Neighbour constantly blocking shared drive!

[SoggyChopSuey]

We live at the end of a "tight" shared drive way. To get to our part of the driveway we have to drive past the two other houses that share the "shared" bit.

The bloke with the next drive along has an array of vehicles despite the fact that he only actually has room for one car. Really, it's only enough room for a small car but he manages to get a landrover in there with its arse sticking out meaning we have to be extra savvy about getting past it to leave our house. That's the first irritance but I could live with that. The problem is that as well as the landrover he also has a works van and a big fuck off mini bus type thing that he parks on the small road at the end of the drive way. More and more often these days he's taken to moving one of these vehicles onto the share driveway outside his house meaning we can't get in or out. The other day I had popped home from work for 10 minutes and as I went to leave, I realised his fucking van was now on the shared drive completely blocking me in. I had to prat about knocking on his door to get him to move just to get back to work! It's happening all the time now. On a weekend if we don't leave the house before 10ish you can guarantee we'll be blocked in and have to pray around trying to find him.

TOday I was fuming because I was in a huge rush, had driven home from work, went to turn down the driveway and his van was blocking our house again, on the street, his landrover was taking up the only spot that wouldn't cause a problem to the other neighbours so I had to drive out of the drive and down the street to park before legging it to my house as I had little time to fuck about.

I'm fuming. Is it time to say something?

Apologise to the other neighbour affected, and explain that you are going to lean on your horn whenever you can't get in or out.

If you are in a hurry to get home and he is in the way, just block him in. He's obviously fine with it.

He does know though, he's seen me have to reverse out of the drive after realising his van is blocking it, he's seen me running to the house from down the street as the drive is blocked. He's seen me and DH come out on a Sunday morning only to realise we're blocked in etc

Of course he knows but he's chancing his arm thinking you'll be too polite to complain about it so he can continue doing it. This is why passive aggression doesn't work, because the other person will just ignore it and continue on as normal. You need to start being direct about the issue. Be polite at first but if it continues start being blunt about it.

You sound far too elegant op. I would block him in and would go into A&E on pretend sudden unexplained tummy ache. On taxi.
I can bet my right arm he won't do it again then.

Stop asking!

Start TELLING!

Bang on his door, every time and say "you have blocked us in AGAIN, you need to move your car, now"

Enough of pussyfooting around! You've been nice enough, the fucker knows exactly what he's doing.

Isn't it illegal to block someone in ?
How would the fire brigade get through ?

Can you park where he would park? You just have to be up front,y neighbour used to block me on all the time, I started parking where he would park but not leaving enough room for him to park in front as he'd be of the drive. Still didn't stop, he blocked me in once in front of my eyes and I asked him not too as I was going out in a bit, he asked if he could have a coffee before moving the car, I said no. He knew full well what he was doing. So does your neighbour. You have to cause him as much disruption as he causes you

So if the neighbour does become an arse about it, what are the OP's legal rights?

I would find all sorts of reasons to pop out late at night, early in the morning, and even in the middle of the night (easy for me, I'm an insomniac).

At 6.00 am I would need my early morning cuppa and would have run out of milk, at 11.30 I would have to pop out to the all-night petrol station for cigs/gin/paracetamol, at 3 am my elderly mother would have had a fall and so on.

After the 3 am emergency, I would ask him, very sweetly, to stop blocking me in because it keeps making me late and is very inconvenient.

I can't imagine it's legal. It's a drive, ffs, not a parking space.

We have this as we are at the end and we share the driveway with one other house . Her fucking friends use the outside of her house as a parking space ( the only access to my house ) it pisses me off because I have to wait or knock to ask them to move ! If it were my house I would tell friends not to park there ( as I do with my friends ) I know I'm going to lose my rag one day but I try to be polite because frankly we have to live here but it's so rude !!!

Do what you've already suggested and just have a word next time he blocks you in. Have you spoken to neighbours generally before? Are they ok?

It was time to say something the first time he did it. When he does now, go and get him to move his car/s each and every time. And sit with your hand on the horn until he comes out and does so.

I think you need to make it inconvenient for him, so all him to move every time, and at unsocial hours, should stop him eventually (assuming asking nicely doesn't work)

Just go round this afternoon and say 'please stop parking on the shared drive, you are blocking access to my house'

Nothing about 'oh so sorry to be a nuisance it's just we are often in and out' etc
Don't take on the role of being in the wrong, just state the facts and if he says oh I only park for 5 minutes while I load up the van or something just say 'I appreciate you need access to but you'll have to swap your vehicles around while you do it because otherwise you block access to my house'

Ways to deal with it:

1. If you can get past the obstacle by driving over the offender's lawn, do so (but take a photo as proof that he left you with no alternative).

1. Every time he does this, and just before you go to bed, knock on his door and ask him to move the vehicle. Go out for 5 mins then return. Every time. Without fail. also do this as soon as you get up.

1. Check your household insurance policy for legal cover. If you have it, get a solicitor to write to them pointing out they must not block your right of way over the drive (check your deeds first though - either you have a ROW or you actually own the drive).

You really have to make it so inconvenient for them that they never park there again.

I wonder how emergency services would access your property if needed. How would he feel if an ambulance were held up due to a neighbour's parking?
Don't apologise for his behaviour, tell him straight to stop. You don't have to be rude or aggressive.

Go round to his house and say clearly

"You need to stop blocking my access to my house. It's never ok to park so I can't get in or out, not even for 2 minutes. My expectation, like yours, is to be able to enter and leave my property freely and without hassle."

Pause and see what he says.

"It's just for a few minutes though"

• "and that's never ok"

"You never said anything before"

• "I hope I'm making it really clear now"

"My other neighbour doesn't mind"

• "and I really do"

"FINE whatever"

• "thank you"

Don't ask if that's ok or seek his agreement. You want his compliance.

And yes after that if it happens again put your hand on the horn until he comes out.
Don't block him in or it will be tit for tat.

We had this problem where we used to live. I asked repeatedly and the neighbour was a real tool about it. In the end I rang the free legal advice line that came with my home insurance and talked to them about it. They gave me some proper legal terminology to use - In our case we had a legal right called 'easement' over the land to get to our property.

The next time I spoke to the neighbour I told them I had taken legal advice and explained it to her in small, angry words, I also took to strolling out slowly onto the drive with a camera and taking photos of cars on the drive. After that she was ok.

You do need to go and complain first though and I think the way you were approaching it was fine.