to remove the disabled parking signs?

[DaisyBD]

I live in a small rural town and our road has no pavements and road markings. Someone has moved into a house near the end of the road that has a wide frontage with a small wall. They also have a drive with space for three cars. Many of the people in the road don’t have off-road parking, so park pretty much anywhere there’s space, including in front of this house.

The new owners have put up disabled-only parking signs along their front wall, which has stopped most people parking there. We don’t need the space but occasionally our visitors do. I have seen the new neighbours but not talked to them – we live up the road a bit so they’re not close neighbours or anything – and although I can’t see any signs of disability, I know many disabilities are invisible.

However, they have loads of space on their own drive! I think they’ve put the signs up just to stop people parking outside their house. The signs are just the ones you can buy online, there’s no council disabled white line on the road or anything.

I feel they are being selfish and hogging the road, which they don’t own. WIBU to sneak over under cover of darkness with a screwdriver and remove the signs? Obviously they’ll hate me forever if they catch me, and I don’t want to spark a feud. But it just seems a bit cheeky and I want to be cheeky back. (DH thinks I’m insane, obv.)

[ThanksSpanx]

You could pop round, welcome then to the neighbourhood and tactfully ask them about it? If they need it legitimately I'd imagine they'd be happy to explain.

[ZackyVengeance]

just park there. unless it is a proper disabled bay, either a bay marked in road, or one with a post.....its not real

[ShowMePotatoSalad]

YANBU. The road is not owned by them and they have no right to create their own parking restrictions. Don't do it yourself though - report to council.

[Afishcalledchips]

I was going to say YABU, but they sound like cheeky twats.

[ShowMePotatoSalad]

Also I agree just park there. They can't clamp you or give you a ticket can they?!

[ThomasHardyPerennial]

Complain to the council .

[waitingforgodot]

Why don't you speak to them and ask them?

[pigsDOfly]

I'd check first with the council to make sure whether there should or shouldn't be a disabled only sign outside their house.

If it shouldn't be there and you report it wouldn't the council tell them to take it down - not sure how this works, but surely it's not legal to just stick that sort of sign up with no reason, bit like having an illegal blue badge.

[seasidesally]

if it is on public road with NO official sign then i dont think your wrong for being annoyed

my friend gets most annoyed when people park in the layby outside her house,she has a drive but treats the public part as hers

[mrscarrotironfoundersson]

YANBU. If they have a disability they can get the white lines on the road done officially (but difficult to get if they have off road parking - depending on circs anyway iirc)

[Afishcalledchips]

Actually - you should phone the council. If they're entitled to a space doubt it then they can get an official one, and if not, well they can be told to take their signs down.

[Bloopbleep]

Check with council and speak to the neighbour's otherwise yabu

[Afishcalledchips]

xpost with everyone

[DaisyBD]

thanks everyone. Obviously I can't speak to them about it because I'm english. I think I might call the council and see what the deal is - and while I'm there ask them if another neighbour has any right to block off a path down the back of my house with a feckin fence at his end. That pisses me off no end as I have to walk the long way round to get the woods with the dog.

Spying on (and waging war with) the neighbours seems to be a standard pastime in the country. We have to make our own fun.

[expatinscotland]

I'd report them to the council and park there anyway.

[2kids2dogsnosense]

Obviously I can't speak to them about it because I'm english

Me, too.

One of the saddest and most dincapacitating of the many hidden disabilities . . .

[2kids2dogsnosense]

*incapacitating, not dincapacitating

(This compulsion to correct posting errors is also a symptom of Englishness, I suspect.)

[notgettingyounger]

Can you knock on their door to introduce yourself and welcome them to the neighbourhood? You could give them the benefit of the doubt and, whilst you are there, ask if there is anything you can help them with on a day-to-day basis as you notice that at least one of their family has severe mobility issues. Maybe if you then ask them in for tea or a drink soon (that's what we often do with new neighbours) then all will become clear.

[AwaywiththePixies27]

I'd let the council know too. How cheeky!

[leopardpuzzled]

Report it to the council dont do it yourself

Sister had a huge dispute with a neighbour about my sister parking outside her own house inline with her own window because there door is to the Left of her window and her car is quite large therefore apparently it blocked their view and light (It's not even got glass in the door!)

So they wrote a disabled sign (They are elderly but dont hold a blue badge) on the road and marked out a space and wrote no parking on the curb and put signs on their front garden.

It wasnt actually my sister who complained in the end it was someone further up the street but they were forced to remove it all.

[Bogeyface]

Is the path a public right of way? He doesnt get to co opt it as an extra bit of garden!

[Benedikte2]

Tell all your potential visitors the signs are invalid and they can park there if they need to.
Don't remove the signs but cover them up with sticky paper -- a lot quicker and they can't accuse you of theft
Good luck

[pigsDOfly]

Actually 2kids while you're probably right to an extent about the compulsion to correct posting errors, I think it's often a way of preempting the nasty 'know it alls' who seem to hang around mn just for the pleasure of pointing out everyone's short comings in grammar, punctuation or spelling.

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

You'll need your deeds to answer the path question, I imagine. If the land is his, he can put a gate on it. If it's a public footpath, he can't.

[Ginmakesitallok]

Why bother reporting it? Just ignore it and park where you want to. I'd be worried that I'd report it and the council would put in a proper disabled spot (though if they've got their own drove I suppose that would be unlikely)