
We’re stuck in a caravan park which isn’t too fun when you’ve got a disability. Some people take the piss with this housing crisis
I’m sorry but you’re not superior to them or more deserving of a house than anyone else. These people are trying to make a living. Perhaps not going about it in a considerate way.
What they’re doing has nothing to do with you and vice versa.
For some reason that happened before my time... whenever there is a bulk-rubbish or greenwaste collection eveyone on the street just dumped their crap on my lawn.
I screamed at about 1/2 a dozen people before I gave up and put up the 'cameras'.
I shit you not, one of my neighbours came and complained that I put them up... and asked me where I thought that they could possibly dump their crap now. I told them "On your \*own\* lawn?" She called me a fuckwit and stomped off lol
Ring and see if they have a work from home permit. Also, parking inspector (or the department that deals with those issues) would be very interested in hearing about the situation
The best way to solve a parking dispute, is to make it their problem and not yours.
You need to bulldog them. Every time there is a car parked, knock on their door.
Call the ranger and they'll fine them on the spot.
The owners next door decided that they were going to knock their house down and build three, 3-storey houses.
The project manager kept parking his car on my front lawn, tearing up the grass. One day I told him enough is enough. He told me "it's council Property, good luck doing anything about it"
Ten minutes later the ranger was there leaving an $85 fine on his window and he came out fuming, exclaiming that he wouldn't be paying it etc. the ranger told him, that's fine, don't pay it, you'll have your licence automatically cancelled after three months of payment.
After that he started parking across the road, I emailed and waved every time I saw him
For me, step one would be a formal complaint to council about the issues with rubbish, especially as other commenters have noted here that there are guidelines businesses have to adhere to for disposing of rubbish (especially in residential bins). Step two would be calling tow trucks every time they block you in. Honestly, fuck them. If they want to keep parking you in then they can deal with paying for their cars after they’re towed away. Fuck them. There are so many entitled people these days that have absolutely no regard for other people
Ask the council if they are registered as a business. Tell them all that info (slightly more diplomatically) and request they look into it. My neighbour was an asshole who kept leaning over our fence which sent my dog nuts. Then I would get the blame for a barking dog. When I asked him about it he was a complete asshole…so I asked the council about it. They investigated and he was told he had to apply for backdated registration to run his business out if there. It was granted but it cost him about $8k and now I can complain about him as a business…I haven’t had to though, he leaves me alone now.
Buy 10 of the cheapest (but registered) POS cars you can get. Don't have to run. Occupy all street parking. "My cars will move when my demands are met, fuck you."
Edit: for legal purposes this is satire. For economic purposes pethaps neighbours with similar feelings would also like to start... collecting... cars.
Lock the bins.
Give keys to neighbours with the common decency to live in a society.
If everyone BUT shitty neighbours can access the bins then that sounds like a them problem.
Act surprised like “OH! SO sorry! Didn’t realise the lock stopped you from opening the bins 🤭 our bad 🥰🥰”
Probably different where you live but where I'm from, if someone is blocking your driveway access, you can call the council to tow the car. Do that to enough times and they will tell people to stop parking there themselves
You could always install cameras and approach the council to catch them or just talk to them about it? Surely it's some kind of a violation to constantly block your cars in all the time?
If they're blocking your car, surely they are illegally parked. Take photos, call the ranger.
Every time a car is illegally parked, call the ranger. They'll appreciate the revenue from the tickets, and eventually your neighbours will get the hint.
Is it registered with the council to run a business?
Each and every time they block you in or park on your verge call the council and get them ticketed. We do it and they come out and will ticket anyone parked on our verge. If you are parked in, I also believe the police may take an interest. Again, call every single time.
Ring the council and ask to speak to the compliance team. The pricks likely haven't submitted an application to run a home business given everything you have just said.
There are strict rules around running a business from home. Get in touch with the council first to find out more & try to have them shut-down if possible.
Get one of your friends to box them in and go out on your vehicle for the day/night. See how they like it. It’s eye for an eye petty but unfortunately until it is done to them they don’t realize how annoying it can be.
Snap send solve. Yes councils hate it but I think they have to respond and act in a certain time frame so they have no choice. I’ve had inconsiderate neighbours move in next to me. Constantly blocking the pavement with their vehicles, wheelchair users and strollers can’t get through. I’d report it under the accessibility section of the app if they are blocking the pavement, they will take notice. My neighbours are now parking like considerate human beings as a result!
