A small family-run business says it has lost £40,000 after its van was trapped in a mechanically stacked car park in London over two years ago. Mark Lucas, co-owner of HCS Furniture in Buckinghamshire, parked his electric Vauxhall van in a car park in central London in December 2022, BBC News reported.

The car park used automated stacking technology, which involves mechanical platforms and lifts to park cars on top of each other to save space. Klaus Multiparking, which designed and installed the Rathbone Square garage, says on its website that “up to 50” extra car parking spaces can be created using the technology. When he returned to collect the van, Mr Lucas was told there had been a “mechanical malfunction,” and he was unable to get it back.

Mr Lucas told BBC News: “It was about six o'clock that evening, we went back to the concierge and said, 'can we have the van back?' To which he said, 'we’re very sorry, but you can't, because the stacking system has malfunctioned'.”

At first, the delayed repairs were blamed on engineers needing new parts, while the head concierge at Rathbone Square said in January 2023 this would take 40 weeks. Since then, no update has been provided.

Having been assured the van would be returned, the company decided to temporarily hire another van for £800 per month, payments that ran alongside paying off the loan for the trapped van.

Steve Davies, the company’s co-owner, told the BBC: “After a couple of years of renting, we decided we can't afford to do this anymore, so we gave the hire van back and took out another loan to buy a second van. In total, I estimate we are currently about £40,000 out of pocket."

Last year, Mr Lucas was told the company’s losses would be covered by the party found to have overall responsibility for the van becoming trapped.

However, no money can be claimed back through insurance until this happens.

Mr Lucas said he had been “frustrated” by what he described as “a lack of communication” over the incident.

Klaus Multiparking, which designed and installed the system, describe their fully automatic parking systems as “premium parking convenience” which “couldn’t be easier”.

Their website says the systems are “extremely practical” as “neither access lanes nor ramps are required”.

Double Parking Systems, which maintains the car park and is responsible for repairs, told BBC News it could not publicly comment as it had signed a non-disclosure agreement.

The company told the Daily Express that the system is now fully operational and had been repaired.

The Express has contacted KLAUS Multiparking and Rathbone Square’s management company for comment.