New neighbours...am I overreacting?

[3sugarsplease]

Last week we had new neighbours move next door to us. We live in a semi detached house and our house and the new neighbours house are the only homes at the end of the drive - with a little courtyard where we have two car parking spaces each.

On the day they moved in. 5 cars descended outside our house blocking our car in aswell as a removal man. No one came to our door introduced themselves, said hello - nothing. It was only when we needed to leave the house that I had to ask them to move their car so we could leave. Upon our return our car parking space has turned into their own private rubbish heap - broken chairs, ripped up carpet, electric cables etc. Our other space keeps being occupied my another one of their cars. I don't feel comfortable parking down the drive on the road as its busy street and I can't get our 14 week old DS out of the car in his seat.

It's day 5 now and the constant banging is driving me bonkers (granted I'm sleep deprived) but they are drilling up until 9pm at night. It's hard getting DS down for naps and when he goes down at 7 he's woken up but the drilling/banging.

It's now 5 days in... AIBU to pop round for a polite word?

What are you waiting for? Just go and speak to them about the parking. If they want to try to prove your spaces are theirs, let them.

'Go round with a bottle of wine, tell them welcome to the neighbourhood and, oh, by the way, would they mind moving their rubbish from your parking space, so that you can park your car by your house? '

Yes, when people treat you shabbily, reward them with wine and a plea to shift their crap out of your space. Come, hen, let me check your forehead. Yep, the word MUG is there.

You need to grow a spine, OP. This doesn't mean being rude, but it means being assertive.

Just say something! Stop pussyfooting around.

Go and introduce yourself and ask if they've settled in okay and then casually mention about the car parking spaces.

If they continue to park in your spaces you will have to think again.

I know some people don't like confrontation, but some of the suggestions on this thread are frankly ridiculous.

Move house? Really? All that hassle and expense when a simple polite conversation will probably sort things out? Ditto call the police, involve the landlord and other neighbours, calling the council to report fly tipping?

Seriously what the fuck is wrong with people that any of these options would be the first step? These are fall back options if you've tried politely speaking to them several times and they're being difficult. Most people are reasonable and will respond to a polite request. A few are awkward cunts but they are generally the minority. Ffs knock on the door and have a conversation. If you really can't face this then drop a note through the door saying the same, although I think it would be much much better in person.

I'm telling you what would make me obstructive and difficult and it wouldn't be someone politely telling me what the crack was, it would be getting a call from the council or police telling me which parking spaces were mine when the neighbour hadn't even bothered to have a word!

Imo, it is only polite to welcome new neighbours with a house warming gift. Why expect the stressed, busy new neighbours to come to you? They might well be thinking the OP is an unwelcoming cow who deserves to have her parking space blocked. That's what happens when nobody talks to anybody else. That said, it is illegal to fly tip and anyone who thinks it is OK to dump their rubbish outside their house rather than pay for a skip and a skip licence to do it properly deserves a massive fine for breaking the law.

So, either they know they are being antisocial or they think the rubbish is on their private property. Talking to them and welcoming them to the neighbourhood is the best way to have a chance of a happy outcome.

Why not invite them around for a bottle of beaujolais nouveau?

Despite blocking in your vehicles, using your property as a rubbish tip and doing building work in the evenings, these people are clearly good, kind and considerate.

update, OP?