To say something to the neighbours about using my parking space?

Then she’d be parking on the bit they drive through for access. The parking spaces are not beside each other, She says they are opposite sides ..that’s how she can reverse so far back

I know the neighbours are in the wrong but I still think its best to approach cordially then if that fails take action. Bad blood between neighbours can wreck your head.

Honestly @someoneelsesshoes nip this in the bud now, “hey neighbour, you or your visitors keep using my space, that’s not acceptable to me, please don’t in future”

I have the same set up as you, and my second space is often empty as I don't have two cars. If people ask, I let them use it. If people park in my second space without asking and I don't know who they are, I always leave a note on the car letting them know it is private property.

Being firm about it feels awkward sometimes because I'm not using that space, but I'm the one paying the mortgage on both my parking spaces and it's nobody else's business if one is empty most of the time. I'm sure my neighbours wouldn't appreciate me using their gardens or spare bedrooms if they're not using them so I figure it's fine for me to assert my boundaries and not allow randoms to park on my property.

I would normally agree with you but they are in the wrong there is no grey area with this the op is not at fault at all

Yep raise it asap - don't wait. The longer you wait the worse it will get and the more difficult to change as they will be used to it. What if you get a new car tomorrow and suddenly need it but they are used to using it and start complaining. Or what if you have a guest the same time as they do? They are either oblivious and will politely apologise and change, or they are CFs who need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly.

It could be that their visitors are the CF.

I have a client who has four spaces near the row of houses. I park in a free one but I genuinely have no idea how they're allocated and the client has never said I need to move. If I were in their neighbours' space I suspect they'd think it was only for an hour and "no harm done".

I certainly hope it's not CFing on my part. I'd talk to the new neighbours before making any assumptions.

Park in it yourself, if they aren't aware they will be then.

@someoneelsesshoes I'd approach in a friendly manner. Poor neighbour relations can be a nightmare. I'd ask them to ask first. If they ignore your request or are belligerent then park over both spaces.

I think just nip this in the bud and ask politely enough, unless they are the type of people who see politeness as ‘permission’ to take the pi**.
If you realise they are this kind of person then just say something firm in a neutral tone such as ‘I need my space kept clear’

Can you park using half of each of your spaces? What can they do? Knock and ask you not to use your own spaces!!

Knock on their door every single time they use it and tell them to move

weeks after I moved into an empty house I still had visitors from next door still parking on my drive as next door had told them they could still use it as I hadn’t fully moved in yet. I had moved in but as having works done so I wasn’t always there

I wouldn’t speak to them I would simply install a lockable bollard. In my experience people are more likely to be rude/ignore you/park on it even more if you speak to them. There’s also a danger that they say it’s no problem and that they’ll move it if you ask/it’s inconvenient.

The problem is you have no way of blocking them in/stopping them and it could get nasty. Simplest and easiest is to just make it impossible for them
to park there by installing a bollard or putting a planter there.

Why not park over / across both of your spaces?

you have to tell them, but in person, not note through door. Will be much worse if they get used to it and you need to stop it later.

Tell them. Else, they will get used to it, and you won't be able to back pedal.

Put one of those bars in it that lift up and lock in your spaces they should get it then.

Don’t put a note through the door

knock the door and talk to them. Much less likely to cause a misunderstanding.

It’s got nothing to do with compromise. It’s to do with being a normal person. Only on MN do people refuse to do anything to help their neighbours. In the real world people act neighbourly.

I wouldn't put a note through the door but would go around the speak to them. Along the lines of 'Hi CF at number 5, you might not be aware that that there is MY car space. I've noticed your guests have used it, so please ask them to stop because I have friends/family visiting too. Many thanks.'

I'd then get a large planter on wheels which has a lock on 1 wheel like the pic and have it across your 2nd parking place when you and guests aren't using it.

Its CF for them to have not asked your first before just taking the liberty of using YOUR car space.

If it’s not clearly labelled though visitors wouldn’t know and the neighbours may not think to ask everyone where they have parked!

This, by “opposite” I envisioned it as one of you as blue and one as red? So how does blue get out if red parked?

why should she have to offer it up at all? This sounds like she is willing to compromise, which she shouldn’t be.

Good lord. Why would you be unreasonable? If they were coming in to your kitchen and using the kettle, woud you be worrying about saying something?!