Parking on our drive.

[peaches1999]

We had a family day out today, and came back to someone parked on our drive. The car is still there. No sign of the owner.
Bloody cheek. Who does that?

[tobysmum77]

This is the most disappointing parking thread I've ever read.... they've moved it already

[DarthVadersTailor]

Hire a JCB to park in their drive OP. Then actually go on holiday

[peaches1999]

Sorry tobysmum, I should have maybe posted earlier .

I will update when I have spoken to the neighbours

[DaisyChain87]

So bad op! I hope your neighbours are mortified!!

This happened to me when I had just started dating DP about 5 years ago... We came back to my flat to find someone in my allocated space, DP blocked them in.

They knocked and asked to be let out about an hour later... Turns out that they were somebody DP manages at work. The look of horror on the man's face was unforgettable. Heh heh.

[FruChristerOla]

peaches, you are both being too nice about this. You tell your neighbours - under no uncertain terms - that THERE IS NO FUCKING WAY they think they have the right to allow their guests to park on your drive.

[lastnightiwenttomanderley]

I'm just disappointed it took so long for penguin collards to be mentioned...

[lastnightiwenttomanderley]

Gotta love autocorrect... I do say collards much more frequently...?!

[PizzaPower]

Reminds me of my younger days when I was a member of a band, we had our own car park attached to where we rehearsed. The only problem was members of the gym next door insisted on using it despite us repeatedly asking them not to, because of the layout we had to block each other in to get all the cars on. Often in the middle of a rehearsal we had people coming in asking us to move, answer was always, nope you can wait until we've finished, you've been told enough times!
One Friday morning we all arrived, parked up on got on a coach and went away for the weekend. It was only on our return Sunday evening (58 hours later) that we found out the car in the top corner well and truly blocked in wasn't one of ours, but a member of the gym who lost the use of her car for the weekend. She shouted and swore at us (until one member of the band showed her his police warrent card), however we had no more problems with people parking where they shouldn't.

[Lweji]

It's true, they could be lying.

In which case, you should have gone straight to the neighbours to check their story before moving the car.
Next time, make sure your OH goes to the kids and you handle the unwanted visitors.

[HuevosRancheros]

Thing is, if the neighbour did tell them to park on your drive, then they either a)phoned/texted before they arrived and told them to park there or b) they parked somewhere else (you say there was plenty of parking nearby) and they then moved after talking to your neighbour.

Both of which are odd

[BlueBlueSea]

When I lived in a flat, the house next door was not coverted and still a large family home. My neighbour was in her kitchen and saw someone park on her drive and go to walk off. She came out and asked why they had parked on the drive. He said he was an estate agent doing a viewing a few doors away and as the house was flats she could not tell him not to park there. She took great delight in explaining that the house was not flats and she certainly had the right to tell him not to park there and to move his car immediately.

[peaches1999]

We have lived here for 4 years and nothing like this has happened before.

I think I should have answered the door as I'm not as calm or level headed as my husband. I would have asked a lot more questions.


I will get answers tomorrow.

[Micah]

My mil actually does this. I was going round one day, late afternoon. she said @oh next door are out for the day, you can park in their drive".

I said no, I'm sure I'd be fine. She insisted. I get there, there's an on road parking space outside her house, park there. She gave me a right telling off, she told me to park next door, they're out. I just said well they'll come back at some point, tired from a day out, and why would I when there's a more convenient space anyway.

I have no idea why she got so upset. Thought she was doing me a favour?

[Goldmandra]

We and our neighbours park on each other's drive when someone is on holiday, partly because it makes it look like someone is home.

Perhaps you could tell your neighbours that you will let them know if you go away so they can do this legitimately while making it clear that you don't want it happening at any other time.

[Jux]

I think it's illegal to block someone from gaining access to their property, but you can block them in. So your trespasser was illegally parked. If you'd been in, and they'd parked there so you couldn't get your car out, they'd have been OK. I think.

We once had a total stranger park across our drive, thinking that someone else lived here. He was revenge parking because Someone always parked in his place. No one knows who the Someone was. The Madman insisted this person lived at our house but always stole his parking space (round the corner).

We needed to go out but the man wouldn't move his car, so dh called the cops, who arrived (tooled up too ). They did eventually persuade the guy to move his car. We were over an hour late. No one has the faintest idea who the real culprit is, even now, nearly 7 years on.

The space that was 'stolen' regularly enough to provoke the madman into action, was actually a public space on the road. Any of you could park in it if you wanted to. Hence the 'madman' epithet.

[Jux]

forgot why I posted - at some point during the fracas the police explained to dh which way round it was to be illegal, but it was a long time ago, which is why I've forgotten. Not very helpful.

[SirChenjin]

I think it's the other way around - you have a legal right to access the public highway, but not your driveway - so the police wouldn't do anything in the OPs case but would if she was trying to get out of her driveway. I could be wrong though

[ArabellaRockerfella]

OMG!! Can't believe the nerve of some people! If it were my husband he would have made them wait for hours and hours or even called the police! Your husband is far too nice!

[Woobeedoo]

Jux, it's the other way round. You cannot block someone's car on their driveway but if the driveway doesn't have a car on it, then you can park across it (but not on it, which happened to Op). Though I still wouldn't as it's rude.

[Jux]

Thanks, Woobeedoo.

Yes, it's damn rude!

[FruChristerOla]

Does anyone remember the thread where the OP (who lives in Switzerland) found a police car parked on her drive so she couldn't get her car out of her garage to go shopping? It turned out that there were suspicions that the police officer might have been shagging the OP's NDN, who had told her paramour that the OP was on holiday so he could park on her drive?

[SirChenjin]

I remember that! MN is better than all the soaps in the world added together and times infinity

[LazyLouLou]

I remember working and living in a pub many years ago. We had designated parking spaces. 1 quite ornate sign had been left up in memory of the man who had set up the pub, he was a bit of a local character.

One chancer parked in that space, thus blocking in 2 other cars. I eventually caught him as he parked - he had been doing this for a few weeks. He told me it was OK, he was just popping in to see someone in the office. I told him he was trespassing and causing a problem for some people.

He told me X had given him permission, pointed at the sign, and told me he had left spare keys with X so it could be moved.

He looked very shocked when I told him I wasn't going to the cemetery to get his keys and he should remove his car NOW!

X had been dead for about 30 years at that point. Young man left, moaning and groaning as he did. No word of apology, or shame, for the blatant lie!

[RachelRagged]

This happened to my parents a few times. . Off street parking right at front of their house (room for 3 motors) . The issue was that for years no building was there and a small chapel/church next door had used the land to park,. They assumed it was free parking. A few well placed metal No Parking signs helped.
They do let the cleaner and flower lady of church park there on occasion though if asked.

[TamzinGrey]

So what happened when you went round op? Please don't leave us in suspense.