Neighbour won't park in their garage

[crystalcmps]

Hello, I've browsed these forums for ages but now have a question I've been pondering for some time that I hope people can help me with.

We've lived in our house for 3 years. It's a terrace on a private road of about 10 houses. All the neighbours are friendly and mostly get on with each other.

The family on one side are usually ok, although have been driving me up the wall lately.

Since before we moved to the street, this family have insisted in parking in a space further down the street which really should be our space, as we are one of the few houses without a garage. However, we didn't let it get to us and just parked outside our house. I know it annoyed the previous owners.

Now, the family are renting a garage and still insist on parking in this space which I think seems rather unfair as they are using their garage purely for storage and could quite easily fit the car inside. I reckon it's simply because it's quicker for them to park in the space rather than having to open and close the garage door, but it means that they are effectively denying us of a space. There are no other spare spaces in the street so we have to park in front of the house which makes it hard to get in and out of the front door as we need to park right by the door.

Should I ignore things or have a word with them? Or are they entitled to do what they want?

Help greatly appreciated!

[trinity0097]

Have you ever tried parking a modern sized car in a garage and successfully got out of the car?! Just last year we had to help an elderly neighbour who had got stuck in his Nissan micra (old style, so small!) in his garage!!!

[BrokenSunglasses]

So the garage that you want them to use isn't even on their property, it's just one that they rent for storage?

YABVU.

I have a garage, it's never had a car in it all the time I've lived here. It gets used for storage otherwise the only space I would have left to store stuff would be the middle of the living room. Strangely enough, I'm not prepared to do that so that someone who has no more right to a parking space than me can use it instead.

These people are not denying you a space when they park there any more than you are denying them a space when you park there. The fact that they rent a garage is completely irrelevant to the lack of parking on your road.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

YABVVVVVU.

We have a garage, it's full of shitloads of stuff because our house is small and we have nowhere to put some of our stuff. Also, the garage is down an alleyway which we don't feel confident parking in when it's dark. Plus, parking on the road is much closer to the house. It's a no brainer.

[SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood]

I too would like to know if everyone on yhe street struggles to open their front door

[LovelyWench223]

Down to the fact that they are paying for their garage and are entitled to use it as they wish, YABU.

Also generally in terms of insurance it works out more expensive at the moment to keep your car in the garage than it does on the street, sometimes by hundreds of pounds. This may also be a factor.

[towicymru]

It is irritating when you can't park outside of your house but that's life! Our old house was close to a tube station so we had lots of commuters park down our road and a lot of them used to make comments about why I was parked on the road taking up 'their' space when I could use my garage. Problem was, garage was not wide enough for a modern car (and even if it had been, I can't tell you the amount of times a commuter parked blocking some/all of the entrance to said garage!)

Cant you ask them if you can park in front of their garage if there is no space on the road?

[Sparklingbrook]

Why is it more expensive insurance-wise to keep your car in the garage Lovely?

[ivykaty44]

Sparkling - because you will have a nice big garage so more likely to be robbed as you probably have a nice big house to go with it and a nice expensive car. Insurance isn't worked out on logic but stats

[Trills]

Statistically you are more likely to scrape or prang you car trying to get it into the garage (and then tying to open the doors without hitting a bike or lawnmower or fridge) than you are if you park it outside.

Try it next time you are looking for insurance.

[neepsandtatties]

If 'your' parking space in nowhere near your house, then I bet that (several) other neighbours consider it 'their' parking space, and get pissed off both with you, and with 'neighbour with the audacity to have a garage'. There are probably other parallel AIBU threads going on all over the place! If you bought a house without allocated parking, then I'm afraid it's first come first served and YABU for moaning about it (the presence of the garage is irelevant)

[MrsMook]

We have a double garage and our mid-size family cars have never been in it as the doorway is snug to get into, and then there's insufficient width between the doorway and walls to allow access in and out of the car, especially with two young DC in car seats. It's very rare on our estate for garages to be used to store cars.

