AIBU to ask your advice on wether it's worth taking my Neighbours from hell to court?

[Totallyattheendofmyrope]

I've had threads on here about my neighbours from hell.
We've been threatened, sworn at harassed and our visitors harassed.
We have involved the police who initially wanted to issue a harassment order against said neighbours but were overruled by their superior officer who said " it never ends well in neighbour disputes"
The actual abuse has reduced significantly though we still endure low level harassment.
I'm keeping notes etc as recommended by the police.
I've pushed for mediation and have met with the mediator however neighbours are stalling and I doubt very much they will attend.
Currently the favourite form of harassment is to park their vehicles to make it quite difficult for me to park. I can get in and I can get out but I do dread weekends and I dread coming home as I'm always so anxious about what they will have done and will I be able to get in ok etc.
I have checked my deeds and they are blocking my "easement ' and it states in the deeds that no one is allowed to do anything to hinder another's ingress and egress.
Currently the neighbours are freely enjoying and utilising the easement I honour and provide them with on my land.
So- Aibu to consider starting legal proceedings or am I just feeding into their crazy?
What would you do?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2881919-Oh-fucking-hell-its-a-parking-one

Thank you so much for that thread link Butterfly!

From the diagram on there, I'm almost certain that you can apply to the council for a new entrance to your property from the road, with a dropped kerb. It's surely worth phoning their planning department and asking for advice isn't it? They'd know how viable it was.

Please see my DIAGRAM!

Imagine having that done, it'd take ALL their triumph away in one fell swoop and I think if they park over your new dropped kerb, the police can actually move them or ticket them.

Alternatively, if this isn't possible, you should clear some of the hedge and extend your drive right up to the boundary of the road (just as if you'd been given permission for the dropped kerb, in the same position) and then use wood blocks in the kerb to allow your car to drive right in that way anyway - you could keep them in the boot.

Yes, it's hassle placing and removing them every time but that would appear to be a very small thing compared to the anguish this is causing you right now.

I completely understand because I've been through this many years ago. I eventually went to the dealer I'd bought my car from and asked if they had anything that was roadworthy and cheap but condition was irrelevant. They had a car that they'd part exchanged but would never sell from their forecourt and were about to pass on to auctioneers or something, it cost me £1900 and I bought it just to keep my space clear and every single time I drove on or off my drive, I'd go through a car juggling exercise.

At the time I had 5 children under 9 and it was a nightmare but I was absolutely determined that the NDN wasn't going to ruin my life any more. The car did the trick and he was never able to again gain access to the spot that enabled him to cause me so much trouble. Even though the car juggling was extreme, it gave me complete peace of mind.

Thank you everyone

All your advice and shared stories make me feel less insane.

For those that asked, Why do they not want me to reverse?

TBH I'm not really sure?
When I reverse I do not pull up outside their house- I turn in the square in between properties... we each own a strip of it and it was designed for that purpose...we all have easement and it is not allowed to be purposely blocked.
I think it's just about control really.
I think I've inadvertently pissed on their chips. I didn't mean to and I haven't done anything with malicious intent but there seems to have been a hierarchy implemented by them in my absecence with themselves at the top alongside their visitors and everyone else underneath.
Nice neighbour is now avoiding me and both her and her dh are quite stand offish... I am aware that nasty neighbour has had a word but tbh there's not much I can do
I can't go around defending myself and I'm sure I can assume that the facts will not have been included in whatever story twats choose to tell.
Thank you for the diagram and the thread link
There has been other incidents since my original thread but it's just so much to put down.
I think what is particularly difficult is coming to terms with is pointedly aggressive behaviour directed at myself and my family.
I'm baffled quite frankly at the level of despair we appear to cause this family...because they mustn't feel good right? To spend so much time and energy on us can't be good for them.
The police officer said he thought I was doing to much initially to be accommodating and for some people it encourages "bullish behaviour". Sad state of affairs really.
I desperately wish I could create my own entrance, really it would be the answer to all my prayers. I love the house and the neighborhood.
What the diagram doesn't show is that right in front of my house is quite a large grass area that is council owned. I can't imagine they would let me tarmac it .

