Neighbours, driveways and stupid police.

[montysma1]

My driveway entrance is double width, leading into my largely monoblocked driveway, which extends to the full width of my house. The entrance and the driveway are accessed over the pavement which has a lowered kerb.

I am plagued by cars doing 3 point turns, either mounting the pavement (best case ) or more commonly, crossing the pavement and driving squarely right into my monoblocked garden as part of their turn. Its annoying when randopm cars do it.

More annoyingly, a woman who comes daily to a house 3 down from ours (I think she might be the granny and might be child caring), uses our driveways habitually for all her turns, and I mean, all 4 wheels in my garden, (head lights beaming into our living room if its dark). Tonight i actually had to sit in the road way waiting for her to reverse out ouf my drive before I could get in to park on it! She actaully drices right past the driveway of the house she is going into (as it is narrow), manouvers in my garden and drives back down the street to park at the house she is going into!

Phoned the police tonight who say this is neither a criminal or civil offence. They are sending a community officer tomorrow to assuage my ranting, although, I did point out thats its not me who is doing it, so why not visit her?

AIBU to phone thenm back and point out that they are talking crap and that the law seems to state "that it is an offence to drive a vehicle over a pavement unless to gain access to private property" As she is not gaining access to my property, nor has she permission to , then surely it is an offence to mount the pavemnt at my house let alone drive right over it onto my property.

My children play in the garden, and know nopt to even so much as oput a toe out onto the pavement. but they cant even be safe in their own garden as according to the police, its perfectly fine for random cars to swing in at speed, reverse and leave again. they said i should phone back if a car hits one of them!

[gettingeasier]

YANBU I would be infuriated by this

I dont think you have any options that wont just get you more mentally embroiled in it all

So either find the money for a device to stop this or find a way to ignore it before it becomes an obsession

[Calabria]

My aunt used to live the last house in a cul-de-sac with a car park at the end. So drivers would turn in her drive way rather than in the car park, which was much bigger. She would get very ranty about it.

YANBU except in calling the police stupid.

[UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea]

OP, I understand why you are annoyed. This woman's behaviour is incomprehensible and rude.

But why can't you do something to block your drive?

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

So the OP is to intimidated by her neighbours to approach them, and calls the LA for advice. They advise her to speak to her PCSO, which she does.
How is that being petty? or BU?
OP, Id be off down the boot sale, for some cheap garden toys, and then leave them on the drive in the way. or the rope/chain across the drive is a good idea.

[SauvignonBlanche]

You've had some great suggestions OP, are you going to use any of them?

[GoldShip]

I'd frigging kill her the ignorant cow.

I just don't understand the thought process of some people.

[TheBigJessie]

Perhaps the OP could repost in Legal. I don't personally advise the legal route, but she could find out her options.

[Nanny0gg]

Okay, YANBU. You are going to try the sign and the chain.

Are you going to speak to her as well? Because I would!

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

OP having read your last post I now understand the situation more (did not know what monoblocked was, not at my best due to jet lag, etc)

Anyways now I think YANBU and I would be bloody annoyed at this too.

All this parking malarkey makes me glad that DH has stolen starting using our car to drive to his new job every day!

Good luck getting it sorted.

[montysma1]

I do block it, I park my car on the street , blocking my own drive, but its a faff.

The reason I was so raging last night was that we had just returned from 2 weeks holiday, during which time both our cars were parked on the street, completely blocking our drive. For for 14 days she has had to turn elsewhere and I was kind of hoping that on the off chance that she is simply oblivious, then she would get the hint, or at least break the habit. Got home about 8pm, I drove my car to get takeaways, leaving a mighty small gap, I thought ,as my husbands car was still on the street blocking. Was gone less than 15 sodding minutes, and arrived back at our house to find her reversing off our garden, through the small gap left. It couldnt have been easy to squeeze into the garden let alone reverse back out. I mean WHY? Who does that?

I dont know her, dont know her family, was not involved in any of the neighbourhood hoohas that they have caused. Dont think it can be personal, just think she is just a lazy cow who cant be arsed turning legitimately on the the street.


