Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours have 'made' a driveway which MY parking space blocks

407 replies

SomewhatNewToThis · 30/06/2017 22:52

Trying to keep it short. I live down a very weird road- very few houses have driveways. Some of us have allocated bays in the street. Other people- generally the owners of newer houses- must park in a car park about a minutes walk away created especially for our road. It's literally at the end.

Neighbours have a weird upside down U shaped house, facing the road. They have decided to put a very ugly, gravel driveway on the reminder of their front garden.

However, MY allocated council parking space that belongs to my house is where the exit to their 'driveway' is. Their DD just passed her driving test- hence driveway- and I've had to move my car from my space SIX times since Tuesday.

Neighbours have now sent letter asking me to park elsewhere so their DD can use 'driveway.'

AIBU to have posted a polite letter back basically saying no and that I will not be moving car multiple times a day in future? Hmm

Car park for our houses requires a permit. As I have the allocated space, I cannot apply for a permit as I already have a space. Neighbours have one space in car park provided for those without allocated spaces, however can apply for space for their DD as car park has spare permits available. I can't park anywhere else as you can only park in allocated bays.

AIBU to think my allocated space is mine, it's not my fault it's in front of their house and that I shall not be moving my car from now on?

Diagram provided. Grin

Neighbours have 'made' a driveway which MY parking space blocks
OP posts:
MaisieDotes · 01/07/2017 00:41

I assume it's a U-shaped footprint tilly Grin

BreconBeBuggered · 01/07/2017 00:47

I'm infuriated for you, OP, though I do like the sound of your naughty neighbour's house. Do make sure you raise it with the council. Lots of households round here have either not bothered trying to get or failed to get permission to drop their kerbs, and some, rather than risk being blocked in on their gravelled gardens, have taken to 'lowering' the kerb by whatever means they dream up: metal ramps screwed into the road, DIY cementing, bits of wood (to be replaced at regular intervals), etc.
Council either haven't noticed or are turning a blind eye if nobody has objected, but you really can't afford to let this slide.

kali110 · 01/07/2017 01:20

Hell no not your problem

Shadow666 · 01/07/2017 04:59

Does it look like this?

Neighbours have 'made' a driveway which MY parking space blocks
londonrach · 01/07/2017 05:22

Stop moving the car and report to council.

BarbaraofSeville · 01/07/2017 06:04

I take it that the road is too narrow and there is a bend that makes it that your space can't be moved to your side of the road?

Sounds inconvenient all round - is it a new build where they deliberately restrict parking in the hope that people will magically not need cars even though there isn't a usable public transport alternative?

But yes, as others have said, they're in the wrong unfortunately. You need permission for a dropped kerb and the current situation means that they can't have one so can't use their garden for parking. There are also rules about driveway surfacing for flood risk purposes, so they may have breached those too. Presumably they knew all this when they moved in.

But don't be moving your car for them. I might be tempted to go out somewhere on foot/the bus while their car is on the drive, and come back very drunk so I can't move it for a day or two afterwards.

Chloe84 · 01/07/2017 07:38

What was their response to your letter, OP?

Do they know the space is allocated to you?

IdaDown · 01/07/2017 07:42

Take a picture of when both your car and the neighbours daugter's car is parked.

Send to the parking/planning (whichever department is responsible for residential parking)

Ask them to sort. You pay for your official parking space, neighbour doesn't.

Writerwannabe83 · 01/07/2017 07:47

I sense a potentially great thread!!!

What a stupid place for them to create a driveway!!!

YANBU at all and I wouldn't be moving my car either!!

BarbaraofSeville · 01/07/2017 07:48

Be wary about giving up your space without compensation if you own your house. The fact that you have parking right outside will be a selling point/value booster compared to the other houses in the road. If you give that up, you're effectively giving them across the road ££££s.

hotcrossbun83 · 01/07/2017 07:50

Similar happened to me, neighbor started parking on heir front garden with no drop curb. I didn't have allocated parking but if I parked in regular on street parking outside their house it blocked them in, and often that would be the only space left. I called the council and they said it was fine for me to block them in as they shouldn't be parking there, and went round to tell them. They carried on and the council threatened a fine in the end and they stopped

MetalMidget · 01/07/2017 07:51

We have a similar thing on our road - it's a former council estate built in the 50s, so the houses weren't built with drives. We were lucky - the previous owner of our house converted the front garden to a double drive, and got planning permission for and built a drop kerb. Some of the other houses have made drives, but no drop kerb, and you occasionally get slanging matches in the street.

You don't have to move your car, and they're being cheeky fuckers asking you to park elsewhere. It's your space, tell them to get in the sea.

Oldbutstillgotit · 01/07/2017 07:54

I have woken up on a non working day to a parking thread - does life get much better ?

SoupDragon · 01/07/2017 07:56

If your council are anything like mine, they'll cement a bollard or two, pdq , into the pavement in front of the so-called drive to stop them driving over the non-dropped kerb.

Preferably with the car on the drive.

Sirzy · 01/07/2017 07:57

I wouldn't even waste time reporting to the council. I wokld make it clear to them you have an officially allocated space, which you legally pay the council for. Therefore you won't be moving the car at any point for them and if they Have issue with that they can contact the council.

rightwhine · 01/07/2017 08:17

Be pleasant and polite. Say that it's too inconvenient to keep moving so if they want to sort it out they need to contact the council and see what arrangements they can make. In the meantime you will continue tho park there and won't be moving.

If they make a fuss then stay calm and just say that it's your space so it's up to them to change the situation via the council, but it's up to them to do that.

Broken record technique. Make them think you will play ball if the council sort it out. It's never going to happen.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 01/07/2017 08:20

I have just RTFT and I'm with the PPs saying to contact the council. They sound like Twats.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 01/07/2017 08:20

*not sure why I capitalised twats. Confused

BrioLover · 01/07/2017 08:20

YANBU - it is not a driveway if there is no dropped kerb. I'd call and email the council to let them know too, and the team at the council who issue the parking permits. And don't move your car! You'll need a hide of steel though as people like this are super entitled!

ScissorBow · 01/07/2017 08:21

Don't move your car again! Are they actually being stupid? Of course they can't do that! YANBU

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 01/07/2017 08:25

This is incredible! Shock

I would reply to their letter stating everything you said in your first post. Namely that your space has been allocated to you by the council & you are not entitled to park anywhere else.

Also that relinquishing the rights to use your space would devalue your home.

Basically keep it polite but very firm. You want them to be in no doubt whatsoever that you WILL keep on using your space & that they need to not be bothering you about it again.

If that doesn't solve the problem then absolutely complain to the Council.

londonrach · 01/07/2017 08:26

This will likely happen op so report to council. Penguins anyone...

Neighbours have 'made' a driveway which MY parking space blocks
diddl · 01/07/2017 08:30

OOh, this is a good one!BlushGrin.

So,no driveway, just a bit of gravel chucked down & no access to it? Cheeky buggers!

Can you just turn a front garden into parking in the UK?

TrishanFlips · 01/07/2017 08:32

rightwine has got the right answer. Definitely do not move again. Giving up your place would greatly devalue your house and you can tell them that too. Don't give an inch but be prepared for some fall out.

ShipwreckedAndComatose · 01/07/2017 08:33

Penguins! Those bollard ads keep popping up for ages Grin