To enable you to drive straight in past them and turn on your own drive, could you reduce / remove the hedge and also the quarter circle bit between the house and drive? Would that give enough turning space?

If you still want it to look garden-y you could use that plastic mesh that lets you drive on grass.

That's also a good idea!

You don't really need the councils permission though if you use the wooden wedges I described and it's a temporary solution to use right now isn't it?

Imagine the neighbours disappoinment to see you doing that - it's worth it for that alone. If they take to parking their cars where you use the wedges it'll leave the keep clear bit free then lol - they can't block both ways and you'll have beaten them :)

That's also a good idea!

You don't really need the councils permission though if you use the wooden wedges I described and it's a temporary solution to use right now isn't it?

Imagine the neighbours disappoinment to see you doing that - it's worth it for that alone. If they take to parking their cars where you use the wedges it'll leave the keep clear bit free then lol - they can't block both ways and you'll have beaten them :)

I have been in touch with the council and will be sending an email today in regards to making a separate access. I don't hold out much hope but I need to at least try.

I can get in and out but not with ease iyswim?
I suppose my question is- I will go through all the options available to me and take on board all of your suggestions but once I've exhausted those..the chances are every day I have to wake up to twatty parking and come home to twatty parking-- do I resign myself to this and just accept it (and if so how)... or do I see my solicitor and serve a letter to them and possibly embark on a court case...... ??

Last night I fancied a glass of wine- so dh obligingly popped out to get a bottle. When he returned he saw twatty neighbour out of the side of his eye running up the side of his house...
When dh took our dog out the cars had been rearranged twattily...
So it appears our neighbours seen dh go out and ran out to rearrange the cars to make it difficult for him to return...this is 9 o'clock at night in the pissing rain. This guy is out on the road 14 hours a day (salesman- according to his Linkdin profile is also experienced in conflict resolution) and his spare time is spent rearranging his cars at home in order to inconvenience us.
It's been months now I just can't see they'll get bored anytime soon.

Think id be going to the twats boss and telling hi ( and sboqing him cctv) of what he's been up too.
Let him see what he's representing.
Then id be back to the police.
Its impacting on your mental health.
Fuck that officer!

So the blue bit is where I'm on about, so you could use this mesh stuff to make it stable enough for vehicles to park on but not look like more driveway if you want to keep it looking lawn / gardeny.

Oh yes Red that a good idea.

The OP could ask the council if she'd be allowed to put that stuff down. But if they say no, she could still drive over the grass and maybe occasionally pepper it with grass seeds.

I would still put in pedestrian access to your house and park one car on the road, for peace of mind and to know that you can always get out. It is a cheap temporary solution and will take the pressure off.

I think Teddy's post is good. Spend the money on something that makes you feel good. I had two friends with boundary disputes.

One went through the whole thing with a lying narcissist and spent a lot of money (nearly 20 grand) and was very stressed but had a clear cut decision in the end (although it was an obvious one to normal people as there was nothing to 'dispute'). She had no choice really. She got some of the money back but this was not straightforward, like the rest of it wasn't

The other went though the non-court processes, gave in, changed the boundary and spent the money on a digger and fence (and a new seating area overlooking the land next door) for the new boundary (the boundary was a pond embankment - we think it was 'pond envy' ) Then she moved house.

PS it would be tempting to go in and out every time it rains if they are going to piss about with their cars

All your ideas are very good and I'm considering them all!
My issue with creating more parking area for myself is that if I start removing hedges etc then next door may start arguing that they now have enough room to park outside their home as I could more safely get round them and I'll have two homes of twat parkers to navigate.
TBH even more than the parking issue it's the all out vendetta that the twats have declared it's totally fucking bonkers.
Today female was watching me walk the dog with her mother from their window...both trying to be hidden -either side of the curtain.
If they wanted it all to stop they'd engage with mediation and stop parking like twats. It must be much more stressful for them arranging and rearranging at all times morning and night- they've taken to going out on weekends with 3 teenage dc's in wife's mini so they can leave twat males larger car in twatty parking position for maximum impact on us.
Currently trying to upset us comes before their builders, their dc and themselves!!!!
So what is their end game???
What is it that they hope to achieve???

