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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed at neighbour's parking habits?

50 replies

MrsExpo · 10/09/2016 12:46

Ok ... some of you are going to tell me to get a grip, but anyway ...

We live in a house with a block paved frontage providing generous and adequate parking, for three cars side by side, or four if we close up a bit. Our next door neighbour has a similar amount of space, and the two drive ways are open to each other. The only thing which indicates the boundary is a change in the block paved surface: no fence or anything. Both households own two cars.

In spite of having generous amounts of space, our neighbour insists on parking his vehicle (a large 4x4) within inches of the boundary. So close, in fact that he can't open his car door without it overhanging our drive and he can't get out of his car without his feet actually landing on our drive as he does so.

The other day, OH actually watched him drive up, back in, then pull out again and move closer to the boundary!!!! Even though there was acres of spare space between him and his wife's car which was already on the drive. Needless to say OH is getting pretty fed up, but in every other respect the people are lovely neighbours. Would you say something or just put up with the guy's behaviour.

OP posts:
wowfudge · 10/09/2016 12:49

Leave it. Unless this is causing you a problem it's not worth saying it doing anything. You could park as far over as possible so he has to climb out of the passenger side - that might make him realise how daft he is being.

SmokingGun · 10/09/2016 12:50

Couldn't you put a little fence up or plant pots on the boundary line?

Myusernameismyusername · 10/09/2016 12:51

Get those big round shiny stones - I see people using them all the time as a boundary!

MrsJoeyMaynard · 10/09/2016 12:56

Maybe get some big rocks or plant pots just tall enough to stop a car door from opening and put them along the boundary line?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/09/2016 13:02

Put your car there for a few days so he can't step out onto your parking bit.

We have no fences, it does make it easier TBH, if they're just stepping out but our space is much less. (Two cars )

Wellywife · 10/09/2016 13:09

When he's parked there, park right next to him on your boundary so that he can't get back into his car.

Summerwood1 · 10/09/2016 13:39

That would drive me 'mad' too. Can you not start parking more towards his boundary so that he has to park further over his side?

Dailymailisacrapnewspaper · 10/09/2016 13:48

Out your wheely bin there for a bit or a large planter

TheWitTank · 10/09/2016 14:03

I too would park my car up to the boundry (reversed in so I exited on my side of the boundry). Probably doesn't want to spoil him view from the window!

WhereYouLeftIt · 10/09/2016 14:36

Yes I would park up right on the boundary myself. If possible with a car that didn't have to move for quite some time, a couple of days at least. This will mean he will have to leave space to get out of his car. It may break the habit he is acquiring.

SlightlyperturbedOwl · 10/09/2016 14:40

Have you got DCs? If so, wait til he's out of the car but not yet in the house and send them to walk down the gap between his car and yours pushing their bikes- after all they will be on your land if he's parking that far over.

ChicRock · 10/09/2016 14:45

So you're getting fed up with your neighbor placing his feet on your drive a few times a day?

Seems a bit petty, if you were to say something what exactly would you say?

ijustwannadance · 10/09/2016 15:03

Maybe his wife is crap at parking or needs extra space to get into her car. Small children?

ShoeEatingMonster · 10/09/2016 15:30

My neighbour does this. They also let their kids rollerskate on our drive because there's has stones. When we finally get round to redoing the drive were going to put up a fence!

allsfairinlove · 10/09/2016 15:31

That is odd. I agree with the suggestions about putting boundary stones or plants etc.

AntiHop · 10/09/2016 16:00

I can't see how this is causing you any harm?

honeysucklejasmine · 10/09/2016 16:03

Very petty but also hugely annoying! Definitely put in a boundary marker which would stop him doing it.

Original poster
MrsExpo · 10/09/2016 16:08

We don't mind him walking on our drive as such. If it were a tight space and it was the only way he could comfortably get out of his car, we'd be fine about it. But it's the deliberate placing of the car with the tyres just inches from the boundary, as if he's trying to make a point of some sort (I have no idea what!) that's so irritating. He could park 2 feet further over and still have masses of room.

We don't have small children, but the planters/decorative rocks etc ideas are good. We could, of course, man up and ask him why he's doing it .....!!

OP posts:
RaspberryOverload · 10/09/2016 16:12

ChicRock Sat 10-Sep-16 14:45:47

So you're getting fed up with your neighbor placing his feet on your drive a few times a day?

Seems a bit petty, if you were to say something what exactly would you say?

I don't actually think it's that petty. If left unchecked, how long before he's actually parking on OP's drive?

allsfairinlove · 10/09/2016 16:18

it's the deliberate placing of the car with the tyres just inches from the boundary, as if he's trying to make a point of some sort (I have no idea what!) that's so irritating. He could park 2 feet further over and still have masses of room.

Exactly this. I think some people feel the need to claim all of their space and then some. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine too.

RichardBucket · 10/09/2016 16:24

I can't say this would bother me but a few large potted plants would look lovely on your boundary...

Believeitornot · 10/09/2016 16:25

Park right up against the boundary.

OurBlanche · 10/09/2016 16:38

DSis had a neighbour like that. 6 houses with individual driveways off a communal drive in (iyswim). The developer appended the communal bit to the last house completed... sadly the owner of that house sold it to a total twat who insisted that, regardless of the wording and his conveyancing solicitor having explained the situation, the land was his and his alone!

Apparently DNs basketball hoop 'overhung his airspace', something he complained about weekly. It didn't, the rear of the fixing jutted out from the side of DSISs house, over her own curtilage, where she allowed all neighbours to put their wheelie bins - including the moany one!

But when the other 5 houses started parking right on the edge of their boundary lines, making it a little less of a simple swoop in for him, he started legal proceedings against them all!

It went to court... judge told him he was a twat. They offered to buy the piece of land off his deeds, he used that to 'prove' they all knew he owned it, it really was his. It went to court. Judge told him he was a twat.

Of course now no one could sell without having to declare Mr Officially A Twat, Twice.

Then he put his house on the market... and did NOT inform the prospective purchasers of the ongoing disputes he had caused. One neighbour spoke to the man who eventually bought the house, explained the situation. Mr OATT made a police report of harrassment!

New owner turned oit to be the police officer who had to respond to the allegation Smile

Sorry. The point is that some people get really odd about their boundaries they like to occupy every piece of their land, prevent others from encroaching, but don't see that their actions encroach on others.

I'd just park close to the boundary and smile at him!

Eviecat83 · 10/09/2016 16:41

Try the potted plants idea op and be sure to come back and tell us if it works!

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