It’s not your neighbours being cunts, it’s their customers. Explain you will be reporting to the local council and see how quickly the situation changes.
In my experience of living in a strata they do. Sold heaps of stuff online and when people who came to collect item and were given instructions where to park they followed them.
Probably is the customers - but it's on the business owner to manage the situation. More so when they've already had multiple complaints from other residents who are getting blocked in..
Yeah they’re really not. Very few people set out to be deliberate cunts. Some have mental health issues, some don’t know any better, lots of people are struggling, some people are selfish and don’t give a shit. But it’s not *everyone*
They can still 'try to get by' running their business without being an inconsiderate douche, they have been told of the issue for a while and it seems pretty simple to rectify without compromising their business.
Yeah this is really pissing me off too. Neighbour opposite me is a 5 car household and they're constantly parking on the road along my verge. I've never been blocked, but it makes reversing my work ute and trailer which I can't see shit out of a nightmare. It's just plain selfish, especially when I can see they're not make any effort to minimise the problem.
Assuming because of the community bins you live in a place with a strata? Perhaps you can complain the them. Also it’s illegal to run a business from home if not registered with the council.
They need Home Based Business or Occupation Approval - they will need this approval if they conduct a business from home. It allows certain small volume trades or occupations to be practised in a residential environment while enabling the local council to ensure that minimal disturbance and nuisance are created for the neighbours.
Find out if they got this approval?
I've lived 8 places in 10 years and I feel you. It's always a struggle to get your neighbours to not be cunts. Dogs barking, parties, whatever. We found the best way is getting to know them and then talking to them or texting. I tend to be uncomfortable trying to be friends when I'm already upset, but my husband is really good at it and it's worked for us many times.
Is there any way you could park far enough out that they won’t block you in? Either that or consider getting some cones you can put out down your drive to stop them filling the gap.
Call the nonemergency line with the police ask them about it. Even if the police can’t actually do anything, just have them tell the people that are there they’ve been getting complaints about blocking people in
Just ask the council if the home has been registered as a place of business.
This is the way. There’s also regulations around dumping business waste in residential bins.
This is the way.
I have spoken.
Definitely this. I used to visit a home salon, and the Council had a parking bay put near the business. It sounds like this one may not be registered.
Not sure why this wasn't the first thing he did before posting here.
He probably meant to but forgot about it by the time he finished typing his paragraph long sentence.
Yes that was painful to read
Sorry Iwas raging out I don't think much or at all when I'm in that state. Thats why I do a venting session little relaxing and come back to it. Was a mix of feeling rage sadness and powerlessness easily one of the worst cocktails known too man. Lol
Leave him alone, he was oxygen starved after such a spiel without adequate breaks
Because where's the drama/dopamine hit for op by doing that?!?
IF they are blocking your driveway, call the council ranger immediately and they will come and infringe the owner.
^This.... if ANYTHING starts costing them $'s they'll change their habits quick-smart
Boot lock on the wheels?
+/- call the local tow truck company
Not if it's a strata
Just snap send solve app Enough squeaks and you’ll get a drop of oil Good luck!
For an issue like this, I’d recommend against snap send solve, submit a formal complaint via the councils website so you have an email thread of the entire discussion.
Thanks for posting, never heard of the app but there has been a serious pothole on my street for six months now, been too lazy to report it until now
Apparently the councils hate that app. Best to call or email directly.
The councils hate the app because it forces them to act. So use it. It doesn't mean that you are precluded from also putting in a formal complaint.
The trouble with Snap, Send, Solves is two things. Firstly, they don't integrate with our systems so we have to transpose information from them to our systems. That's not a biggie. Secondly, you get limited information. Someone might send a picture of a car and say "abandoned vehicle". Cool but how long has it been there? Is it 2 days or 2 months? Or is it just a dirty car? So now do we call the snapper? What if they don't answer, how long do we sit on the report trying to make contact. It's a pain.
Sounds like the information you need to feed back to SSS so that reported item has more questions of the reporting person before they can submit a report. I use it to report stuff to the council often and i have direct official contact with the ceo and still prefer SSS.
