Ye olde parking thread

[catlady34]

So, long story short:

Me & DP recently moved in to a flat above a shop. Shopkeeper is our landlord. His shop has a drive, and one of the selling points to us was that he said my DP could use the drive when LL isn’t in (DP works 8-4, landlord works 8:30-3 so no problem). However, it turns out that the hairdresser next door has been using the drive as her own personal extra space when LL leaves, to save her parking in the road, and thinks she can continue to do so. This has annoyed DP who really wanted off-road parking, and wouldn’t have taken the flat if he’d known he’d have to park on the road so much. DP, LL and I have all confronted her separately, but she just says “ok” or “I’ll only be a minute” and then keeps doing it.

My question is this... Would it be illegal for me to park over the drop kerb when she’s in the space, blocking her in? I read somewhere that it’s legal to park over your own drop kerb, but what if it’s only yours by verbal agreement during certain hours? Could my car get towed for blocking her in? She is not going to listen to reason, I confronted her when she was getting out of the car today and she just breezed past like she didn’t see me.

You need a bollard.

I hear you can get some fancy penguin ones.

You can’t park over your own dropped kerb.

Yep definitely a case for a penguin bollard.

It's just tricky because we don't have the same rights as an owner, IYSWIM. I'd love a penguin bollard!

www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Bollard/dp/B00NP0O0OE?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Mumsnetters must have cleared them out.

You need to make her take it seriously. Interrupt her at work, insist she moves it, don’t allow her to say she’ll only be a minute, threaten to have her towed. Pay for a solicitor’s letter re trespass. Go see her with the landlord and have a total radgee on her. She’s a CF.

Can I get a solicitors letter for trespass when it's not my property though? The landlord is a lovely guy who's had this shop for 25 years, I don't want to start asking him to take legal action

Landlord has to enforce this one. It is his property being "stolen".

You can’t block her car in. It’s an offence to prevent a vehicle from accessing the public highway.

Even if a stranger parks on your own drive and you block them in, that’s an offence and police can tow away your vehicle if they can’t contact you.

Annoying law I agree but that’s the truth!

Just go into the hairdressers and announce loudly that she is parked on your drive again and could she kindly move her car. You will embarrass her in front of her colleagues and customers. Repeat every time. She will soon stop.

Maelstrop the landlord is never here when she does it so can't deal with it, which is annoying. Yes I will start going in each time and loudly but politely asking her to move, I love a bit of passive aggression

Does anyone else see the "other people who viewed this bought these" section....

cornwallflowergirl OMG how I would love to clamp her car!!!! You've really tempted me there, I'll be fantasising about it for weeks lol

Talk to landlord about getting a bollard or other parking protection. If you’re planning on living there for a while you could offer to go halves?

Another vote for embarrassing her in front of colleagues and customers!

So she parks in the road until 3.39 then moves on to drive?
What a waste of effort.

Agree with asking her to move LOUDLY in her salon

From what I've seen she pops in and out, she owns the place. May own another salon as well? Not too sure.

If she's in and out a lot I would park behind her to inconvenience her, just keep an eye on the car and move it just before the police arrive.

I do agree with the going in the salon and making a fuss everytime she's there too.

she's trespassing.......get her towed!

Ask the landlord for a reduction in rent because the space is included as part of what you’re paying for and you’re unable to access it. OR he can choose to ensure that you can access the space you’re paying for by installing a bollard.