Frustrated with the multiple cars my neighbour has! (Title edited by MNHQ)

[Divaroses26]

I am absolutely raging!

We live on a lovely little street which just so happens to be a dead end, we live right at the bottom of the street and there’s houses either side, the law of the land forever and a day has been the left hand side of the road is left clear whilst vehicles park on the right hand side of the road (outside their houses!).

A new family moved into a house half way down the street on the right hand side, and own 9 vehicles - yes that’s right 9 vehicles for just him and his wife!!

Now, this is where the problem starts...next to my property is a small area of unused land, where these lovely folk seem to park 4/5 of their 9 vehicles causing myself and OH not to be able to get our cars onto our drive as they park adjacent to our driveway.

We’ve tried various different ways to resolve the problem, we’ve spoken to them (they didn’t take a blind bit of notice!), I phoned the police as 2/4 vehicles are actually declared SORN so shouldn’t be there but as the land is owned by LA it’s not deemed as being a public highway so there was nothing they could do, I’ve phoned DVLA & reported it that way, I’ve spoken to the LA that own the land to see if they have permission to be parking the SORN vehicles on their land and to be honest I don’t seem to be getting anywhere fast!

Besides taking the matter into our own hands I really don’t know what else we can do? I’m so fed up! I’m beginning to hate living here & to be honest I just want to be able to put our vehicles on our double driveway - surely that’s not too much to ask?

Sorry for such a long whinge post but it’s just really getting me down! Please please please let me know if you have ANY suggestions as to how I can rectify this problem! I’m at the end of my tether!

I’m assuming they bought the house as they saw they could use this land for their own use.
Can you contact 101 and ask for advice or help in talking to these people.
I live in a cul de sac and my ndn has 3 cars between them and when their son is there another large car arrives. However they are very considerate with their parking as much as they can be and often apologise for the 4x4 that never moves!
9 cars is extreme and I really feel for you, these issues can really get you down

I would tackle this in a different way

Fairs fair this person is using this land rent free

Email - for reference it must be email

And ask LA how come he gets to use this land rent free? and it’s unfair. Why should he be able to use this land free of charge when others rent garages? Ask why this is free at a time all other services are increasing in price

Bet this man wouldn’t want to pay

Bet your local council wants to make money

Copy in your local councillor

Splendid- Many many businesses need licensing and planning permission for change if use

Another thing to consider the council can get involved if a business expands to the point it is a detriment to neighbours (can anyone link the dog groomer thread as there was some good advice there when they were blocking roads and using neighbours' drives)

Op I see you've tried searching on auto trader for these cars but what about gumtree ect? This must be a business surely?! I hope you get something inplace soon op

I believe there are restrictions running a business from a residential address, particularly if it creates extra noise & vehicles, & insufficient parking !

ivy, that might backfire is the guy decided to pay for the verge.

Photograph evidence is useful when you email - use email and don’t phone.

One the message is automatically dated and recorded with you having a copy of everything said.

They have to reply within a set time frame, there will be a complains process if they don’t do something - so you can then follow this procedure.

Mix 56 - the council wouldn’t be able to actual rent out the verge as it would be a business and restrict drives and no planning permission would get through

But it brings up the point it’s unfair

The council could be accused of favouritism....

I'm confused about the kerb point, too. Do you have a dropped kerb, OP?

Could you apply to have one/extend the existing one it to make it easier to get in and out?

Buying the land won’t help because it will make them more likely to park on the verge opposite your house which you won’t be able to buy.

You can’t put bollards or rocks on the public verge because it’s not your land and if someone then damages their car by driving into a rock you could be liable.

I would ask the fire service to come out & assess the situation
sod the parking , I would want to know that my family weren't in danger

are they trading the cars? hrmc might be interested...

How about a spot of guerilla gardening on the verge opposite?

You can’t put bollards or rocks on the public verge because it’s not your land and if someone then damages their car by driving into a rock you could be liable.

Many streets in our neighbourhood have requested posts and the council have obliged

The council will have assessed this to say it is fine. A rock is far less easily seen than a post

If the council do posts then that’s fine. But an individual can’t just put rocks on the verge. Happened near here, car was damaged as rocks invisible in the long grass, house owner got chased for costs by the insurance company and council removed the rocks.

it used to be the case that if you had uncontested use of a piece of land for 12 years then you could claim it - perhaps that's the long game :) Of course if these were travellers then I suspect the council would be around sharpish to put boulders on the verge...

If you do end up talking to a solicitor about recovery of the loss of value of your house they might advise whether you had an option of a small claim (upto 10k) - more on the basis of getting them to desist rather than the 10k actually reflecting the loss in value?

they shouldnt park on land they dont own - it makes the place look like a tip

I’d say they’re using the land to sell those cars. Nothing to do with owning 9 random cars. Our local authority recently had loads of cars that were for sale booked as the owners didn’t have permission as they were using streets as forecourts.

From the photos, they are parked on the grass, not on the road- so are you saying that your access is too narrow and you have to use the grass in order to be able to park your cars? Whilst highly irritating, and it would make me cry seeing all those bloody vehicles outside my house, from the pics they are not blocking the road, just sitting on the grass? I hope you can buy the labs and piss them all off- selling would be hard with them all. Do they own or rent? Could you look up if it’s a business and the cars are there illegally? It’s a bugger noone wants to help.

I think the road in front of the house is narrow and they park slightly overhanging the road so it’s too tight for the OP to get round. That’s why I think the easiest solution is for the OP to remove her left garden wall and extend her driveway so they can drive diagonally on and off the drive. I

It is illegal here to block access to emergency vehicles. As you have already had this experience, I would be writing to council to make them aware of what happened, and the fact that you can't access your drive, etc. Ask them who is responsible if there is an emergency, the fire engines/ambulance can't get to you, and you are prevented from getting your car out? Sounds like a very dangerous position to be put in, especially as the council would then be fully aware of what the neighbour is doing......

Shadow - yes you have a point, think that’s what we are going to have to do!

I own & as far as I know so do they, unless they are privately renting the property.

Although annoying i do not understand why it stops you getting off your drive unless you have to churn up the verge to be able to get on to your drive.

Maybe learn how to turn your steering wheel perhaps!