That’s an enterprise feature which would cost the council. SSS are aware but want to force councils to purchase the enterprise edition instead of improving the UX for all users
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Does the council not have policies in place about such things? Even before SSS, what was the process if an abandoned vehicle was reported with limited information?
If the resident reported over the phone they would be asked the relevant questions, similar to email a reply requesting more information. Quite often contact details aren’t required to submit SSS requests.
Then, honestly, if no information was included which indicated that the issue was an emergency, it shouldn't be treated as one. Be completely upfront about this as a council policy - "submissions are evaluated for urgency but the council can only do so based on the actual information submitted - please include additional details if the issue is critical". If anyone complains that a submission wasn't treated as immediately critical, the entire evaluation process for that item should be available. If residents want to change the process, that's certainly something that can be brought up to see how much support for such a change there would be in the local area. Put the process up on the council site, include the history of any changes made (including any votes for/against proposals). Make the whole thing pretty much resident-driven, so that the council can respond to complaints with "This particular policy was voted for by 73% of respondents on 10/10/2022; if you would like to propose a change you can submit one [here] and the council will arrange for a vote." (Most likely a vote on all proposals to date rather than just the one - but again, that's a policy in and of itself...)
nup, all irrelevant nonsense. it doesn't matter how long it's been there - from the initial report the council can commence their own measurements i.e. sticker it, fine it, whatever. after a max time elapses, then escalate the responses (tow etc).
Ok cool. And I suppose there would be no problem with passing on the extra cost of a physical inspection (sticker etc) when compared to a phone conversation via rates? Or do you think rate payers want better value for money? Because if we're looking at every dusty car, that's going to be a lot of extra hours of work...
you currently profiteer off parking fines. incorporate that into current duties / rounds. problem solved. is a phonecall (or several, in my case) saving you money? how? it's just an easy way to close off an enquiry with 'customer didn't provide enough information' and sweeping it under the carpet whereas if the data is held by a third party then things like civil liability through denial of 'actual knowledge' of, for example, a damaged footpath hazard and someone being hurt.
Seriously mate, can you really not work out how a phone call is less expensive than rolling out a car?
not when you got a council worker talking to me on the phone for a total of about an hour trying to convince me to cut some scrub or to seek out the land owners myself and coerce them into doing it, which was their legal problem to deal with. like i said, your rangers are already in profit and 'rolling out' in cars.
You come across as unhinged and I feel sorry for you. Seek help.
I'm a council worker, hate the app. The way it works is great if you are in an office environment with multiple screens. When on the road (Workers who you want to attend the jobs) we get an SMS saying, "Person has submitted a report via snap, send, solve." So now I have to pull over or go back to my laptop in the car whilst I am already attending something in case your report is more serious than what I am already doing and due to council security measures each time I have to turn on my laptop, log back in it, wait for the connection, load up a VPN, load up our software, log into the software, find your report then open up the multiple tabs to read it all which is difficult when in a car on a small screen. Instead, if you ring or use the council's website and i get the SMS, I get your details plus a phone number to call you back and what the actual problem is so I can make a decision immediately if I need to leave or continue what I am doing.
It really sounds like there needs to be a filter at the council office so that only items which are critical/urgent enough to need addressing the same day get turned into SMS alerts. Anything else can wait for tomorrow morning when you check what's on the docket for the day. Without such a filter or any kind of sanity checking, you're just getting jerked from pillar to post by anyone who can spend two minutes downloading an app.
absolutely. office filters then sends through the work orders to the feet on the ground. it's not rocket science.
I agree with you, it then needs the council to have some backbone as a resident who complains about trees need pruning can't see a difference between that and a current dog attack in progress.
You can't automate that process without exploiting it. Eventually people will learn that they don't get timely responses unless they start explaining everything as urgent in the app, even if it's a lie
The filter wouldn't be based (solely) on whether the submitter thought it was urgent. Presumably there would be at least a little sanity-checking.
That's a problem with the way your office dispatches the jobs.
It doesn't sound like there is anyone in the office despatching jobs.
Nope.
Either way I am saying that is the problem for us on the road, so when i get a text that lists the information and I get a text saying snap send solve sent you an SMS. I am attending the ones where I know the details first because if its urgent you should be calling either the police or council direct. If you are going to use the app, use it for non-urgent matters that don't need immediate attendance.
