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Original poster

Neighbour drove across my garden!!!

248 replies

Pez82 · 22/02/2017 13:03

Last night I came home to find a car parked just outside my house below my neighbour's windows - now, not only this isn't not a parking space but the neighbour has driven through 3 different front gardens to get there!!!! WTF??!! (There are deep tyre marks on the lawn as a result 😖)

I'm attaching an homemade diagram to show how ludicrous the situation is. The yellow square is the current car's position and the yellow line the path taken!!! The green lines show my property as well as the invisible boundary on my front lawn. The driveways on the picture are slanted and once all cars are parked in their respective driveways (like they were this morning), there is no way out!!!

I've left an angry note on the windscreen but as the car has been covered in tarpaulin it looks like it could be there for a while!

So what do I do??? Build a wall/fence so it can never get out?? 😬

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
pregnantat50 · 22/02/2017 13:55

What time did you come home last night and spot it there OP was it pub closing time by chance?

pregnantat50 · 22/02/2017 13:56

penguin boulders along your the perimeter of your lawn?

Hissy · 22/02/2017 13:56

Hitching a ride while this gets parked in Chat...

AlexanderHamilton · 22/02/2017 13:58

It looks like your neighbours don't take care of their lawns & one parks on it but your lawn is/was immaculate. No excuse. I would be fuming.

SailAwayWithMeHoney · 22/02/2017 13:58

What a plonker!

trulybadlydeeply · 22/02/2017 14:01

What a cheek!

Take photos as evidence (not sure as evidence for what, but they may come in handy!) and try and lift the tarpaulin so you can get the registration plate.

tabbymog · 22/02/2017 14:02

This guy is a total shit. For me this is a police matter, talking trespass and criminal damage here. That he was obviously drunk at the time makes it worse, not better. Was he drunk? Would anyone in their right mind, and sober, do something like that? No, I don't think so, either. There's a legal point I remember being told, that doing something wrong when drunk doesn't excuse it, being drunk is recklessness and makes the offence worse, it doesn't mitigate it.

Personally, anyone on my property without my permission or honest purpose, really, really, REALLY pisses me off.

Get a blog and publicise this arse! I read that suggestion here somewhere, a great idea, I'm going to use it for something I really care about.

Neverthelessshepersisted · 22/02/2017 14:04

It's so comforting to know I'm not the only with bonkers neighbours....

MrsMoastyToasty · 22/02/2017 14:06

We had someone do something similar years ago when I was a kid. The 1960s estate we lived on had what they called open plan gardens (local by law meant that we couldn't fence the front gardens ). Anyway my parents house was about 3 houses down on the outer edge of a 90 degree turn in the road. One morning we were awoken by a screeching of brakes and a thud. A car had come around the corner too fast, careered across the gardens of all 3 houses on the outer side of the curve and ended up in next doors rockery. The driver got done for drink driving.

BarbaraofSeville · 22/02/2017 14:09

If the car has been used in a crime or accident, obviously the police need to know but I think all the suggestions to complain about trespass or criminal damage are a bit over the top. Lets face it, none of those gardens looks like they're going to be entered in the 'Best Village Garden' competition any time soon.

There was a thread a couple of days ago from a poster who had forgotten to tax her car and it had been impounded but she didn't have anywhere off road to store it and couldn't afford the tax - maybe she is the OPs neighbour and has parked the car on the grass as such in desperation?

OhJustPassTheCake · 22/02/2017 14:12

bravo @pregnantat50 - thought it wouldn't be long until someone mentioned Penguin Bollards! Smile

pregnantat50 · 22/02/2017 14:13

Your Neighbour driving their car on your lawn is a clear case of trespass.

You should therefore write to them, saying you have obtained advice from a solicitor that their driving on your lawn is an actionable trespass, and that unless they desist from doing so immediately you will apply to the County Court for an injunction, damages for trespass and payment of your legal costs.

Hopefully this would have the desired effect. If not, you would be perfectly within your rights to take that course of action, though it would probably be sensible to send a solicitor's letter first, as they may take more notice of that.

If you are contemplating legal action, you should also obtain some direct evidence of their trespass, such as photographs of them driving over the lawn or tyre marks on the grass, and it's a good idea to keep a diary for a couple of weeks so you can establish a course of conduct. (assuming this isn't a one off)

Also check your house contents policy to see if you have any legal expenses cover. Many people have such cover without realising it. If you do, get in touch with the legal expenses people who will tell you what to do.

pregnantat50 · 22/02/2017 14:15

alternatively if its a one off, then the penguin bollards or a gnome army may be in order :)

BonnyScotland · 22/02/2017 14:24

build a wall Grin

skankingpiglet · 22/02/2017 14:25

Barbara having an untidy/unmanicured garden doesn't excuse someone making it even worse or mean the OP should be ok about it. If I was driving an old banger, I would still be pretty pissed off if someone dented in my wing.

JohnnyDeppsfuturewife · 22/02/2017 14:29

I love a good parking thread

And I never knew mumsnet had an etiquette board.

OhJustPassTheCake · 22/02/2017 14:30

I wish there was a "bravo" button here, like a "like" button on Facebook! A BRAVO to you, @BonnyScotland!

Sorry OP, I'm not being any help, but some of these comments are pure gold - hope you get this moron sorted out xxx

wideboy26 · 22/02/2017 14:30

In which of the gardens did he throw the gun?

PigletJohn · 22/02/2017 14:32

sometimes hit-and-run drivers who are under the influence of drink or drugs hide until they are clean, to reduce the number of crimes they can be prosecuted for.

I wonder if the tarpaulin hides the number plate and also any dents or bloodstains

JohnnyDeppsfuturewife · 22/02/2017 14:41

I've read the thread now.

Firstly, well done op, excellent diagram! You give good thread.

Secondly, wtaf? How could anybody think this is a good thing to do? Can only agree with pps that it's someone who's drunk or has committed a crime.

I would be so angry if I were op. Good luck sorting it out.

Megatherium · 22/02/2017 14:42

Never threaten legal action unless you are prepared to go through with it, and prepared to throw a lot of money at it. Any claim for damages here would be limited to the cost of repairing the damage to the lawn, which therefore comes within the small claims limits so you wouldn't even get your costs back from the neighbour.

kwick · 22/02/2017 14:43

pez I found it!! So excited - will read through now. In the meantime, shamelessly placemarking!!!!

HelenaGWells · 22/02/2017 14:43

Has he definately gone across 3 gardens? it looks to me like he could have clipped the edge of his neighbours marked in green (your??) garden and basically driven up that small footpath? I can't see how or why he would go the way you marked in yellow unless I'm missing something.

It is definately a bonkers place to park but if it's his garden there may not be much you can do. You can report the driving over your garden if you have proof but if the car just stays there I've no clue if you have any rights re that.

AlexanderHamilton · 22/02/2017 14:46

The OP said he has left deep tyre marks showing which route he took.

reallyanotherone · 22/02/2017 14:50

I just told my husband about this and he said the driver must've been drunk to have done that.

A man has spoken :gavel:

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