aibu to be pissed of neighbours parking in my parking space?

[Rebecca2014]

I rent a house and we have two allocated parking spaces that come with the property. I live in a very quiet area where it is not hard to find somewhere to park.

My ex was the only driver in our household so when he moved out, obviously the car spaces were empty all the time. The neighbours have not picked up on this and I noticed different people parking in my parking spaces. It is really pissing me off, just because it is empty doesn't give them the right to use my spaces?

Tomorrow morning if the car still there I be putting a letter on his car and if it continues to happen I will take it further. Aibu to be pissed of about this? shall I just let them use my parking spaces because I don't have a car?

They are your parking spaces. No one should park in them without permission. If there's loads of other parking, why should they need to? My drive is free most days. I don't expect to get home and find someone parked there because it was empty.
It's just rude. You are paying for use of the spaces. They are yours. I know someone who has stopped people parking in their unused parking space by putting a massive flower tub in the middle!

Bit of a faff if you are expecting visitors or tradesmen who'll need a space so you have to go out and find who's parked there and ask them to budge. Otherwise unless their vehicles leave pools of oil I don't see that htere's a problem but agree it's just manners to ask.

Come to think of it if you weren't renting but owned the property, you might well worry by the time you sell up and move, if the neighbours are used to parking there it might have become 'accepted practice' and the buyer might have trouble dissuading them in future.

The difference between freehold and allocated spaces- If it's freehold you own it just as you own the land your house stands on. I used to have an allocated space. That meant that the land wasn't ours, it was shared and belonged to all the residents just like the private road and shrubs etc were. BUT there were covenants in the deeds to the house that specified the house came with the right to use the marked parking spaces. Nobody else had the right to use our specific spaces.

think i might put a note saying that it is actually an allocated parking space but as it is not currently in use by yourself then you would be happy to come to some agreement over use if they would like to call to discuss. leave a number to contact you and take it from there, just be clear that its your to have first refusal for guests / future changes in plan, get them to sign something to agree this with a number to contact them for removal of their car when space is needed then just get on with your life having done someone a good deed.

Rebecca also agree here that you are not being unreasonable to expect someone to ask if they can use your paid-for parking space.

If OP is expecting a visitor, or a delivery, and has told that person they can park in one (or both) of her allocated spaces, then she would have every right to be annoyed if said space(s) were then to be occupied by an unexpected someone else.

We have similar where we live. Private houses, private road, but we live fairly close to a school, so parents think it is okay to just park outside our houses for drop-off and pick-up times. That equates to parking in someone's drive or garden, and it is not acceptable. I have had words with parents, especially when I have been expecting a visitor or a delivery (we run a business from home, so have lots of deliveries and visitors). Therefore, the space outside OUR home on OUR part of the road is OURS, for OUR use.
Rented accommodation - same rules apply. The space is part of the rent, therefore, you have a say as to who parks in it. If not in use, then fine - but it would be polite for that someone to ask.

Eccles suggestion is a good one

Op yanbu and people calling you a control freak etc are bu. Its your space why wouldnt you want it treated any differently than someone elses front drive/garden

Would it be harsh to suggest carrying some sharp nails across the car parking space on a really wobbly tray (being extra careful not to drop any of course)?

Of course you should have exclusive rights to use that space and not the neighbours. As far as I'm concerned, if its your space, its your space, whether owned or rented doesn't matter.

I agree with all the garden comments too. Why should it be any different to you setting up a deckchair in someone else's garden because they get more sun than you and they aren't using it at the time?

I agree that there it makes no difference whether the OP rents or owns her flat. I also don't see why it would make a difference where the parking spot is. It's no less your spot because it isn't an actual driveway.

Caltrops is what you need.

YANBU at all. As others have said, it's your parking space and if they use it all the time, they're going to think they're entitled to do so which might cause issues further down the line. Not to mention if you have visitors or deliveries or the plumber etc.

I have neighbours who park on my actual garden

We don't have pathways where I live, and the road is very thin so I often come home to find some twat parked on my garden.

But according to some patrick it would be fine because you weren't using it.

I don't actually care if anyone parks in my drive when I'm at work because I'm not using it. I genuinely can't understand why people are getting so riled about a neighbour using the OP's space, when the OP doesn't have a car. And it's not even as if her space is in her driveway. Genuinely astonished at the amount of people who would get their knickers in a twist about this.

I send my dcs out with the football.

I think op if you posted this on a different day you would get a totally different reaction.

I can't understand how many uber tolerant people are on here today.

Quite funny reading Isabellapong getting all het up over op getting het up. I think Isabella is being unreasonable lol

Oh FFS. Why is the OP being unreasonable. She pays rent for the space.. it's hers.

I can fit six cars on my driveway - should people be able to use them just because we both work and aren't in during the day? Of course they bloody shouldn't!

I don't actually care if anyone parks in my drive when I'm at work because I'm not using it

I somehow think if this were to happen regularly without permission, you wouldn't be too keen.

It's the principle. I'm sure if they had asked her nicely, she'd probably have said yes.

A driveway is not the same as a parking space. You know its not. So I can only conclude those people comparing the two as if equal are deliberately goading.

not the same no, but the principle is the same

no it isn't

If I wasn't using them I don't think I'd mind but then again if it's causing visitors to your house not able to get a parking space then I would be unhappy and would say something!
We have a space outside our house just on street parking and our neighbours opposite have a large drive that would hold 3-4 cars yet they insist in parking one of their cars in our space meaning we have to park further away... Dh lost the plot one day when he was trying I carry ds in his infant car seat and all the shopping and he shouted loudly about other people parking in front of the house and him having to park down the street especially knowing we had a young baby.... Well they must have heard because they now actually use their drive!! X