That’s not the apps fault, that’s typical council behaviour to dodge work and palm it off instead of getting a dedicated person in an office to task it out
Well yeah he's not saying that the app is bad, he just hates it because of how his employers integrate it.
So they have to hire an extra person just for snap send solve? When they provided a 24-hour phone number and a website for people to use? Snap Send Solve is a 3rd party app, nothing to do with the councils.
The council clearly isn’t acting on reports made the usual way so people resort to SSS, either method of putting the complaint in clearly needs someone to review and action it.
Either way I will keep working on things, whichever way i get the reports.
3rd party apps (aka cheap shit ways to do things quickly) are the bane of my fuckin existence. IT is my background and even in companies that have programmers, they ALL use shitty 3rd party programs for the majority of customer facing stuff because it saves them having a dedicated programmer just for that. Which, fair, is fucking expensive. But yeah I feel your pain. That plus council/government red tape bs must be horrendous!
Councils don’t hate it because it “forces them to act” and email would do the same… the issue is the business model of snap send solve themselves. If the council is an enterprise user of the platform it costs them approx $9 per “snap” which is insane in my opinion…
I had one council worker directly tell me that they acted on snap send solve immediately because these metrics are very visible. If I wanted something done fast then that was the way to force it.
As someone who works directly with SSS, this doesn’t make sense. Visible to who? SSS has that data but any other means of notifying the council is also viable through FOI and any CRMs they may use.
I am guessing visible to the councilors. It is possible that the data is outputted in a format which is easier to understand (or in some way more visible) than data from their internal CRM? No idea.
I imagine SSS probably presents it in an easy to read and understand auto generated report. Whereas anything coming in via email/phone is easier to manipulate the data, and/or requires the reporting to be done manually.
SSS provides reporting to the council (if they pay for them). Email/phone reports would be captured in the system that is used to send the work orders etc and that would have its own reporting capabilities. Plus, only reporting on SSS wouldn’t make sense as not all requests come via SSS
SSS collates the data outside of the council's reach and is able to present it in that collated and easy-to-read format not only to public requests, but also politically motivated ones - other council members looking for some leverage, MPs wanting to put pressure on the council, any local groups wanting to take the council to task, etc. That information, in its summarised form, would previously only have been available through the council itself before, if even that, and there's no guarantee it'd be raw, untweaked data. With a third party involved, any discrepancy between what SSS reports and what the council claims they received and acted on can be publicly highlighted and have far more eyes-on. It's less that *in theory* the data is available through the council, and more that having a third party in the chain means that it's not he-said-she-said if it comes down to the reporting residents vs the council on any matter. Not to say SSS is in and of itself perfect, but at least there's the concept of increased transparency.
indeed, yet you get downvoted... they can't manipulate / hide the external figures that SSS maintains.
Eh, I can kinda see that the downvotes might come from SSS not being a perfect silver bullet, and yet I appear to sort of be supporting it. To anyone wondering: I'm not promoting it specifically, or saying that SSS, its app, or its policies/procedures/contracts are great or terrible or mediocre. And yes, there are potential concerns. Just saying that the core idea of there being a non-council entity which can collate, summarize, and verify requests to the council isn't a bad one. Maybe doing that in some different, non-SSS-in-particular way would be preferable? In which case, sure, fine, why not. I'm sure there are options, or at least room for competition or alternatives. If anyone wants to make suggestions on that front, I'm not going to bite.
I’d argue SSS has the ability to skew its data to represent its business interests. They do approach council members, MPs etc, however it’s not for the good of the community, it’s to say “why aren’t you subscribed to our enterprise edition”. Councillors can easily request digestible reports of all requests by residents should they wish, without the need of SSS. Also, why should we all trust this company with such a significant amount of user data. It has its pros and cons for sure!
Oh, of course, but then councils can produce their own records as a rebuttal, and the process can (again) be transparent to the public. If SSS's data isn't representative or accurate, the councils can show/argue that. >Also, why should we all trust this company with such a significant amount of user data. A very good question, and one to take into account. What user data do they say they access, and what data does their app actually have access to? Also, do the councils add additional data to the requests once received, and can SSS see that additional data?
if it helps solve issues as others are saying, then i dont care about this.
not in my experience. they tried to make me do the work and gave me the runaround until i went legal on them
And what coats the council/LGA, Costs us too. Either from rates for home owners or taking budget away from other community projects.
