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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Parking and Blocking Driveways

86 replies

Shewhomustgowithoutname · 12/09/2019 02:05

I am so angry about vehicles being parked in such a way that I can not get out. There are other driveways on my side of the street but no one else seems to have cars parking over their driveways.
I have heard that previous people in this house had multiple cars which is why there is a parking place on one side of the front garden and a driveway leading to the garage at the other side.
I got so fed up with being blocked in that I asked Police to assist. I sent them photos and some officers have called and seen the blockages. They did not do anything about the recent spate of parking. They may have spoken to one repeat blocker. I have to be able to go out when I need or want. I work and I have a child. I dont think I should be blocked in like this so often.
Do you think Police should have helped me to be able to go in and out of my property whenever I want.

Parking and Blocking Driveways
OP posts:
HappyHammy · 13/09/2019 19:55

Can you park there yourself. Are there any restrictions.

Original poster
Shewhomustgowithoutname · 13/09/2019 20:24

From what I understand there was a garage at the back but the previous occupant could not manage the manoeuvre to get in and out so left it and got a side carport which later became a garage. Then their DC grew up and got cars so made an extra parking place at one side of the front and a driveway to the carport or garage.
When I moved in there were no dropped pavements. I had council man out and he made paint marks to outline the job. From that time the blocking of the front spaces started. As I can not be sure of be able to park on my garden and come and go without hindrance I was not willing to spend 3K on doubtful parking.
I have my personal car and a works vehicle

OP posts:
fedup21 · 13/09/2019 20:27

So, you don’t have a dropped kerb?

user1471449295 · 13/09/2019 20:33

If you don’t have a dropped curb they can legally park there

Louiselouie0890 · 13/09/2019 20:38

No srop0ed kerb? I doubt its because your a woman

Scoobydoobywho · 13/09/2019 20:49

We live very near a school, the amount of times I have gone to get our dc form that school there is on occasion someone parked across our drive. It annoys the hell out of me even though I'm not using the car.

CrocodilesCry · 13/09/2019 21:04

Unfortunately if you haven't paid for a dropped kerb (and yes they are expensive) then you have no right to cross the pavement with your vehicles. In fact you'll more than likely be damaging the road surface and the kerbstones by doing that.

You need to pay for a dropped kerb, you may also be able to request a H bar marking (a white line along the length of the dropped kerb with a line at each end).

m0therofdragons · 13/09/2019 21:32

If there's no drop kerb then you've not got permission to drive over the pavement so they're parking legally. (Although they're being unkind they are in the right).

Original poster
Shewhomustgowithoutname · 13/09/2019 21:47

The council man coming out and marking the road seemed to trigger the blocking of the driveways at the front.
If I paid for dropped curbs and it still didnt stop the blocking I would be most annoyed in short.
The rear access I was told has been there for 60 years or more. I had thought of replacing the demolished garage but luckily I have not forked out money on that.
I would like to be sure that I am not blocked in or out before I crack out the cash.
I dont know why people think they are entitled to block people out or in. There are 3 threads I have seen tonight.
This is not the best place for many reasons but the ignorant parking could be the straw that breaks this camels back

OP posts:
EggysMom · 13/09/2019 21:56

Yes, but you have no right to these access points and cannot enforce movement of the vehicles if you don't have the dropped kerbs - so you have to pay and get those installed first.

I suspect the neighbours are deliberately parking there because you have the markings; they want to make it obvious that, at the moment, you have no right to those access points. That will change if you have the dropped kerbs installed - you will gain a right that you don't have now.

Ooohtini · 13/09/2019 21:56

No one is blocking you in in an official sense because it's a regular pavement, no dropped kerb. They can totally park there as much as they like and they're not doing anything wrong. It doesn't matter if you have off street parking for 20 cars, if you don't have a proper dropped kerb you have no legal right to access it and people have every legal right to park across your driveway.
The police have no powers to move someone parking along a regular kerb.
If you pay for your dropped kerbs then I imagine people would no longer park there because it would then not be legal. And then if your car was blocked in on your drive by someone's parking across your dropped kerb you could get the blocking car towed.

minesasaugagesupper · 13/09/2019 22:00

If you don't have a dropped kerb at the driveway or the parking place then you must be illegally driving over the footpath to get to these places. You are the person acting illegally not your neighbours.

SuperSara · 13/09/2019 22:05

OP, I really feel for you and I certainly DON'T agree with what's happening.

