Is this note I am about to leave for a neighbour U?

[eggwhitesandsugar]

We bought a house with a parking space. Official spaces are at a premium here (one per property). We only sometimes need our space for a friend's car - mostly we park in front of our house. Sometimes there isn't room in front of our house so we also need the space. The space is around the corner from our house, so a) not convenient and b) not immediately obvious it belongs to our house although it clearly belongs to 'a house' as it's in front of a garage.

Since the end of the summer someone has been parking in our space regularly. We left a note in October (AIBU said I was NBU then) asking for some contact details - we don't mind them using their space when we don't need it but we want to be able to get them to move if we do need it, since we paid for the space with the house.

Their response was to park directly opposite our house for the next two weeks, but at least we could use our space again!

In the last week they've been back there. There is space away from the immediate area by our houses and they should have a space of their own as well directly in front of their flat. We have already once needed to use the space and not been able to do so, hence note #2:

"Hi,

This is the parking space that belongs to [house no.]. As we explained in the last note we left we don't always need it and don't mind so much when you use it.

However we do need to be able to contact you and ask you to move your car when we need the space or to move large furniture from the garage - this has already happened once and we couldn't contact you and had to park elsewhere. That was quite annoying as we bought the house with a space and had already asked for your details.

Please can you pop your details (name/number) over, or knock on the door and say hi.

Thanks,

[Eggs & DP]"

Is it too U? Are there tones of Hyacinth Bucket?

Sorry, even if your car is smaller than your friends, you say yourself that your friend isn't there all the time and the space is often vacant which means that one space is free.

Parking a smaller car in the street makes very little difference as you can't park an extra car in the foot or so of space that gives.

I've just noticed you have a garage too. So you have a garage, park in front of it, and have a space too? No wonder your neighbours are pissed off.

Seasick - op's garage is behind the house.

So what you are saying is if you are lucky enough to have a garage you don't get to park outside your front door?

Don't agree with that at all.

I wouldn't dream of parking in front of some else's garage.

I definitely would not say you don't mind them using it when you don't need it. They have taken advantage of that and now need to stop. Every time the space is empty they will use it as you can't using at that precise time and are either too thick or entitled to think this space is empty now but they may need it in 10 minutes so I won't park where I am not allowed, and which I do not own.

I think you are being too nice too. Tell them to stop parking there.

If they don't, install a lockable bollard, while their car is in the space. Leave a note so they have to contact you to get the car released.

You are far too nice and also inconsistent. They are not mind readers and need to be told its either ok to park in that space or it's not, no prevaricating. I would say in the event that they do not stop, you will have no choice but to erect lock-and-key bollards over the site.

Agree you are being too apologetic and sending out conflicting messages.

It's completely irrelevant how often you use the space. It belongs to you. When you do want to use it why should you have to faff around contacting someone (who may be out) to get them to move it?

Short and sweet - "this is a private parking space. Please stop using it"

If that fails, a further message to say you will be arranging for the car to be towed.

Another vote for a lockable bollard. The space is yours. You need it free whenever you or your friends decide to use it. If you give them any indication it is ok sometimes they will keep parking there or in front of your house when they can't.
Eternals story is a case in point.

It doesn't matter where it is. The OP has 3 potential parking spaces. A garage, a space and the space outside their house. And only one of them is ever used.

It would be really frustrating for a neighbour who can't park their car in their own street to see someone else has three places to park and is using only one.

And it's not the OPs dedicated space outside her house anyway, anybody can park there for as long as they want.

Yes, anybody can park on the street in front of the OP's house and that includes the OP. In a sense, she has paid for a choice.

Yes but if parking is difficult then it is annoying to have a space you are not using and using a space someone else could use.

Absolutely do not give permission for neighbour to park there.

If you must write a note, make it one pointing out that it is your space, it is needed at all times and they must not park there at all.

Give an inch, and all that...

Thanks for all the replies. I think the majority opinion is that we are being too nice. We had some neighbours over for DP's birthday party this afternoon so I asked and no one knows this person but they know someone who might (who we also know).

So, going to make one last attempt to speak to them in person (find out who they are from our mutual friend) and then a final note. We are also going to copy a lot of the spaces and paint our number on - because the garage is away from the house it's not obvious it is ours.

We can't park a car in the garage, it's too narrow (German DP swears a lot at "shitty small English garages") so we are using it for furniture/storage. I don't know anyone in our street who can fit their car in their garage.

DP does use our space in the week, when it is free and sometimes he parks in front of our house - depends how he is feeling. Currently he mostly parks in front of our house. When we park in our space (we've lived here for a while so we have done off and on) no one parks in front of our house unless there is a party. It's the space by the garages that is at a premium as there is a block of flats and only one space per flat. The people in the flats don't park further down in the street (by our house, by other houses) - they prefer to double park (or in this person's case, take our space) closer to their flats.

"It would be really frustrating for a neighbour who can't park their car in their own street to see someone else has three places to park and is using only one."

SeaSickSal - then they need to buy a house with a garage, drive, etc.

Do not let them park there. Ever
It's been 7 years for me and people still use my space, it's my only one. If they don't park in it, they park behind me and block me in
Get firm now. If that doesn't work, get shitty and start looking at bollards
I did nice and it didn't work. You don't want this dragging on for ages, it's your space, private property, end of matter

I think your note is too detailed. Just tell them you don't want them parking in your space, using your property or harassing you, or you will find out who they are and call the police re said harassment.

My neighbour did this for a while. So I parked my horsebox in front of his house for a couple of days. He never did it again.

Is the parking space your property?

I have to say that I agree, having a parking space and then deciding not to use it and park on the street in a place where you say space is at a premium is BU.

I agree with Pipbin and others. You should use the space yourselves and free up one of the scarce on street spaces. Plus you say the space is well away from your property and doesn't have your number on it. Maybe the neighbour doesn't realise it's your space. I know you've sent them one note before but they may not have even seen it (if it blew away or if they turned their windscreen wipers on before noticing it). If using it and painting your number on doesn't make them stop using it then I would install a lockable bollard.