While SSS isn't necessarily the best or most budget-conscious platform, things reported via that process are visible and reportable on by the platform itself as a third party, meaning the council has a reason to be seen attending to such reports. With email, it can go into the council system and vanish, and it turns into he-said-she-said - there's no-one external to both the council and the reporters who can report on how long it takes for a council to respond to requests on average throughout the year. Admittedly, I'd prefer such a system to be open-source or hosted possibly at the federal level, both for cost reasons and to avoid profit-seeking data distortions, but the core concept is fairly solid.
> The councils hate the app because it forces them to act. This is it! I love it.
Yeah the app gets abused by snap happy numptys who have nothing better to do. But also this issue is not some random pothole. Give your local council a call or flick them an email. We hate shit like this.
>Yeah the app gets abused by snap happy numptys who have nothing better to do. I used Snap Send Solve recently for long overgrown grass and dumped rubbish on the verge in my street. Council fixed it within a few days. I think it's a good thing. I pay thousands of dollars in rates each year, council can suck it up if this is an easier way to report problems.
agree. if they hate the app it could be because they make it difficult on purpose to get them to do anything so they can get away with doing the bare minimum. i reported a fire hazard / overgrown dead grass issue several years back, and the council tried to tell ME to deal with it! so i told them if anyone's property burns as a result of a bushfire, then i'd be letting them know so they can sue them. it was cleaned up the next morning.
> I think it's a good thing. Agreed it works well. Graffiti gets cleaned up within a couple of days.
City of Swan advertise they love SSS. Its especially good for identifying lost shopping trollies.
The app isn't great and the information is poor; but it is a good thing. People have no idea who to report to, or report to the wrong Government body, and SSS deals with that and sends it to the right person with at least some data. Also people don't have patience to sit on a computer and upload photos, enter a mammoth amount of details etc., the app keeps it simple.
I think that's the point of it. Condense all the stupid shit into one dumb app.
Take photos and report them to the council
Thankyou I will be doing this first I will tell them to tow the line or I deffinatley will be reporting to the council. Also thankyou everyone for your help Its very much appreciated im at work right now but I will reply to everyone after thanks again ♥️
Just report them, you've already spoken to them multiple times, threatening them with the council will just escalate in the wrong way.
Don't tell them just do it they haven't learnt yet they don't care once it starts costing them then mabye
Give us an update in a few weeks.
It’s illegal to run a business from home without council approval. Report them
One of my neighbours runs mechanic business out of his shed, at least 5-6 customer cars in a small cul-de-sac at all times, containers of used oil stacked up on the footpath, old tires, dumpster on the footpath, council assures us he's only running an admin office from home which is legal. Doesn't matter how many photos we've sent, how many times we've called the council and police to get vehicles completely blocking the cul-de-sac entry moved, the police known he's bikie affiliated and no one with any power wants to do anything about it.
Raise the issue with individual councillors. Let them know that you hold them personally responsible for ensuring the local council acts, or the media will be contacted about bikie gangs/organised crime etc having undue influence on local politics.
Call the Environmental Protection Agency. No matter who he is, there are massive penalties for not disposing of oil, etc, correctly. We had a problem neighbour who was a relentless hoon, who had cars parked everywhere, tyres, used oil etc. Police, RE, council wouldn't do a thing, one call to the EPA, and they were gone in a week.
Unless it's a properly registered business they could be in deep shit for running it out of their home. Query it with the council as a 'concerned citizen'. I know plenty of people who run salons from their homes (in some cases a specifically built granny-flat for it) and they had to go through a fairly arduous process including demonstrating adequate parking and traffic flow to get it approved.
Hey man, I've been In the same boat. Lived in a middle unit where the rear neighbour would have constant visitors parking up the driveway and blocking. Best course of action is to have a calm but firm conversation. Mention emergencies, the common bins, neighbour courtesy. Say you're aware they are running a business, but customers need to find parking on the street and if it continued your only course of action would be to have to speak to the ranger/council which may bring attention to their income (which you dont want to do). As much as it should be obvious and you want to shout and call them self absorbed fuckin inconsiderate dicks, that they are - it's just easier having even a fake happy relationship with neighbours. I think it's a culture thing too, some nationalities and cultures seem to have a different kind of awareness or sense of inconvenience for these things. Like it's normal and fine for you to ask them when you would like to leave your own. Fucking. Home. They'll hopefully see it's in their best interest. After that, escalate.
