to remove the disabled parking signs?

[DaisyBD]

I live in a small rural town and our road has no pavements and road markings. Someone has moved into a house near the end of the road that has a wide frontage with a small wall. They also have a drive with space for three cars. Many of the people in the road don’t have off-road parking, so park pretty much anywhere there’s space, including in front of this house.

The new owners have put up disabled-only parking signs along their front wall, which has stopped most people parking there. We don’t need the space but occasionally our visitors do. I have seen the new neighbours but not talked to them – we live up the road a bit so they’re not close neighbours or anything – and although I can’t see any signs of disability, I know many disabilities are invisible.

However, they have loads of space on their own drive! I think they’ve put the signs up just to stop people parking outside their house. The signs are just the ones you can buy online, there’s no council disabled white line on the road or anything.

I feel they are being selfish and hogging the road, which they don’t own. WIBU to sneak over under cover of darkness with a screwdriver and remove the signs? Obviously they’ll hate me forever if they catch me, and I don’t want to spark a feud. But it just seems a bit cheeky and I want to be cheeky back. (DH thinks I’m insane, obv.)

Fabulous fabulous diagrams, seriously wonderful work there Daisy.

I have a friend with a long wheelbase high top transit camper convert which IS his motability vehicle. I'm sure he could pop along for a wee visit to that bit of woods with his dog.

I read first couple of posts, was rudely interrupted by Life & have now caught up to Splendid Diagrams etc.

I'm a BB holder but do not have vehicle (wonky epilepsy precludes this, but live in Inner London so carlessness not so v uncommon). Am willing to travel with someone who has suitably ridiculous vehicle e.g. an actual tank (thus bringing whole new meaning to Parking Wars)

Man, people are amazing! Obviously there definitely could be a hidden disability but it also looks very likely that they just don't want to look at anyone else's cars over their low wall

Dh had similar a little while ago. There is a road next to us on which every house has a driveway. There are a small number of cars parked on the road as overspill from surrounding roads. Dh had to park there one night, so, considerate fellow that he is, he purposely parked next to a house's side six foot brick wall rather than right in front, in view. Next morning, missus of the house ambushed him as he returned to his car - she'd clearly been lying in wait all night, frothing, to say 'can I ask why you have parked your car here?' said in tone used usually to enquire why you have left a dog shit on someone's doorstep.

If he has to park on that road now, he does so right in front of her living room window.

Am willing to travel with someone who has suitably ridiculous vehicle e.g. an actual tank

I have a tan and am willing to bring it, fish and all, to get on the wick of these neighbours!

*tank, TANK!!! not tan FFS

If he has to park on that road now, he does so right in front of her living room window.

Excellent! (

Excellent diagrams!

I would also like to commend op on her Very Good Diagrams.

I reckon we could get 4 average cars along that stretch of road if we work together

On the road issue - the council owns the highway, not anyone whose house fronts the road
On the footpath - talk to the Public Rights of Way officer and ask them to check the Definitive Map (this is the only map that accurately records rights of way and it's a legal document that holds up in court). If it's on there the it's public footpath. If it's not on there but evidence can be found of the path being used for 20 years or more then a claim could be made to add it to the Definitive Map. Only the council can legally decide to block a path, not the landowner.
I would also contact your local councillor (if you live in a county council area then it should be the county councillor, not a district councillor, as highways issues are a county council responsibility)
These are enforcement issues for the council - if you make a complaint then they should act on them and deal direct with the landowner. You should not have to get involved.
Having said all of that, some councils are much better at enforcing than others because enforcement by its very nature is confrontational and there's a lot of "get off my land" nonsense.

here's the close up of the sign as requested. I got my dog to pose with it so it looked like I'm just taking a picture of him. Cunning hey?

wageslave that is useful information, thanks. There's a map on the county council website but it's not the definitive map so I'll report the path as blocked and see what happens.

Handsome dog.

Beautiful dog Daisy!

Those signs are easily available off amazon.

Definitely report to council. Let them investigate if it is legitimate or not.
As far as I'm aware you can only do that if you have a driveway you need access to, I think.

My Mums BF is disabled and had to pay out thousands of pounds to have their kerb dropped before they were allowed to put such a sign up.

2kids2dogsnosense - how amenable would the fish be to being used to batter down dodgy!fence of dog-impeding-&-general-meanness? Was thinking it could be a 2-in-1 [re]solution...

DaisyBD
That is an exceptionally handsome hound. Also a work of great cunning & stealth on your part. You told the dog what you were doing, didn't you? Because he has a face on him like he knows. (Possibly I did not sleep enough last night. Maybe. You can't PROVE anything...)

Aww that is a gorgeous dog. And one that looks like he's on a mission

Best thread ever just sat reading the whole thing instead of getting ready oops🙈

OP your dog is absolutely gorgeous 😍

Could you invite loads of people for Sunday dinner today and get them to park there please ?? I need to know what they would do😂

Your dog is gorgeous!

When the disabled sign becomes redundant and the council order them to be taken down, could you commandeer them from your neighbour and alter them to read 'NO blocking the path, doggy access required at all times'
And stick it to the gate?

Superb undercover work using Dog McDogface as a prop, well done!

Ndn's drive doesn't limit them opening the car door, so I doubt they have an issue, they're just being territorial and pains in the arses

Apart from the fact that they are unofficial signs, how on earth does a space next door to a wall provide "access" when there are 2 gates into their actual property?
Are they expecting aJumbo jet (with a blue badge) to land?

Just a thought, would or tank owner be willing to take the gate out whilst on their way to park up?

Might this need another diagram?

I've got a bit of an MN crush on Daisy now

This has been a very entertaining thread. But I think you should get it taken down Daisy. You've posted pictures of your road and your dog - if this goes onto the Daily Mail (likely) then your neighbours are going to be reading about this over their breakfast tomorrow.

Fine if you don't care one way or the other but if anyone else pulls their signs off, they're going to blame it on you :(

JigglyTuff is possibly right. It's hard to have any fun round here now without some arsehole from the DM sniffing around.

You're going to have to disguise the dog next time you go on walkies ....

... or when you go dogging!