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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To phone council re broken down car next door

82 replies

hulahoopar · 28/11/2018 16:14

His car broke down this morning on the pavement outside our house completely blocking the pavement forcing people to go on the road around it.. Basically blocking my view of the road as I pull out of my drive. We live on a main road and he’s just left it there with a sign saying broken. It’s a big people carrier.

I’ve no idea what to do and maybe I’m a bit thick about it as I’m on my own and have no idea what happens if your car breaks down on the pavement on your way off the drive.
Aibu to ask him what he’s planning to do with it as I’m actually thinking he’s planning on leaving it there for as long as he can get away with it. Or should I give him more time. He’s definitely just left it there and then gone to work another way. FWIW I don’t think he even speaks English from the brief conversations I’ve had with him so he might not even understand me!

OP posts:

Original poster

hulahoopar · 29/11/2018 10:20

Well since finding out you can get someone out straight away yes I think it’s a bit rude now it’s seemingly going to just be left there. I know i wouldn’t watch people have to endanger their lived to get round my car unless it was absolutely necessary.
If we were on a small side road maybe I’d get it a bit more as you could just walk round it but it’s on a busy main road, all mobility scooters/prams etc have no chance of going around it. The other side to us has no dropped kerbs either so not that easy to get across the road even without the traffic problem.

OP posts:

Shitonthebloodything · 29/11/2018 10:20

Go and tell him it's a problem. He may be waiting for someone to help him push it back on to the drive.

Original poster

hulahoopar · 29/11/2018 10:21

@NicePieceOfPlaid i think I’m a good neighbour. Why should it just be left there when it’s endangering me and my dc getting off my drive as I can’t see the traffic?

OP posts:

empmalswa · 29/11/2018 10:21

If my car broke down inconveniencing others, I would attend to it straight away.

You are lucky to be in a position where you are able to do so. I once had to wait 4 days to have a car recovered because it broke down outside the house and my breakdown cover stayed it had to be a mile away. I had to pay £75 to have it towed to my local (15 miles away) dealer. I didn't have £75 and had to wait until pay day. Luckily it wasn't earlier in the month otherwise the car would have sat for longer.

We don't all have money to cover these things instantly.

Fwiw I learned my lesson and now have the dogs bollocks of breakdown cover. But back then I was quite new to driving and didn't really consider the 1 mile thing.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 29/11/2018 10:22

Give him time. It broke down just recently, he’s at work, he might need help from a friend who speaks English to sort out things.

It’s not nice for you, but surely it’s manageable for a while.

Nanasueathome · 29/11/2018 10:23

At least it’s not as bad as my NDN
He broke down across my dropped kerb and although there was no car on my drive at the time it did prevent being able to park there
‘‘Twas odd really as he has his own drive and dropped kerb but he chose to break down and block mine
He’s a TWAT of the highest order though

empmalswa · 29/11/2018 10:24

Well since finding out you can get someone out straight away yes I think it’s a bit rude

How did you find this out? How do you know his situation? Maybe he doesn't have breakdown cover, or maybe he has the basic away from home cover. Maybe he can't afford to have someone out straight away. Just because you 'can' doesn't mean you always 'can'.

You seem to have no understanding whatsoever. It's a much bigger inconvenience to him than it is to you.

Onlyjoinedforthisthread · 29/11/2018 10:30

I'm struggling to workout how he managed to write a sign saying it had broken town when you say he can't speak English. Are you a Tommy Robinson fan? You mention his perceived lack of English a few times even though it is irrelevant I suspect racism may be adding to your anger

Original poster

hulahoopar · 29/11/2018 10:34

Right ok so now I’m racist as well as a bad neighbour. The sign is in broken English. I mentioned it because I doubt he’ll understand what I’m saying even if I did go round.

OP posts:

Original poster

hulahoopar · 29/11/2018 10:35

@empmalswa that is a good point to the one mile and being charged

OP posts:

Notquiteagandt · 29/11/2018 10:35

If the council dont move a stolem abandoned car down my road for 6wks.

I doubt theyll be running to move someones car from outside their own house.

And if they did they would charge him a pretty penny to get it back and probally impound it. So would be a pretty cruel thing to do.

NicePieceOfPlaid · 29/11/2018 10:37

OP - AIBU

Everyone - Yes!