Our neighbours treat the turning circle of our road as a private carpark which can be irritating as we need it to turn and face the right direction after reversing off our drive. I've had to reverse down the entire road when it's been fully blocked before now. Sometimes you just have to suck these things up.

Remembers living in a student house of 8 with 4 cars, and my housemates wondering why there was a parking problem... (One had a car because she was a wheelchair user, the other 3 needed them to get to late night jobs not on bus routes). Modern transport needs just don't match the exisiting housing stock... (nor what's being built most of the time...)

[Sparklingbrook]

I will have to ring Direct Line and ask them what discount I will get if I park on the road instead of in the garage then.

[LovelyWench223]

That's exactly it ivykaty. That and the fact that most garages are adjoined to the property and if somebody breaks into your house and steals your keys they know which is your car whereas on the road it could be any.

It's definitely worth a try, checking this so long as the cost isn't offset by lost wing mirrors (damn my narrow street)

[pictish]

OP - I know this is annoying for you, but there really is nothing to be done.

The man over the road always parks outside our house, even though he can easily park outside his own. He's got a massive car as well.
We don't own the space, so we got over being irritated a long time ago and just work round it.

Yabu to take their garage into account. Their garage their choice. I'd only want a garage for storage.

Just one of those things. They obviously don't much care for being considerate, but neither do they have to - they're allowed to park there if they like.

[BaronessBomburst]

I'm another one who thinks you should just park in front of their garage then.

I'm still confused as to how parking close to your front door makes it difficult to get in the house. Does your door open out onto the street then, as opposed to opening into the house?

[pictish]

I'm another one who is intrigued by this idea that parking right outside your house obstructs you from opening the front door and walking in. Sounds weird.

[allmycats]

If you so envy them their garage why don't you rent one.

[Trills]

If the street is "full" then if you don't park in front of your house then won't someone else have to park in front of your house?

[Madamecastafiore]

Do people actually put their cars in garages anymore?

Even PIL who is of the George and Mildred/Harold & Hilda camp leave their car on the driveway.

[sebsmummy1]

I've read the whole thread and have some sympathy. Parking issues are so contentious!!!!! In fact so much so we ruled out so many houses whilst looking for our new one because of potential parking issues alone.

It sounds from your posts that even if you neighbour chose not to park his car in the rented garage, he could definitely park outside of it leaving you free to utilise his space on the road?

The problem is I suspect, that he feels he has the right to use the space on the road, it is convenient to do so and you should park your car outside if your house. So to him it is a total non issue.

The only way you stand a cat in he's chance of sorting this is to go round and plead your case. You have two choices. You can either ask if there is anyway he would consider allowing you to use the space in the road he usually occupies and he use his garage area.

Or, and this is a goodun!! Ask if you can rent the area in front of his garage from him on a weekly basis as you are having real access problems parking in front of your house and can see he prefers to park in the road. Starting the conversation from this angle might lead you to be able to tell him how difficult you are finding things and he may turn out to be a good egg, and say 'oh I had no idea!! No need I shall park in front if garage myself, no problem'.

[SpecialAgentFreyPie]

Oh for goodness sake of course YABU.

If you actually talk to them about 'how and where' they should park they will either nod and smile with an internal fuck you and make it deliberating annoying, or opening tell you to do one.

I think in this scenario it's better to be mildly annoyed by it than actually piss your neighbours off about something that frankly, isn't your business. They may have a very good reason for not parking in their garage -even if you can see it- and you could really hit a nerve.

Let it go.

[SpecialAgentFreyPie]

*Openly.

Talking to them really won't end well, I can already envision the 'AIBU to think my neighbour is rude and interfering?' thread.

Which of course will get totally different responses. Agree with whoever said parking is emotive!

[Beastofburden]

why dont you rent a garage too?

Seems odd to complain that they have rented one and arent using it the way you'd like.

When you arent even renting one

[mattsmadmum]

sorry yabu you dont own the road outside your house anymore than i do