But... if you don't have official dropped kerbs, you're committing an offence by crossing the pavement and, technically, anyone parking in front of your drive(s) isn't.

This may be relevant: www.tpos.co.uk/news-media-and-press-releases/case-studies/item/an-undropped-kerb-misleading-action

maz7777 · 13/09/2019 23:30

Just buy an old banger and park it across your drive yourself

Original poster
Shewhomustgowithoutname · 14/09/2019 00:24

There is a wheelchair dropped curb which was done at every gateway in the area long years ago so it is not a fully built up curb and pavement. There is a disabled parking place for an old lady further along and the neighbours dont stay out of that either.
I think the neighbours are just nasty grabby types without a shred of decency.
I noted they are like this only with an old lady and a female alone with DC.

OP posts:
ComftyCushion · 14/09/2019 00:33

So your driveway isn't blocked then because there is no dropped kerb.. and if there's no dropped kerb then all you have is a garden that you illegally access by driving over a pavement. Therefore the police or council won't be doing anything as there is no proper access being blocked. Get your kerb dropped.

Original poster
Shewhomustgowithoutname · 14/09/2019 01:10

@ComftyCushion. See above.

The pavement is partially lowered just not the full width of the drive which is larger than average.
The delightful neighbours are also blocking a disabled lady from her designated parking place. Police said it was a courtesy to keep out of disabled spaces. I think this means that the neighbours are not courteous which is why I mentioned them being grabby.

OP posts:
karenbokaren · 14/09/2019 01:48

You don't have full dropped curb access. You have access for a wheelchair not a car. You are braking the law. They aren't parking badly.

Pony up for a drop curb like everyone else has to it stop whining.

My disabled Father can't get a disabled spot outside his house and his having to pay for a dropped curb. Get a grip and stop playing then pathetic woman card. Hmm

karenbokaren · 14/09/2019 01:49

Breaking. GrinGrinGrin

ComftyCushion · 14/09/2019 07:33

Doesn't change the fact that they are not blocking your drive because you don't have a dropped kerb for a drive. And as police have told you they are not breaking the law parking in the disabled spot they are just not being courteous . Stop phoning the police and wasting their time.

Unknownanon · 14/09/2019 08:08

You are being unreasonable without a dropped kerb.

You are not being unreasonable about blocking access to the garage gate though. You should concentrate on rebuilding a garage or your drive there in your spot and getting that illegally parked vehicle moved.

You should also report them blocking your neighbours disabled spot. They are cocks for that and blocking garage access.

Generallybewildered · 14/09/2019 08:29

Both sides here!

If you don’t have a dropped curb then you don’t have any recourse I’m afraid. Get the dropped kerb then go back to the police.

However I had a driveway put into my first house in an area that had had lots of neighbourly disputes. I ran out of money and didn’t manage to get the dropped kerb put in. In 7 years no one ever parked over my driveway. It may be because I got on with all my neighbours. Made an effort to get to know them, took round shopping, stopped to chat etc. Little things go a long way.

SuperSara · 14/09/2019 09:40

@Shewhomustgowithoutname @Unknownanon

To be clear about 'the neighbour's disabled space', it's not HER space.

It's free to be used by anyone permitted to use disabled spaces - i.e. anyone holding a blue badge. Even if that's some entitled sod parking there who could have easily parked elsewhere.

Them's the rules...

Original poster
Shewhomustgowithoutname · 14/09/2019 10:58

The dropped curb would have been done long ago if it had not been that the neighbours started parking badly as soon as the paint marks were made by the council man.
I take in parcels etc. I have helped neighbours in other ways too. I am still in contact with neighbours from years ago and different houses. I work in a job which is public facing and get good reports.

As far as I know the cars parked in the disabled space do not display parking badges. It is more about certain people wanting to park in that particular spot disabled bay or not.

I would be perfectly willing to have the full area done with a dropped curb if I was convinced that the neighbours would not park there or so close that there is not enough room to swing onto the driveway and that if they did police would make them move.
I lived nearby before I got this house and people were ok apart from the ones who think their wish to park on a certain spot outweighs a disabled badge. They have been at that for years. I am not sure that people here comply with laws at all. There are other ' laws' that are ignored.
I might look at other options.

OP posts:
ComftyCushion · 14/09/2019 11:04

Nothing you have said changed the fact that they are not blocking your 'drive' because the fact is that legally you haven't got a drive. Your neighbours may well be inconsiderate dickheads, but they're not blocking your 'drive'.