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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to tell neighbour to stop parking across my drive?

85 replies

MSNuserof99 · 28/03/2018 14:41

We have a double drive but only half has a dropped kerb (previous owners extended the drive but didn’t bother with the rest of the dropped kerb)

We keep getting a neighbour park across the non dropped part, which then makes it super difficult to get in and out of the drive and also means that we have nowhere for our friends/family to park when they visit especially at the weekends.

AIBU as it’s obstructing the rest of my driveway? Shall I ask them to steer clear?

OP posts:
BalloonSlayer · 28/03/2018 16:13

We have the exact same as you OP. In all the time I have lived here only one person has ever parked on the "undropped" bit.* There are some practical reasons for this (eg a car often parks opposite which would make it impossible to pass) but the main reason is that it would be a really arseholey thing to do. Well within ones legal rights of course, but arseholey all the same. Lots of people on this thread who would do this apparently Grin - but actually in real life I suspect they wouldn't and would think "oh I know it's not a dropped kerb, but it's clearly someone's driveway so I won't park here" because most people do.

*I said nothing because I knew they were entitled to.

MumofBoysx2 · 28/03/2018 16:13

If the kerb isn't dropped then there is no legal access to your drive so they're not in your way. I would get it sorted with the council though, it would be very useful to you and they wouldn't be able to block it then.

MilliesCookies22 · 28/03/2018 16:16

If there's no dropped kerb, then it isn't a drive

viques · 28/03/2018 16:20

If you can't get onto your "patio with aspirations" (sorry but I think that is so funny! ) when your neighbour is parked in front of the kerb then surely all you need to drive on a bit, turn round and come back to get in from the other way.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 28/03/2018 16:22

The OP sounds like a neighbour of mine who drove into my car and then blamed me because it was how she normally swings her car out of her drive. She went on to say that we should have learnt after she drove into one of the other neighbours who'd parked there...

JacquesHammer · 28/03/2018 16:23

Well within ones legal rights of course, but arseholey all the same

It’s not in the slightest bit “arseholey” 🙄

knowsmorethansnow · 28/03/2018 16:24

It doesn’t matter that they have their own drive. They can park there. Pay to have the kerb dropped or stop moaning.

ghostyslovesheets · 28/03/2018 16:28

I have the exact same - double drive 1 dropped kerb - neighbour 1 parks over the not dropped bit, neighbor 2 opposite my drive, neighbour 3 on the kerb next to the drop - it makes for interesting maneuvers

BUT a) it not an issue - because they are not doing anything wrong b) I always reverse park to it's easier to get off

Maybe you need to practice getting on and off your drive a bit - unless the road is a tiny drive it should be possible

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 28/03/2018 16:33

Start parking there yourself OP, then you'll be fine.

Quimby · 28/03/2018 16:34

Well within ones legal rights of course, but arseholey all the same

It’s not in the slightest bit “arseholey” 🙄“

Exactly

Always find it so bizarre on these threads when the people who think they can lay some sort of claim to public spaces see themselves as the reasonable ones, and the people who don’t respect their self appointed right to the space are “within their rights but still arseholes”

swimster01 · 28/03/2018 16:40

YANBU - it's common sense and good manners to park your cars on your own driveway or outside your own house when you can.

Some people just want their own space and then some ... so rude

Ginger1982 · 28/03/2018 16:46

Whilst I agree that they can park there as no drop kerb, I wouldn't park there in that situation if it meant I was clearly parking across part of someone else's driveway...🤔

Buster72 · 28/03/2018 16:53

swimster01
It is entirely legal and within common sense to park where you want to. The op is being unreasonable in expecting the whole world to adjust to her set of circumstances. She has no claim whatsoever to the public road and until she forks out for the dropped kerb to be extended she should wind her neck in.

Buster72 · 28/03/2018 16:54

Ginger1982
But it is NOT anyone's driveway because it is not a dropped kerb. So park in peace.

pigshavecurlytails · 28/03/2018 16:56

I park across the non dropped kerb bits of driveways all the time. Drop the kerb or stop moaning! It's normal road.

goingatlast · 28/03/2018 16:58

So, you have a double driveway with a single entrance. They are doing nothing wrong.

Ginger1982 · 28/03/2018 17:00

Buster72 I know but I would still feel as though I was blocking somebody's drive. I'm just too nice!

ikeepaforkinmypurse · 28/03/2018 17:02

If the kerb ain't dropped it's not a drive it's a patio with aspirations

most beautiful thing I read on this forum Grin

Laiste · 28/03/2018 17:08

We had exactly the same at our last house.

What WAS annoying was when next door (who had the 'other half' of the dropped kerb) had visitors they'd park over our dropped bit and expect us to drive over the pavement!

Petalflowers · 28/03/2018 17:15

If they are parking on the public road, then they can.

If they are parking on your driveway, on your land, then they shouldn't.

ObiJuanKenobi · 28/03/2018 17:17

YABVU, but you should know that by now Wink

Lacucuracha · 28/03/2018 17:21

I hope you told them to move Laiste?

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 28/03/2018 17:23

@MSNuserof89 - in my opinion, you should be cross with whoever designed the driveway in the first place - because they didn’t make sure that the dropped kerb was long enough for the drive to be used with reasonable ease.

Going forward, you have two options - do nothing, and fume when someone parks entirely legally and reasonably on the public highway, or get the dropped kerb extended, so you can use your driveway. I would do the latter.

JaneEyre70 · 28/03/2018 17:28

Get the relevant planning permission.... and get the curb dropped.

Our NDNs have got 4 cars and a 2 car drive. They park directly opposite our drive, even though we've politely pointed out that we can't get our cars on and off when they do. We play a daily game of car tetris. But there is absolutely nothing we can do, other than move. C'est la vie.

Laiste · 28/03/2018 17:39

Lacucuracha It was very strange; as if our dropped kerb bit was invisible! All sorts of vehicles would just park over it for access to next door rather than park over their dropped kurb bit which was exactly the same Confused

  • I did have a go at the windscreen repair bloke they called out who then set up his windscreen repair thingy while parked over our bit. (i came home to that and couldn't get on our drive)
And the drive cleaning bloke who came for next door and set up parked over our bit. And the plumber who came for next door and parked over our bit ... ect ect.

Their visitors who did it ... i would curtain twitch but never had a go at them. Didn't want to cause bad feeling because while we lived there that family were dealing with a very long terminal illness and you can be damn sure that the time we finally complained would be the time they'd come for the saddest visit ... IYKWIM? Wouldn't want that on our conscious.

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