Pissing off the neighbours with the parking...

[deleted203]

I'll try to keep to the basics. We have detached house with driveway on busy main road. Directly opposite us is a small cul de sac with bungalows full of retired folks. Because our drive will only take mine and DHs vehicle, DD1 has been parking her car across the road in the cul de sac, as there is nowhere else to leave it. She isn't across anyone's drive, they all have garages/drives, there are no yellow lines and she varies where she parks so that she isn't constantly in front of the same house.

However, we have had one gentleman come over the road to complain to us about this on more than one occasion. Apparently all the residents are fed up with this. We have been polite and asked if it is causing him problems, and he has said it isn't - but that everyone in the cul de sac is complaining that her car is always there. (He is actually the house on the junction and DD has never parked in front of his house, as it is obviously not a good place to leave a car!). We have pointed out that her car is taxed, MOT and insured and that it is not illegal for her to park there. We have explained that we have no wish to fall out with neighbours, but there is not really another place for her to park, particularly if she is on a late shift and arrives home at, say, 2.00am. His suggestion is that we speak to the hotel half a mile away and ask if she can leave her car there!

I understand that it can be annoying if someone parks their car outside your house, particularly if they are regularly doing so - but I'm at my wits end as to what to do. DHs opinion is that I should tell them to 'fuck off and live with it' but I don't want to fall out with people. So, AIBU? Should DD be looking for somewhere else to park? She could, actually, legally park outside our own house as there are no yellow lines, but we are on a bend on a fast main road and frankly, although legal, it would be a stupidly dangerous place to leave a car and would be likely to cause an accident.

AIBU to tell her to try to ignore the black looks - and if anyone challenges her, that she is simply to politely say that she is legally parked?

I think perhaps it is a cul-de-sac thing and although she's doing absolutely nothing illegal, it is annoying to have someone else's car parked outside your house all day. I guess apart from the issue of her potentially being noisy at 2am when she comes home, I'm guessing she's not moving the car in the early morning, so its there for large parts of the day.

When people buy a house on a main road, I'm guessing they're not necessarily doing it for the view / ability for children to play out on the street (although I accept that you say this cul de sac has some retired people in it). When you buy in a cul-de-sac, you are buying because its quiet / safer for children / its a pleasant view etc with an expectation that people park on their drives and I can completely understand that having a parked car there that doesn't belong to anyone on the cul-de-sac is a bit of an imposition.

Can someone in the house not park on the main road (away from the bend)?

I don't get with the 'park the van there' hilarity, why would you deliberately want to piss someone off?

I lived in West London for 8 years - didn't get to park outside my own house once!
I agree, if they don't like your DDs car then park the van there and see if they prefer that!
Keep us updated though.

I think I must be missing the point, but just what is annoying about having a car parked outside your house? (Assuming it's not blocking you or is a huge van etc). Particularly if you have a drive and front garden so are presumably reasonably set back from the road?

Don't want to sound peevish, just genuinely curious why a parked car could be an irritant.

A cul de sac is not a private road tell them to get lost.

Sounds like you /your DD is being very reasonable given your circumstances. Old people don't like change and especially have an attitude toyoungsters and perhaps wondered what she is up to and why can't park in front of own property without realising. I would say that we had a neighbour who would park both cars outside our house as their property driveway was full of cars (young adults at home) and they were on a bendy bit but when we eventually spoke to them and they could see it from our point of view they realised that instead of it being difficult for them it was now difficult for us. They just hadn't realised with not having to drive from our driveway. They now just park one of their cars outside our and one outside theirs which is much better for them and makes life easier for us. Talking really helps. or at least it can if everyone tries to understand. Wish you luck as I wouldn't mind having more helpful/considerate neighbours around Oh Yes, we offered them the use of our drive when we are away so that helps them and us as house looks occupied and they get cars off the road completely then.

What BsshBossh said. Your DD is working odd hours so 'if she is on a late shift ... arrives home at, say, 2.00am.' So they're probably being woken up by her. Why not park your car there and have your DD park on your drive.

YY sovery I have the same thing - on-street parking, narrow pavement, tiny front garden.

If someone parks a large vehicle outside it blocks light to my living room. But what can they do? I'd look mad if I asked them to move. Luckily people here move about a lot, so it doesn't happen all the time.

Perhaps if it did I might ask someone to swap their parking space around, but I'd ask them nicely because they don't have to do it.

And yes, I've had much more annoying neighbour problems than parking, too.

My elderly parents live in a cul-de-sac and all the residents complain if someone parks on the road.

I've talked to them in the past and FYI the main issues are - spoils the view, limits space for people 3-point turning out of the cul-de-sac, limits parking space for visitors, inhibits space for people reversing out of their drives, limits visability for anyone reversing out of their drives, lowers the tone of the road (everyone else thoughtfully parks on their own drive), is just generally objectionable because no-one else does it and causes an obstruction for children playing.

You're not doing anything illegal and should just tell them that and carry on as you are, but the above are the things they are grumbling about amongst themselves, particularly if they've lived there for ages and no-one has ever done this before.

I am voting for the big van in the cul de sac - i wonder will they complain to your DH lol

YANBU at all

I would also call with the other neighbours 1st - if they all have a problem then i'm afraid it would be the van getting parked outside their houses