Why won't you complain to the police?
I'm not confrontational, but would i fuck put up with this! ( though i think my dh would have killed them by now )
I'd be putting in one hell of a complaint.
Document all evidence, harassment, swearing, spitting ( sorry can't remember if this was you) any cctv to back you and the effects on your mental health.
Then any people who were witnesses, the mediator and poss the officer who wanted to take it futher. ( if you've had to go to gp include this).
Id be asking why the police think it acceptable not to help you....

We had a very similar situation whereby a neighbour would park his van twattishly. We (myself and 3 other houses) all parked considerately to show we weren't bothered by it. We all were really but had to grit our teeth to not give a reaction.

Anyway one day twat ndn decided to park like a prick meaning only his van could park and not 2/3 other cars. Can't really describe properly what happened but it back fired massively sommuch so they couldn't park their other vehicle and had to park on a green where we all put our rubbish for bin day so their precious car was literally surrounded by bin bags. It was hilarious and you know what. He's never done it again.

I would have given them a cheery wave to show I'd seen them.

I would try to take as much enjoyment as possible from them inconveniencing themselves so much just to try and upset you.

I'm constantly surprised by how many petty minded twats there are in the world.

I have been to the police - every time they have been aggressive... spitting- swearing , trying to cut me up with her car...I have that on the dash cam footage!! But still the police want to deescalate.... all the onus is on us really.
I have decided that once Mrs twat confirms that she won't take part in mediation (currently she's thinking about it ) I will be getting back on to the police.
I will be asking for the name & number of the officer who blocked the harassment order and asking for a meeting.
I work with children, how I conduct myself is very important to me. My dh would love to go postal and I have had to prevent him a couple of times but really he is doing what I ask of him.
I will not lower myself. When this is all done with I will be able to look back and know that I have behaved with dignity.

we have a troubling neighbour - swore a blue streak at me the other day in front of other neighbours and children, and i've never even spoken to this man before! why are people so full of bile and rage and twattishness?
i guess we can be mildly consoled that it must be really miserable living in their heads, with nothing better to do than this.

My issue with creating more parking area for myself is that if I start removing hedges etc then next door may start arguing that they now have enough room to park outside their home as I could more safely get round them and I'll have two homes of twat parkers to navigate

OP, surely as long as you're careful to only remove hedges on your own land (ie, not all of them on your diagram) and the ones directly outside your own house and even then only enough to get your car through, they can't possibly think they can park there.

But even if they do park outside their own home, if you don't actually use that access any more, it wouldn't really matter if they do.

If you can get proper council permission, you could find out exactly what land you own and fence your house completely off from them so NDN2 are free to park outside their own home anyway. Obviously thats not an option if you have to gain access unofficially using wedges to get up the kerb.

The police officer said he thought I was doing to much initially to be accommodating and for some people it encourages "bullish behaviour". Sad state of affairs really.

I agree with this. Its the behaviour of bullies.

You've tried to rise above. Its admirable. But has it worked? At all?

Has it made them worse possibly?

Sounds to me like it would be better if they escalated. Then its on CCTV and the police will have to act.

I'm not suggesting anything illegal by the way.

I own the property outside our neighbours home weather, it's to prevent men parking on it and blocking me. I have to provide an unobstructed right if way for them to manoeuvre which I do.
If I got permission for my own access - I would happily give up said land- nooo problem!!

The thing is *laurel
I have no way of knowing what may have happened if I'd have retaliated.
They are obviously batshit and I think if we'd entered into a 'war' with them it could be much worse.
They obviously have no problem living this way..spending time figuring out new parking manoeuvres etc
The continually watch us and if I walk up my drive they appear outside almost immediately - they are desperate for us to do something ANYTHING that would give them justification.
We have stood up for ourselves but in a completely legal way. Currently they don't have a leg to stand on or a legitimate complaint about us.
I can only hope that, while I can't see the impact this has on them, I hope that it does have an impact.

*people

Sorry for the typos

I'd be taking this futher no matter what op.
Stuff 'deescalate' if it's affecting you this much i'd be putting a complaint in.
I may even go to the papers even though i absolutely detest this route...