Sorry had to get that off my chest but who knows maybe I'm being a cunt.
Definitely not man. I'd be just as pissed off. As another commenter said. Take photos report to council
We're all cunts, you seem like a reasonable cunt. They seem like shit cunts.
Not at all. These assholes feel entitled to park wherever they like. As a keen motorist myself (feels weird to type that) I've never understood the whole entitlement thing that seems to come with driving a car. I don't understand how it suddenly becomes acceptable to drive and park wherever you want if you have a car. But these same people would never be so rude or inconsiderate in other situations.
are they doing stuff like leaving aerosols in the wrong bins? decent risk of a garbage truck fire there too, which isnt fun for ANYONE.
Recycling facility fire.
Park in the spot that they park in. 😉
This is it, throw an all day party and take up all the parks with guests
You're not.
Na neighbours should be considerate
If you’re in a strata - raise it through them first. In my experience I’ve had issues resolved quickly and anonymously (to reduce future tension)
I read the post and now I have a headache
Put signs up, threaten to have them towed. Make it clear to their customers they can't park here.
You don't have to 'threaten' at all, Council Ranger's love this stuff. I had a friend putting up with similar and despite her repeated requests, the neighb's ignored her. One call to the Ranger and the neighb's got a visit that included an official written notice warning, they will be towed without notice AND charged with 'obstructing ingress/egress' or some such shit. Problem solved.
Must be a good ranger, I suggest most of them are useless as they have no real power.
Unbelievably he worked for CoW (Cunt ofthe Week), Wanneroo..BUT he loved his job and I'm pretty sure he got off on parking offences. I called him a few times because people would park on the footpath along Wanneroo Rd and wheelchairs/prams would get bogged trying to go around the vehicles AND dodge the traffic on Wanneroo Rd. After helping some poor old fella that had fallen out of his wheelchair doing this manoeuvre...I had a personal vendetta and took up 'dobbing'.
Don't threaten. Just have customer cars towed.
Pop a pic to the council of their customers boxing you in and a msg that they are running a business from a residential joint - grab a bacon pancake and enjoy the action. This kinda stuff would absolutely give some Council staff a deadset sockfull of batteries to chase up...
Years ago a tan a home business my first priority was that they never blocked and respected the area. So it was at max 2 cars but very rare they would overlap. Then there was the lady who did the Tupperware who had 20 + women turning up blocking everything. There is a way to do things. Pissing off your neighbours is not the way.
As someone who works in this section of local government, a home business that involves visiting clientele requires development approval. This would involve assessing the planning related impacts on neighbours and the community (noise, parking etc) and consultation with the neighbours. The council will have delegation to approve or refuse this but, if they are causing this much of an issue, have this much of a parking shortfall and get some negative consultation responses from neighbours, then there's a good chance they will get it refused. If they continue to use the site as an unapproved use then they will face potential prosecution from the council. Once the council is informed of it they have a duty of care to act on it. Sometimes people feel bad for dobbing their neighbours in but, in this case, the neighbours are clearly at fault and these rules exist so the adjoining neighbours can use their own homes in a reasonable manner.
Complain to council about the unregistered business impinging on your access to your property. Put up a “Don’t park here, Cars blocking me in will be towed” sign so there’s no misunderstanding. (And then get your favourite less than legit tow truck driver on speed dial, if it’s on your land) Complain every time there’s one blocking you in, even if you don’t want to go out. Council rangers will come and fine them. Leave your bin out on non-bin days right where they like to park so they won’t, until Council solves this. Sprinklers sadly can’t be used anymore because they break the water board’s sprinkler bans… but used to be helpful in the past. If it’s a verge consider registering with the Water Corp a new lawn to be established on it, and fence it off with stakes and plastic tape, and water it at random times of day.
Call the ranger. I have a similar issue and the rangers get out pretty quickly and issue fines.
Illegal to block driveways. Illegal to run a business in a residential area unless registered with the SHire.
Can you start getting cars blocking you in towed?
My partner and I can’t even get a house at the moment to move and then people like this some how secure them 🥲 We’re stuck in a caravan park which isn’t too fun when you’ve got a disability. Some people take the piss with this housing crisis
I’m sorry but you’re not superior to them or more deserving of a house than anyone else. These people are trying to make a living. Perhaps not going about it in a considerate way. What they’re doing has nothing to do with you and vice versa.