OP - No I'm not.

WeeDangerousSpike · 29/11/2018 10:39

Tbf I don't think it's unreasonable to expect someone to shift their car when it's just a case of pushing it back on the drive.

Pop over and offer to help push it OP - I expect he understands more English than you think, especially when it's something obvious you're talking about.
It's amazing what you can achieve with miming too.

Just knock the door, smile, say do you want some help while pointing at the car, keep smiling, beckon him to the car with you, put your hands on the bonnet as if to push it, and gesture back up the drive.

Nesssie · 29/11/2018 10:42

They have 72 hours to repair/move the vehicle before it becomes an offence.

Clean Neighbours and Env. Act 2005, Section 3

Nuisance parking and repairing vehicles on a road sections are relevant. A 'road' also includes footpaths.

Basically report to council and they must investigate under the above act.

Alfie190 · 29/11/2018 10:43

@empmalswa

I would not inconvenience others. The car just needs pushing back onto the drive.

Hidillyho · 29/11/2018 10:43

its not illegal to park on a pavement unless in London even if it’s blocking it which is crazy.
The person can get a ticket for the obstruction though so you could call the parking wardens I suppose

empmalswa · 29/11/2018 10:46

I would not inconvenience others. The car just needs pushing back onto the drive.

I would hope not to as well, however I couldn't push a car back onto a drive alone.

mumofmunchkin · 29/11/2018 10:46

If that was our car, we would have pushed it back onto the drive. If he's alone, I'm sure a neighbour would help if asked (we would certainly help a neighbour push a car six feet back onto their drive if asked). It's not like there is nothing he can do to remove the inconvenience/danger to others, even if he can't get it fixed right now.

empmalswa · 29/11/2018 10:47

The person can get a ticket for the obstruction though so you could call the parking wardens I suppose

A bit malicious?

loubluee · 29/11/2018 10:48

Have you gone around and offered to help him push it back on his drive, being neighbourly and helpful?

10PollyPockets · 29/11/2018 10:53

Only on mumsnet could you be called a racist for being annoyed about someone else's crappy behaviour! It does sound like an accident waiting to happen, you should go round and ask him to move it, use Google translate if you need to. If he doesn't move it call the council/traffic warden

Seeingadistance · 29/11/2018 10:55

If he struggles with English then he might be finding it difficult to get help or arrange to have it moved. Or at least it may take him a bit longer as he might need to get a friend who can translate for him.

Why not go round with a sympathetic expression on your face, and ask if you can do anything to help? Maybe you could make a phone call for him to get it sorted out.

Thesearmsofmine · 29/11/2018 11:02

Just go ask if he needs help to get it back on the drive? Why would your instant reaction be to report him to the council instead of helping a neighbour out?

Eliza9917 · 29/11/2018 11:08

hulahoopar Thu 29-Nov-18 10:20:39
Well since finding out you can get someone out straight away yes I think it’s a bit rude now it’s seemingly going to just be left there.

You can't always get breakdown companies out straight away. We broke down as we were leaving a caravan park, blazing hot day, we had 2 dogs in the car. We still had to wait about 4-5 hours I think it was as we were deemed to be in a safe place so not priority. I covered all the windows with towels and we had the dogs water bowls obviously so they were ok.

Another time the car wouldn't start outside the house so we had to wait about 6 hours that time, as we were not priority. There was snow that day and there was A LOT of other breakdowns on the motorways etc. I didn't mind waiting because that was the day that my dog showed signs that it was time for her and we had to take her to be pts.

Last time we had an issue with the car, it was about 11 at night, we were leaving a relatives, so parked up on the street, and they started asking us if we could wait until the next day. We couldn't as we had to get home to go to work the next day. We insisted we needed to get on the road or towed home that night and we waited hours again then too.

A car parked up on the street outside the owners house is not going to be priority, cars on motorways or lone women or people with children out stranded are going to be priority.

Caprisunorange · 29/11/2018 11:14

I completely agree with @empmalswa

What if he doesn’t have the money for an immediate tow to the garage (where they will also expect an immediate repair to take place, more ££) calling the council will just cause him even more expense which is just nasty.

Maybe he’s waiting for someone to help him push it. If not why not ask him tonight if he has someone to help him push it?

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