So a "Security Guard" trashed a friend's bike

^This and surely the crux of the matter is that there is no signage at the door or anywhere else by the looks of it.

Maybe the security guy was doing a risk assessment and this was his way of dealing with matters which makes you wonder how compliance with fire safety might be dealt with elsewhere in the club.

It might even be worth leaving the bike where it is and getting someone from local Fire and Rescue Services (who I think enforce the relevant regulations) to come and give an opinion.

Ha.
Was wondering if that would come up.

Just vandalize his car

@oxpoleon. This door is at the top of the stairs by the look of it so obviously at some stage someone may want to use said door. Obstructing the door is stupid. Now the fact that someone took it upon themselves to move it and in so doing damage it is criminal damage, pure and simple. Report it to the police and let them do their thing. It may be that the problem is resolved to everyone's satisfaction. This appears to be simple to sort out.
If there is still a problem with a club accessing this building then ask the council to look into it. Deal with one problem at a time and seek professional advice not ask a forum.

... seek professional advice not ask a forum.

But he "knows about legal stuff".

And has a suit.

YES, A SUIT!

Oh well he's sorted then.

seek professional advice not ask a forum

But we always give professional forum advice. Do you think we're forum amateurs? :)

Oh God no there are some highly opinionated people on here.

Pfft, that's just your opinion. :)

#FTFY

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Right, just to clear all this up: I picked up the bike this evening. We agreed that leaving it where it was was a bad idea to limit future provocation. It's in a pretty bad state. Back wheel is utterly wrecked as anticipated, dérailleur is smashed to hell, frame is bent. At first inspection I thought it would possibly be a simple cold-set and dropout alignment job but I've found a crease below the brake bridge I don't like. There are also a fair few deep gouges and scratches where the whole bike's been chucked around. Going to get the second opinion of a professional frame-builder this week but I'm pretty sure the whole thing's had it.

The only new thing I learned is that there is a camera owned by the landlord that is covering the entire stairwell of which the centre of shot is precisely where the bike is locked. Presuming they play ball this will be pretty damning evidence against the security guard and I really doubt the club will be foolish enough to think otherwise. Having actually been able to look in person it appears the guy attempted to twist the bike free and then took out his frustrations on the bike when this was unsuccessful. Obviously this is not a sensible way to remove a locked bike- it's pretty clear that he made a decision that was way beyond his pay grade, and that once he started causing damage to property he should have stopped.

Having had a look at the door it's a really funny situation but I can see how it makes sense- the access from the door does lead down the stairs where there is an actual fire door that opens onto a service yard and doesn't actually cross any further property, looks like a dodgy HMO compromise. Turns out the managing company of the building is a "known" entity for doing things perhaps less than above board. For the record, the actual, legitimate, marked fire door downstairs which is presumably part of the club's fire escape policy is actually behind a whole stack of bikes and assorted junk, and is pretty much inaccessible, which makes the whole matter even more ridiculous.

Also for those making stupid comments about "knowing legal stuff"- though IANAL my family are in law so I know a fair bit and have plenty of legal resources / access to legal advice already.

Having looked at the situation I agree it will probably become a police matter. The current plan is to approach the club and inform them of the issues, state that it's believed to be criminal damage, and ask if they'd be willing to resolve amicably by means of compensation, and that if not that the matter will be passed to the police and an N1 claim filed with the County Court.

As far as this forum is concerned the matter is probably closed here, I was hoping for information on similar incidents and repairs to bikes in this situation but it seems to have basically turned into a free-for-all justice war about bikes in corridors.

I can understand the annoyance at some meathead trashing it, but can't get past the fact that it was locked up in a communal area and in front of a door, which is pretty shit regardless of whether it's a fire door or no, and then the fact you're getting so het up about it to talk about legal action and police for what is such a bog standard and easily replaced bike?

Life is too short, nobody died, and you're going to waste far more time and emotional energy if not money on resolving it that could be devoted to finer things. But que sera, bonne chance...

Life is too short, nobody died

This times ten fucking million. Although you are in the right, you are going to make yourself unpopular with your landlord and your commercial neighbor. If you are moving out next week, great! If not...live to fight another day.

Take a shit on their bonnet and call it even if you have to, though.

Easily replaced bike if you have the money. Not everyone is so fortunate. FWIW, other people keep their bikes there and at the bottom of the stairwell too. As far as all the residents were concerned the door was disused. Also it's clear that the door would have opened just fine with the bike where it was, hence if it was simply the service door the residents assumed it was (they have a shared boiler and stuff) then it would have been fine.

The whole legal action thing is not because of the bike's value, it's the principle. In the way or not, you don't go to town on somebody else's things, especially when it's on their property, not yours. I don't see why the landlord's going to be in the slightest bit bothered and to be honest if they get in trouble over the fire exit down the line then it's only fair, they're the most hated student lettings company in the city for a reason.

There isn't much the commercial neighbour could do in this situation anyhow, all they have access to is a stairwell which, if they're damaging property on, I imagine the lettings company will be less inclined to maintain their right of access to. To be honest I don't think it will go as far as the police/court, I'm pretty sure they'll fork over the cash with their tail between their legs on this one.

Here's the crease, for the interested.

1 Attachment

Mate, social cleansing is happening all over London, people are getting fucked over in a myriad of ways by large institutions that are far more profound and far-reaching than your mate losing a shite bike because of a stereotypically unpleasant bouncer.

I'm genuinely sympathetic, and applaud the adherence to principle, but at the same time if you want to devote time and energy to championing a worthy cause there are thousands of infinitely more important ones awaiting your attention out there and as for unscrupulous lettings agencies or clubs 'forking over cash with their tail between their legs' I'd say that's about as likely as hell freezing over unless you happen to have a video of them with a kilo of gak and their hand up a hooker's skirt to go with the suit and the primly worded letter.

I am sorry to see your friends bike got smashed up in this unfair way.

I feel I've missed something here, I have read the thread. How do you know it was a security guard ?Working for the club ? Could it of been random vandalism ? What proof or evidence do you have, concerning who did the dirty deed ?

I mention this because the club might. The Landlord might not play ball with the recording. What happens then ?

Also for those making stupid comments about "knowing legal stuff"...

Oh hai!

Be in no doubt that I don't condone what was done to your friend's bike and that I don't think it was disproportionate and wholly unjustified.

However, your friend is not without criticism: we've heard a lot from you of how the "bouncer" could have gone to more trouble to establish who's bike it was, but nothing of how your friend could have gone to more trouble to establish that he could park his bike there.

There was no sign indicating that it was a fire exit? Neither was their a sign indicating that it was a bike park. Why did he assume it was a closet? Because that was the explanation that suited his needs? Why didn't he take it into his flat?

A flight of stairs is for the walking up and down of; not for the convenient storage of anyone who might have access to it.

You justify your claim of "knowing about legal stuff", on the basis of "my family are in law so I know a fair bit and have plenty of legal resources / access to legal advice already": well perhaps you should refer your friend to them, because a pompous tit in Top Man's finest peppering his conversation with Wikipedia legalese, is more likely to raise a laugh than a cheque.

#£120please

Cut your losses and no nails the club door shut so they can't hassle the bike parking again.

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If it's a club they should have a licence. Complaining about this to your mate's councillor and cc'ing the council's licensing committee will help. If they don't have a licence (or haven't been granted TENs) then they'll likely receive a visit from the council.

Fight for justice ignore the haters.

I want the see the CCTV footage