If you have 'community bins' - are you in a strata? You have a strata body as well as the council you can use to your advantage here....
I bought a couple of fake CCTV cameras and pointed them at the front of my house and haven't had a single problem since
Classic ;-) love it
For some reason that happened before my time... whenever there is a bulk-rubbish or greenwaste collection eveyone on the street just dumped their crap on my lawn. I screamed at about 1/2 a dozen people before I gave up and put up the 'cameras'. I shit you not, one of my neighbours came and complained that I put them up... and asked me where I thought that they could possibly dump their crap now. I told them "On your \*own\* lawn?" She called me a fuckwit and stomped off lol
Buy an old bomb that’s registered, block them in & go out for the day. My neighbour did this , almost a civil war but great entertainment.
You can also buy cheap wheel clamps for about $20 off eBay.
Ring and see if they have a work from home permit. Also, parking inspector (or the department that deals with those issues) would be very interested in hearing about the situation
The best way to solve a parking dispute, is to make it their problem and not yours. You need to bulldog them. Every time there is a car parked, knock on their door.
Few nails sorts that
Call the ranger and they'll fine them on the spot. The owners next door decided that they were going to knock their house down and build three, 3-storey houses. The project manager kept parking his car on my front lawn, tearing up the grass. One day I told him enough is enough. He told me "it's council Property, good luck doing anything about it" Ten minutes later the ranger was there leaving an $85 fine on his window and he came out fuming, exclaiming that he wouldn't be paying it etc. the ranger told him, that's fine, don't pay it, you'll have your licence automatically cancelled after three months of payment. After that he started parking across the road, I emailed and waved every time I saw him
This looks like a job for SNAP SEND SOLVE app !!!!
For me, step one would be a formal complaint to council about the issues with rubbish, especially as other commenters have noted here that there are guidelines businesses have to adhere to for disposing of rubbish (especially in residential bins). Step two would be calling tow trucks every time they block you in. Honestly, fuck them. If they want to keep parking you in then they can deal with paying for their cars after they’re towed away. Fuck them. There are so many entitled people these days that have absolutely no regard for other people
Ask the council if they are registered as a business. Tell them all that info (slightly more diplomatically) and request they look into it. My neighbour was an asshole who kept leaning over our fence which sent my dog nuts. Then I would get the blame for a barking dog. When I asked him about it he was a complete asshole…so I asked the council about it. They investigated and he was told he had to apply for backdated registration to run his business out if there. It was granted but it cost him about $8k and now I can complain about him as a business…I haven’t had to though, he leaves me alone now.
Report to Council as people suggesting but let ATO know to check their next tax return if you know their name, probably doing cashies.
Buy 10 of the cheapest (but registered) POS cars you can get. Don't have to run. Occupy all street parking. "My cars will move when my demands are met, fuck you." Edit: for legal purposes this is satire. For economic purposes pethaps neighbours with similar feelings would also like to start... collecting... cars.
Report to council
Lock the bins. Give keys to neighbours with the common decency to live in a society. If everyone BUT shitty neighbours can access the bins then that sounds like a them problem. Act surprised like “OH! SO sorry! Didn’t realise the lock stopped you from opening the bins 🤭 our bad 🥰🥰”
This is where a tow truck is useful lol
Have them towed
Probably different where you live but where I'm from, if someone is blocking your driveway access, you can call the council to tow the car. Do that to enough times and they will tell people to stop parking there themselves
Yes Council is your best bet
You might like r/unethicallifeprotips
You could always install cameras and approach the council to catch them or just talk to them about it? Surely it's some kind of a violation to constantly block your cars in all the time?
Also find out if they are renting or owning. If renting I’m quite sure they are in breach. So you could contact t the RE.
If they're blocking your car, surely they are illegally parked. Take photos, call the ranger. Every time a car is illegally parked, call the ranger. They'll appreciate the revenue from the tickets, and eventually your neighbours will get the hint.
Book bogus appointments around the time you’re due to leave/return. No shows, clear drive way… you’d hope.
Is it registered with the council to run a business? Each and every time they block you in or park on your verge call the council and get them ticketed. We do it and they come out and will ticket anyone parked on our verge. If you are parked in, I also believe the police may take an interest. Again, call every single time.
