Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

AIBU?

Parking on my Drive

120 replies

Granitetopping · 08/01/2013 23:28

I own a house with a drive which is a single track - just wide enough for one car. My next door neighbour doesn't have a drive but she does have a car. She regularly parks on my drive when there are no more spaces on the road. I have asked her many many times not to park on my property - which is clearly marked as a private drive.

She is a single parent with a young child and I sometimes feel that I am bullying her when I ask her to move her car. I get so fed up with contantly banging on her door. She always apologies and moves her car - but I would like to formally warn her not to park again with a strongly worded letter from my solicitor because the thought of driving home each night and wondering if she is parked there again is slowly driving me mad.

AIBU to threaten her with a letter- or should I be more charitable?

OP posts:

Report

HollyBerryBush · 09/01/2013 06:28

I live on a street where parking is of a premium.

We're actually nice to each other and drive share, swap forecourts, tell each other if we are going out so visitors can use the drive etc. We deliberately park on the others drive if they are on holiday so the house doesnt look empty to burglars.

I do find this overwhelming need to establish territory quite unfathomable.

I think the Big Q is: do you use your drive? is this inconveniencing you or just pissing you off? if it's the former you have a valid complaint, if it's the latter, help your neighbour out now and again.

But I suppose if it is driving you insane, then shut your gates, or put a large tub at the bottom of your drive.

nowt queerer thank folk

AllOverIt · 09/01/2013 06:36

I agree with blocking her in and getting her to come and ask you to move your car...

Sugarice · 09/01/2013 06:37

You've asked her numerous times not to do it and she has blatantly ignored you.

Can you afford a bollard, if so that's the best deterrent other than gates.

I'd sooner spend the money on this rather than a solicitorto be honest.

BoneyBackJefferson · 09/01/2013 07:06

"HollyBerryBush"

Did you read all of the OP?

This bit might answer some of your questions

"the thought of driving home each night and wondering if she is parked there again is slowly driving me mad."

fairylightsandtinsel · 09/01/2013 07:37

I think next time, rather than asking her to move the car, ask her why she thinks she is allowed to park on it - does she KNOW it is a private, not shared drive. Either she doesn't, and you can set her straight, or she does and will be left with a bit of a problem to explain. I do it to the kids I teach, you don't ask IF they are chewing gum, but WHY? There is no good answer to why you are knowingly breaking a rule and it is more effective.Having had this conversation with her, I think then the next step is to block her in next time and then she has to come to you, whereupon you can make the point again that this is what you will HAVE to do if she is on YOUR drive.

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 09/01/2013 07:38

Narkerd makes a good point re solicitor's letter and implications if you want to sell.

StuntGirl · 09/01/2013 07:41

I would imagine that as the OP has a car that she needs to park on her own driveway then yes, it is inconveniencing her!

Why on earth would being pissing off with someone trespassing on your property be considered "queer"? This isn't a parking-in-front-of-your-house thread, in those instances the house owners have no right to stop anyone parking there. This woman is actually driving onto someone else's property and leaving her car there.

I agree with everyone else OP - get a chain and a padlock.

fuckadoodlepoopoo · 09/01/2013 07:48

How annoying!

Sugarice · 09/01/2013 07:58

I am clearly very queer about our drive then .

Nothing has my teeth grinding more than self entitled parking twattery!

HollySheet · 09/01/2013 08:06

Block her in! Block her in!

and then come back and tell us her reactions.

GrimmaTheNome · 09/01/2013 08:09

Solicitors letters/towing come at a price - also not quite sure what action the solicitors letter can threaten which you couldn't do yourself...try fairylights 'why?' first and then when if that fails get a chain or other barrier.

If you really want to be 'charitable', you could tell her that between certain hours on weekdays when you're at work she can stop for 15minutes to unload shopping so long as she promptly reparks her car. But that if you ever see her car on your drive again you will have to put on a chain which will stop her being able to have this benefit. That would give her some motivation to not abuse your kindness.

pingu2209 · 09/01/2013 08:12

I would put up a small fence across the bottom of my drive. Or I will put a rope across. It is a small sign that means you won't need to write a letter that may need to be declared if you ever decide to move!

realcoalfire · 09/01/2013 08:16

I think a bollard is the best idea. I am not sure what legal action other than a letter from a solicitor would be feasible.She is doing nothing illegal.I think maybe a tort for trespass, but that would be prohibitively expensive I fear.

GrimmaTheNome · 09/01/2013 08:28

She is doing nothing illegal
is it really not illegal to leave an unwanted item onto someone else's property?

StuntGirl · 09/01/2013 08:29

She is doing something illegal, trespassing for one!

FarrahFawcettsFlick · 09/01/2013 08:31

www.barriersdirect.co.uk/barriers-and-bollards-c1118/bollards-c1022/parking-telescopic-retractable-bollards-c1024

A bit pricey for the auto retractable ones. You can get manual lockable ones. Or chains if that would work, basically get a physical barrier.

Don't bother with a solicitors letter - costly, not sure how you would actually enforce the non-parking and you would have to disclose when selling.

SantasENormaSnob · 09/01/2013 08:48

Have a bollard put in when she's parked there.

Tell her it's permanent.

valiumredhead · 09/01/2013 08:48

Put up a physical barrier - a solicitor will be extremely costly and tbh I doubt they will be interested in taking it further, also as Farrah says you don't want to have to disclose it when you sell.

valiumredhead · 09/01/2013 08:50

Those barriers are cheap compared to a solicitor's letter!

MrsBucketxx · 09/01/2013 09:00

I had a problem like this and in the end it got so stressfull I moved. My neighbours kept parking on my drive which culminated in me eight months pregnant about to smash her Mercedes with a rolling pin.

Bollards are the way to go if you can afford it or nice electric gates.

Clamping companies will charge about 30 quid a year ish. But 200 a times if she gets towed, I was about to do this when I moved.

valiumredhead · 09/01/2013 09:02

I share a drive - we are forever knocking on each other's doors asking to shift the car.

OP does she actually block you in?

MrsBucketxx · 09/01/2013 09:06

I share a drive again now but theres no issue with my neighbours now.

Common sense is all thats needed.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Toughasoldboots · 09/01/2013 09:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pippinintherain · 09/01/2013 09:26

I share a drive and expect to have to move cars around.

OP however has her own drive and shouldn't have to put up with people parking on it.

No one would be happy if their neighbours started using their garden for BBQs etc, so why should op put up with this cheeky cow taking the piss?

FeckOffCup · 09/01/2013 09:41

She is a cheeky cow, could you put the wheelie bin across the end of the drive when your car isn't in it as a temporary measure and see if that gets the message across that the drive is off limits, and then think about chains/bollards if she still does it.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.