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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think this is really effing unneighbourly?

67 replies

Whysoserious · 08/11/2011 18:40

I live in a street with old Victorian terraced and semi-detached houses where people need to park on the street.

My house is a semi and my neighbours in the semi next to us have a garage built into the front of their house (our houses are set back and up from the road - we have a small front garden, they have the aforementioned garage.)

This garage is NEVER used for keeping a car in but has KEEP CLEAR painted onto the road in front of it so of course my neighbours have a guaranteed parking space all the time.

However, (and this is the part that really fecks me off, especially when I arrive home from work after a stressful day) when the husband arrives home (usually before me) he will park directly outside my house leaving the space outside their garage clear for when the wife gets home so that they are both parked pretty much right outside their house.

By the time I arrive home (often before the wife) there are very few or no parking spaces left and I am greeted with neighbour's husband's car right outside my house and then a space directly outside their's which I cannot park in because it says 'keep clear' and they would be arsey about it despite the fact that they definitely do not need to get onto the garage.

I am happy parking on the road, occasionally a bit further away from my house - I have a lovely old house full of character and having no drive is the only downside to this type of house. BUT I think it's really rude that my neighbour constantly parks outside my house so that they can keep the spot outside theirs clear for the second car. And they don't own that piece of road - I'm quite within my rights to park there when I get home on a rainy evening like this one aren't I? Or am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:

Shutupanddrive · 08/11/2011 19:13

Just park outside their house and if they complain offer to swap with the car that's in your space. Repeat as necessary until they get the hint

TheMonster · 08/11/2011 19:13

They're being clever by guaranteeing they have two spaces. You can't do much about it, no matter how annoying it is, unless you get a dropped kerb as well.

EnjoyResponsibly · 08/11/2011 19:14

It's not especially neighbourly, no. But the thing is their car is taxed and insured just like yours so they can park where they like.

RomanKindle · 08/11/2011 19:14

Could you ask your neighbours if they would mind clearing the shit out of their garage so they don't have to keep parking in front of your house. Or offer to do it for them in return for your space back

TidyDancer · 08/11/2011 19:14

Ah. Dropped kerb. The only thing you can do is report them for parking there. I think.

tobyrat · 08/11/2011 19:14

You can't do anything.

Not worth speaking to them because they care about themselves more than they care about you.

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:15

well the way i see it you haev 2 options:

1.) talk to them. tell them it's quite annoying and that you'd really like to be able to park outside your house and could they please stop.

2.) get yourself a dropped kerb and then they won't be able to park in front of it

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:16

am not sure why they have a keep clear sign on the road though... all dropped kerbs don't have them, so why does theirs? it's weird!

RomanKindle · 08/11/2011 19:16

Is it true what a pp said that you can't legally park in front of your own dropped kerb? If that's true I would report them definitely!

MULLYPEEP · 08/11/2011 19:17

You dont really have a leg to stand on so I would just try and embaress them by asking straight out to not park there to give you a chance (pretend you've hurt your leg or something). They'd have to have to some front to keep doing it once you ask nicely.

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:19

btw it is not illegal to park in front of a dropped kerb, but you can ask the police to move a vehicle if they have blocked you in.
if the driveway is empty and no-one is being blocked in then no-one will do anything about it

TheMonster · 08/11/2011 19:19

I pressume the keep clear is there because it leads from the pavement directly to the garage without a driveway as such.

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:19

Roman no, it is not illegal to park across your own dropped kerb

LittleMissFlustered · 08/11/2011 19:19

My friend converted their garage back into another room (previous owners had trashed the living room in a terrace to make a chuffing garage!) and requested the kerb/curb to be reinstated and signage removed. Council dragged their heels over the work (paid for) and she and her husband were ticketed so many times for parking there.

betterwhenthesunshines · 08/11/2011 19:20

A dropped kerb means you can not park there, except on the 'owners' authorisation, so they can park in front of it.
2 houses, 4 cars, bound to be a problem.

Both my neighbours and I have double fronted houses, only one car each and we often can;t park anywhere near our house, especially on dark rainy nights :) I think you just have to humph and get over it.

warthog · 08/11/2011 19:20

i think they haven't given it any thought.

but outside your house is just road right? so if you got home earlier than him you could park outside your house.

so why not do that? it's first come first serve surely.

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:20

linky

and linky

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:22

warthog... if she works then how can she just get home earlier than him?

Original poster

Whysoserious · 08/11/2011 19:23

Interesting to know about not being allowed to park in front of your own dropped kerb.

To be honest their keep clear sign goes half way in front of our house too, which it doesn't need to.

By the way, I ABSOLUTELY understand that they can park where they like on the road. It is the selfish way they are doing it. Any other neighbour that parks in front of my house in think nothing of - I may have to park in front of their houses sometimes.

OP posts:

worraliberty · 08/11/2011 19:24

However, I am happy to keep the 'keep clear' free and feel they should respect this by just parking there themselves, leaving the second car to find a space with the rest of us

But then the second car would find a space quite legitimately outside your house because you haven't paid thousands of pounds for a dropped kerb

betterwhenthesunshines · 08/11/2011 19:24

Actually, thinking about it there may have to be a white line painted on the road to prevent you parking in front of a drop kerb to a driveway...?

Anyway if the parking is really that short of space could you both agree to keep one space in front of your own house clear and between you and DH you'll have to decide who gets it! It wouldn't work here as some other bugger someone else would just park there anyway.

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:24

whysoserious you ARE allowed to park in front of your own dropped kerb

thisisyesterday · 08/11/2011 19:25

"But then the second car would find a space quite legitimately outside your house because you haven't paid thousands of pounds for a dropped kerb "

it wouldn't because the OP returns home before the second neighbour

Original poster

Whysoserious · 08/11/2011 19:29

Useful links thanks thisisyesterday.

warthog not sure my boss would take too kindly to me cracking off early so I can park outside my house.

I think I'm just going to have to grin and bear this one and accept that I am living next door to selfish arseholes.

OP posts:

Ephiny · 08/11/2011 19:31

They do sound extremely selfish and annoying, however I agree they don't seem to be doing anything actually wrong (in the legal sense at least). All I can suggest is having a polite word with them, and ask if they can leave you a space outside your house - but if they're not willing to cooperate, there's not much you can do.

This is just how it is when you live in a street without driveways/assigned parking. We rarely get to park right outside our own house! Some of our neighbours get very irate about anyone parking outside their front, and leave nasty notes on the windscreen or block them in on purpose etc, there's even been the occasional big shouty row in the street. Personally I don't think it's worth the hassle of getting so upset about it.

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