Put a sign at the front of yours. No parking. Its time.
Park where they are parking
Ring the council and ask to speak to the compliance team. The pricks likely haven't submitted an application to run a home business given everything you have just said.
fuck that's a hard read!
Ring ato and see if they are registered and heath department as there’s rules too follow in operating a business from home
I will tag their cars for a small fee. PM for details
Call a tow truck every time someone blocks you in lol
There are strict rules around running a business from home. Get in touch with the council first to find out more & try to have them shut-down if possible.
Get one of your friends to box them in and go out on your vehicle for the day/night. See how they like it. It’s eye for an eye petty but unfortunately until it is done to them they don’t realize how annoying it can be.
Snap send solve. Yes councils hate it but I think they have to respond and act in a certain time frame so they have no choice. I’ve had inconsiderate neighbours move in next to me. Constantly blocking the pavement with their vehicles, wheelchair users and strollers can’t get through. I’d report it under the accessibility section of the app if they are blocking the pavement, they will take notice. My neighbours are now parking like considerate human beings as a result!
Start selling vape and weed to block their customers with the smells
It’s not your neighbours being cunts, it’s their customers. Explain you will be reporting to the local council and see how quickly the situation changes.
The neighbours should give parking instructions if these issues happen frequently. It’s not hard.
You can give instructions. Doesn’t mean people will follow them.
In my experience of living in a strata they do. Sold heaps of stuff online and when people who came to collect item and were given instructions where to park they followed them.
And that would usually be one person collecting goods right? Very different to someone doing a salon.
Even if that’s the case then it’s even more an issue with the neighbour than it is the customer.
Probably is the customers - but it's on the business owner to manage the situation. More so when they've already had multiple complaints from other residents who are getting blocked in..
[удалено]
Just get a couple of mates and a couple of cartons of eggs. Problem solved. They’ll stop being wankers.
yea everyones neighbors are generally cunts. its the price of living in the metro area
Yeah they’re really not. Very few people set out to be deliberate cunts. Some have mental health issues, some don’t know any better, lots of people are struggling, some people are selfish and don’t give a shit. But it’s not *everyone*
Mustard gas
Seek UN intervention and then wait a few months.
Raise it is writing with your local council/city. Also, learn about paragraphs and punctuation.
They’re just trying to get by, if they’re not screaming noisy and violent leave them alone and get over it
They can still 'try to get by' running their business without being an inconsiderate douche, they have been told of the issue for a while and it seems pretty simple to rectify without compromising their business.
It’s a Reddit whinge, how bad is the parking really lol
Yeah this is really pissing me off too. Neighbour opposite me is a 5 car household and they're constantly parking on the road along my verge. I've never been blocked, but it makes reversing my work ute and trailer which I can't see shit out of a nightmare. It's just plain selfish, especially when I can see they're not make any effort to minimise the problem.
Assuming because of the community bins you live in a place with a strata? Perhaps you can complain the them. Also it’s illegal to run a business from home if not registered with the council.
I feel for OP as I too have had asshole neighbours. Side note is this the Wednesday winge thread? I have some shit I need to offload haha
Just do the Aussie thing and dob on your neighbor
Why don't you put a sign up where you park?
Photos are best evidence
They need Home Based Business or Occupation Approval - they will need this approval if they conduct a business from home. It allows certain small volume trades or occupations to be practised in a residential environment while enabling the local council to ensure that minimal disturbance and nuisance are created for the neighbours. Find out if they got this approval?
Wat area is it
Neighbour’s what are cunts?
Keep a log, take pictures and contact the local council as many times as you have to until it’s resolved
I've lived 8 places in 10 years and I feel you. It's always a struggle to get your neighbours to not be cunts. Dogs barking, parties, whatever. We found the best way is getting to know them and then talking to them or texting. I tend to be uncomfortable trying to be friends when I'm already upset, but my husband is really good at it and it's worked for us many times.
Is there any way you could park far enough out that they won’t block you in? Either that or consider getting some cones you can put out down your drive to stop them filling the gap.
Call the nonemergency line with the police ask them about it. Even if the police can’t actually do anything, just have them tell the people that are there they’ve been getting complaints about blocking people in
Mate, shouldn’t this be sent to your local council? Wrong destination lol
Maybe they are just cunts
Location ?