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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect a neighbour not to block my car in our driveway

67 replies

Lucky13 · 04/10/2010 11:11

On a number of occasions this particular neighbour has parked so we can't get out of our driveway. The worst time previously was when I was expecting DD and he went out/wouldn't answer the door to DH to move the car.

I have left notes on his windscreen on other occasions, but he still parks there.

Today he is there again and I have to pick up DD from preschool shortly and I don't know what to do.

He never answers the door if you go round and the car is left there all night sometimes - aaaaahhhhhh.

Surely it's not too much to ask not to block me in is it? He obviously doesn't care so what can I do?

OP posts:

xstitch · 04/10/2010 17:21

I would contact the police anyway. Then take photos and keep a diary of when he does it then go back to the police with that.

scurryfunge · 04/10/2010 17:21

If you bounce the car out of the way, he will make a complaint to the Police and guess who will be interviewed for criminal damage, vehicle interference or vehicle tampering?

Not him.

mistlethrush · 04/10/2010 17:38

Don't use prit or glue or paint either - would class as criminal damaage.

We had the neighbours parking over our drive regularly - but at least they had the decency to come out and move it fairly quickly when we asked - although why they didn't just park further up the road I will never know....

LittleMissHissyFit · 04/10/2010 17:42

They use prit stick on the windscreens at the auctions, it will wash off

diddl · 04/10/2010 17:45

If there is a car visible in the drive then he needs to leave access for the car to get out iirc.

Eve · 04/10/2010 17:48

put your finger on the door bell and hold it there till be answers..

do you have a tow bar on your car or a local friendly farmer with a tractor to drag his car out of the way..

no damage caused.

coodles · 04/10/2010 17:56

The Highway code states you are not to park so as to obstruct a property.

However,the problem I had was that given the single yellow lines outside my house, no one should have parked there anyway.
Of course, any time a traffic warden wandered by, the builders would say they were unloading. Actually they were there all day.I never saw them get a ticket.

Also,where I live,getting the police out would not happen, when I phoned they told me to phone the council who just told me to phone the police.........

I found the law is weakly enforced and builders and others know that.

pranma · 04/10/2010 17:57

get a set of 6 traffic cones and drill holes through them-link together with a chain and put them in the road across your drive or how about parking there yourself for a day or two till he finds somewher else

SeaTrek · 04/10/2010 18:00

We used to use pritt stick to put notices on cars who parked on the driveway at the last school I taught at. It was close to town and people thought they could get free parking (no concept of it being private property). Sometimes got staff to block them in, too. Worked a treat. Yes, pritt stick washes off very well and will cause no damage.

taintedpaint · 04/10/2010 18:02

Sorry if I've missed a post that covered this, but is there a background to what's happening? Is there any way you can grit your teeth and make peace? I realise this neighbour is a horrible and unreasonable man, but I'm assuming solving this is the main reason for posting?

YADNBU btw. Good luck.

puddlepuss · 04/10/2010 18:02

parking rules

Scroll down to 243. It states that you must not park in front of an entrance to a property.

I'd take photos and call the police.

scurryfunge · 04/10/2010 18:08

That's only the Highway Code puddlepuss. Not all of that is Law.

exexpat · 04/10/2010 18:09

Parking directly blocking a driveway with a car in it is illegal. But it sounds to me like he may be parking not directly across your driveway but opposite, but not leaving enough space for you to turn? Is it possible that he doesn't realise your car isn't made of rubber and can't bend round corners?

I have similar problems, not sure what the legal position is but definitely agree that you should have a chat with the local police, and also the council about possibly getting road markings painted to stop anyone parking there (specially if it also obstructs traffic on the road).

giveitago · 04/10/2010 18:11

But I wonder these rules are made for urban areas.

We have people regularly parking and blocking. Community police come on the odd ocassion when residents complain but it's mainly because we're near a school.

However we once rented in a street where a couple just knocked down the wall of their front yard and parked in it - there was no dropped curb. They went mad when people parked outside (lots of commuters as near the tube) yet no one was legally blocking them as no dropped curb and they'd just drive up over the pavement to get access to it. Police told them they had no cause for complaint.

But I guess countryside and no pavement would mean no dropped curb.

But I think what he's doing is illegal so I'd take photos and send them to the police and get them to deal.

Good luck

scurryfunge · 04/10/2010 18:15

If the kerb isn't legally dropped then the Police cannot enforce the blocking because the act of driving on the pavement (not dropped kerb) is not lawful either.

xstitch · 04/10/2010 18:28

Did the OP not say that there was no pavement? If there isn't then you cannot break the law by driving over a non-existent pavement.

scurryfunge · 04/10/2010 18:35

My post was agreeing with giveitago.

The Highway is right across the road, pavement or not, so I suppose you could still argue that he is obstructing the OP access onto the Highway.

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