to not want people to block the drive I'm not parking on

[bawbles]

We are in the middle of a building project. Drive is partly dug up so we are parking on the street in front of our own house but sometimes over the dropped kerb to our drive if DH is unloading pipework etc. Our plot is wide enough that we can get both cars in front of house and leave the drive clear for deliveries.

The old boy who lives next door (drive side) is the only house that has no off road parking so parks his car on the street outside his house. We get on really well with him

For a while he was poorly so his relatives were picking his up/dropping him off and parking across our drive. This wasn't an issue as it clearly was to minimise him having to walk and if anything came building wise they would only be there a short while before it was moved.

Since then his relatives/friends have continued to block our driveway. For context he has family visit several times per day for anything from 15 minutes to a few hours. There's always space to park the other side of his car or opposite without blocking anyone else's access.

DH gets naffed off as sometimes he gets back with a car full of pipework and can't unload it straight onto our drive.

Mostly it's only an issue if we are having stuff delivered - today we are having some stone delivered from the builders merchant.

This morning a car pulled up with two ladies in who pulled straight across the drive and went in for an hour. I popped a note on the windscreen 'please don't block this drive' which I haven't done before. When I went to put the bin out they were outside and complaining that I'm 'not using the drive anyway'. They weren't being aggressive but seemed very put out.

I explained that I have a delivery coming and need access and they said if I knocked they'd have moved it for the delivery.

AIBU to expect people to not block the dropped kerb where my driveway is even though it's not being used for parking? I don't see why I should have to go and knock when they shouldn't be parked there.

You are right, they are legally wrong and in some areas councils will even tow cars that do block driveways.

Your note is fair enough. You are using your drive to unload deliveries, and they shouldn't be parking across it. I would drop another note through saying you accepted the brief drop offs/ collections which meant that your drive was blocked for a very short amount of time, but that as is often happening now, blocking it for any longer often means you are frequently unable to unload deliveries for your building work. Please could they explain this to family and friends.
This would annoy me too.

In the highway code, it's a do not, rather than a must not- so it's not technically illegal, but you might get some sympathy from the council.

I would maybe go over and have a word with your neighbour explaining the drive is in constant use, and his family blocking it are inconveniencing you. I would probably also go and knock every time someone parks over it- explaining you want access to your driveway. This might be enough to put them off.

It isn't illegal, and it depends what the rest of the parking is like on the street as to how much it would annoy me. If it only tends to be his visitors that do it and he is unwell, I wouldn't mind the extra minute or so it would take to knock and ask them to move; if, however there were an abundance of reasonable spaces I would have a polite word with him to ask visitors not to.

Given how many threads there are about dropped churbs today, a vistor to MN might be fogiven for thinking the UK has just discovered them

admittedly many of those threads seem to be about the same dropped kherb ...

I don’t understand why you didn’t pop out and mention it to them when you saw them arrive?

Seems to be a fairly straightforward misunderstanding- they thought that the drive was out of use, you have explained that it is in use. I don’t think many people would argue that they had the right to block someone’s access to their drive. They probably seemed a bit pissed off because people often go on the defensive when they are in the wrong.

They shouldn't be parking there - can you put a sign up asking not to block the drive? But also, you say people come every day. Presumably this isn't good news for the neighbour's health, is he really bad? Bit of a delicate one if he's dying. In that case I probably would just put the sign up but not say anything to them or their visitors.

I would make it clear that you're graciously giving them permission to drop him at the door, but that you'd like the drive clear after that.

"I understand that X is unwell, and in the spirit of neighbourliness, we'd like to offer permission to use our drive to drop him right at the front door or to pick him up from there. However, we would appreciate it if vehicles could then be parked on the street. We are undergoing building work and have frequent deliveries as a consequence, so keeping our drive clear at all times is important'.

Block the driveway with your car and move it when DH comes home with deliveries

I think a sign might be a way forward. I don't want to make it a huge issue but it feels like the precedent was set when they (rightly) used to block our drive to collect/drop him off when he wasn't well and now pretty much all of his visitors just park there.

The relatives aren't transporting NDN just visiting I don't want to raise it with NDN particularly as it's not him deciding where his visitors park. He was in hospital in the new year after a fall and is doing well now albeit less sprightly.

mcjessie I was bfing my youngest but had the cctv viewer on the tv in the background as was watching for the stone delivery.

I don't want to be going knocking etc if I can avoid it as got two dc at home and these things always seem to turn up when I'm feeding them or settling for a nap. Us blocking it with our cars doesn't really help as I still have to leave the dc and go out to shift it when something turns up

YANBU, a house down my street has a dropped kerb but no drive (I assume they're going to put one in) and if anyone blocks their dropped kerb they write a note - probably for the same reasons you've mentioned.

You should talk to your neighbour - they are his guests and therefore he should be telling them not to park there.

In the highway code, it's a do not, rather than a must not- so it's not technically illegal,

The highway code doesn't delve into the full regulations though and must not usually refers to things which are criminal offences if disobeyed. At best it's a civil matter, but the Traffic Management Act 2004 covers it, and states; you must not park over a dropped kerb, that has been lowered to facilitate; pedestrians crossing the carriageway, or cyclists entering/leaving the carriageway, or vehicles entering/leaving the carriageway. With the exception that you can park over a residential dropped kerb with the permission of the occupier of the premises.

Just tell them the delivery guys are not as careful as you are and its to avoid their cars getting damaged. And anyway you are using it for access for deliveries so what they are saying is irrelevant and especially if there is plenty of other space around

After all that the delivery didn’t even show up today