To update, the police have been, they do think its an issue, having actually seen the layout of road, pavement and garden, which is hard to describe on here. They are going to speak to her. Sods law she wasnt there and hasnt appeared today. They want to speak to her, not the occupants of the house she goes to and will contact me when they have gotten hold of her. Once they have spoken to her, I have to phone them if she keeps doing it. They also mentioned that it might impact on my car insurance as its covered for being stored "on a private driveway". In the event of her causing damage to my car, then the insurance could claim that my driveway is in public use and nullify the policy.

If the police contact doesnt stop her, I will look into a chain and a no turning sign. I will also place some stategic planters, although it makes our own manouvering difficult. But I cant afford large gates, and dont see why I should have to barricade my garden. We have all lived here for years, every house gateless, and never have I or any other neighbour been seized with the impulse to drive over each others gardens. Why should I have the expence and and inconvenience because of one nutter who doesnt even live here.?

The admirably imaginative booby traps suggested are tempting, but the unfortunate truth is I would probably forget what I had done and end up ambushing myself Unfortunately I am strangely drawn to bollards !!

[BonzoDooDah]

Brilliant - great result from the police. Hopefully this gets sorted before one of your children gets hit by the nutter or your head explodes with rage

She does sound like the most extraordinary weirdo. Like she has a vendetta or something. V v v odd.

[BabylonPI]

Sorry it was me who said about the two numbers for the police - I know it's the same officers who deal with - I just had a bit of a dim moment there!!!

[Lolwhut]

Please don't forget to update, we all love anything parking related.

Good luck.

[Gentleness]

It is a bit thoughtless of her to have her headlights on full when she's turning into your drive - so easy to switch to half-beam or whatever it is called. then again, this never occurred to dh or my dad until I berated dad when he was turning in a terraced road once.

Maybe you could ask her to dim her lights when she's turning and that might lead to better relations all round.

[Gentleness]

Sorry - missed your last posts .

[PigletJohn]

spiked chain

outdoor padlocks

I would go for an eyebolt or ringbolt at each end, not a very strong one so that it will pull out of the wall or post rather than pull the wall over if someone drives into it.

You can paint the chain red and white if you want it to be eyecatching.

[bobbledunk]

Sounds from your last post like she's doing it on purpose, very weird. Hope you get it sorted. I know you shouldn't have to bear the expense but for the safety of your children it sounds like you really need a gate. Or at least a chain.

[Bellyjaby]

Glad you got somewhere with the police. Despite the flaming you got for it. This woman nearly drove over your child ffs. Though I'd have been minded to call them at the time that incident occurred. There's a bit of a fine line between the civil and criminal. The coming onto your land is probably covered by civil trespass. The coming onto your land and nearly running a kid over is probably criminal dangerous driving. I hope you get some resolution.

[IawnCont]

I would find that very annoying. More than anything, her refusing to acknowledge you when you're there. I have occasionally used someone's drive for reversing, when I am totally lost and there's no other way, but no way would I do it regularly.
I think you were wrong to call the police stupid.
Let us know what happens!

BTW, I used to live in a cul-de-sac of seven houses, and everybody hated their neighbours, all because of parking! It was crazy. We'd sometimes hear neighbours screaming at each other because a visitor had parked with one wheel on the pavement, or something.

[BumptiousandBustly]

I also think YANBU - It would drive me mad. Its your garden, and she has no right to use it as a road.

[UsedToBeAContender]

Wow, that's a very helpful response from the police. I'd be very interested to hear whether she actually stops now!
Good luck!

[mrsminerva]

The next time the woman does this get out there promptly, bump against her car, call the police and an amulance and sue her for as much as possible for personal injury and whiplash. That'll learn her!!!

[coolerking]

Good luck, I hope she gets the message and stops doing it, and that you don't get any comeback on it from the lovely family. If you do, report them to the police.

[ShutTheFrontDoor]

Well done and please, please update us.

[RagingDull]

so, are the police no longer stupid now they are doing what you want?