Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour parked on my drive

306 replies

maltesersplease · 20/06/2019 15:50

In February, neighbour/friend gets clamped and fined for no tax, MOT, insurance. Asks if she can park on my drive a few days until she can afford to sort it all out.

We fell out over something else a few weeks ago over something much more serious, and don't speak anymore. Don't need to drip feed, this part's irrelevant.

The car is still on my drive. I've asked her to move it, she says she will SORN it. Car doesn't start either so I can't just move it myself. If she SORNs it, she will never move it! It's still not taxed or MOTd.

So now I seem to be stuck with it on my drive. Each of the police, DVLA and council have told me it's one of the other responsibilities.

I'm feeling really irritated by life in general and if I wasn't worried it would harm a person, I'd have taken the handbrake off it by now!

(This isn't AIBU to remove the handbrake, it's more of a "I'm really fed up can anyone help please?).

OP posts:
Adsss · 20/06/2019 18:35

Really low price on it and her mobile number plus email address plus a "knock on door XX - home after8pm and before 8am" and anything else you can think of :D

user1486131602 · 20/06/2019 18:38

I would call the finance company tell them that’s it’s been dumped on your drive, and as it’s been there since Feb, they have 30 days to remove it or it will be legally your property! ( in fact only has to be there 90 days, which it has already! )

BogglesGoggles · 20/06/2019 18:39

Send a preaction letter both to her and the finance company to the effect that they are trespassing on your land snfvof they don’t move the car you will take them to court blah blah blah

Kaddm · 20/06/2019 18:42

She sounds like a monster.

MissConductUS · 20/06/2019 18:43

I had to look up SORN on Google. I wish posters would understand not everyone is in the U.K

I had to google it too. I have to google lots of things on MN that I don't know as a Yank, including recently cowbag and cocklodger, both of which are brilliant. It's the joy of learning and a small price to pay for MN amusement.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 20/06/2019 18:45

Can you park at her place? Ot get someone to park there if you don't have a car?

BarrenFieldofFucks · 20/06/2019 18:48

Sorn isn't an MN thing, it's a standard government abbreviation. Hmm

Manclife1 · 20/06/2019 18:48

Ring the finance company back and tell them you are the owner now as the neighbour has sold it to you. They’ll shit a brick and wanna talk. You’ve just got bluff them.

SerendipityJane · 20/06/2019 18:52

Hang on .... is it not SORNed now ????

If so it's (well the registered keeper) is already committing an offence. Under the Continuous Insurance Act (or whatever) a car has to be either insured or SORNed. Just taking it off road isn't enough.

Maybe that might interest the authorities a bit more ?

(apologies if I've missed something).

OP also seems to have become the involuntary bailee of the vehicle - meaning they have some liability for damage ....

thenightsky · 20/06/2019 18:53

Can you dismantle very very slowly, bit by bit over the coming months? A wheel a week, then the plates, then the wipers, wing panels one by one, doors, boot lid, bonnet, then the insides - wiper motor, dials and wiring, steering wheel, wiring looms, radio, seats and carpets, etc. One day there'll be no car there at all Grin

Original poster
maltesersplease · 20/06/2019 18:56

@SerendipityJane that's right still no SORN. Involuntary bailee?

OP posts:
Original poster
maltesersplease · 20/06/2019 18:57

@ChardonnaysPrettySister she doesn't have a drive.

OP posts:
Walkamileinmyshoesbeforeujudge · 20/06/2019 18:59

A
Free
Sign
Should do it...

TidyDancer · 20/06/2019 18:59

It isn't a council matter as the car has a legal owner and is therefore not abandoned. Sorry OP, your neighbour is a shit but there is no easy solution to this.

Personally I would give her notice in writing that you want it removed by a certain date and that you will take legal action otherwise. The threat may be enough.

Pinkyyy · 20/06/2019 19:00

I'd tell her straight that if she doesn't move it, then you will. And if you have to then it will be towed and scrapped/ set on fire/ threat of your choice.

Lipz · 20/06/2019 19:02

Not sure if the 'rules' are the same there as here in Ireland but I recently went through similar, with a neighbour leaving their car parked across the end of my drive. It's a tricky one and no one wants to take ownership as to who can solve it.

The car in question with us, was left and the owner moved away, you would have thought it would have been an easy situation to sort. So I contacted the local Council, they will only get involved with abandoned cars if the estate is under their care and as it's a private estate they couldn't get involved, so my next step was the guards, it's a longer process with them, the car has to be abandoned for 6 months, it must not have out of date tax or insurance discs on view, I had to take photos of the car parked and photos of the out of date discs, when I reported it the car had been parked for 3 months already, I was dreading that they would count the 6 months from the time I reported it but they took my word for it, they came down, photed the car and came back 3 months later with a tow tuck and removed it.

I know here if the car is parked outside a garden/drive this is what they do, I'm not sure if the same rules apply for a car on a drive way, I do think you are allowed to park an uninsured car on a driveway, however, this is not your car and it's on your driveway.

I had to get proof that the car was causing an obstruction, that was easy enough to do as I showed them in the photos of it parked across my drive blocking me from using it.

I'm not sure if my post is helpful at all, but if it were me I'd go to the Police and see what their procedure is, I would imagine it would be easy enough to get it removed as it's actually ON your property. Also if you do, do any damage to it, you are billed for it here, I found that out when told the guard here that I was going to move it myself, again it could be different in the UK.

googlegoals · 20/06/2019 19:06

I work for a vehicle finance company dealing with issues like this every day.

Call them, tell them it's been abandoned on your property. The mere fact that it's not taxed / MOTD and probably not insured (you can check on askmid.co.uk) will be a breach of the Ts and Cs of the agreement. They will class it as 'at risk' and will happily collect it from you, whilst also terminating her agreement.

What a CF

googlegoals · 20/06/2019 19:07

Oh, and if you want the name and contact number of the finance company, do an HPI check and it will tell you.

googlegoals · 20/06/2019 19:10

Do not do as people have said in getting it towed / claiming you are the owner / dismantling it. It is the property of the finance company and if you dispose of it you may possibly be held liable for its value.

Jaxhog · 20/06/2019 19:17

The first step is to make it very clear that you have not (or withdrawn) permission for it to be there, and that you take no responsibility for it while it is there. Putting a note through the door is best.

The next step is to sue her for trespass. This can take time, however.

You could try the obstruction route too, although you'd have to demonstrate to the police (101) that you need to use the drive yourself to park on.

Original poster
maltesersplease · 20/06/2019 19:22

Oh that's really helpful @googlegoals

OP posts:
Original poster
maltesersplease · 20/06/2019 19:23

I emailed her a few days ago asking her to move it. She says it won't move and I can't do anything about it.

OP posts:
IndieTara · 20/06/2019 19:25

Then def call the finance Co. Your name is a total CF

IndieTara · 20/06/2019 19:25

Neighbour!! Not name.FFS

Tistheseason17 · 20/06/2019 19:30

Bounce it off your drive - it's easy to do without causing damage. It's only a crime if you damage it. The act of bouncing it is not a crime!

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread