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Original poster

To ask new neighbours not to block our driveway (see Diagram!

208 replies

starrain · 15/01/2020 12:37

Hi all (please see my artistic diagram- im at work so no pic)

We have recently moved into a new build, the whole block of houses have just moved in. Our driveway is on a slight incline and at the bottom of it is a lowered kerb. Our neighbours have a house which has a long driveway where u have to park cars infront on each other. They knew this when they bought the house, many other houses on the development are made like this, and if it was going to be an issue for them they shouldnt have bought it

Now she keeps parking at the bottom of our drive half on the pavemement infront of their house, partially blocking our drive.
It s real nuisance trying to get in and out.

I have asked them once that can they move it as im struggling to get my car out, to which they replied well Steve is leaving in a bit so i dont wana block him in.
We have asked them twice now and they say its causing them a problem as one leaves after the other so they will be constantly moving cars, but i dont see why we should have the problem whilst they dont, its our house our drive and dropped kerb?!

Will speak to the customer care lady at the housing development, but i fear they will keep doing it. What can we do :((

To ask new neighbours not to block our driveway (see Diagram!
OP posts:
Drabarni · 15/01/2020 14:51

Lulu. There is no law against parking on the pavement, I didn't mention there was no law to stop you blocking people in Confused Not sure what you're going on about tbh.

As for a fence, I maybe presumed wrongly that all homes, even new builds have some sort of distinction between properties where a fence can be erected.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 15/01/2020 14:51

Whatever they say, whatever excuse they use you could say

That is your problem. Your current solution makes it our problem and we can't agree to that. The inconvenience is your driveway, not ours!

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 15/01/2020 14:54

Put your big girl pants on and just state the facts very clearly and very coldly.

"This is your problem to solve, not ours; you have several options open to you to sort this out. Just to make it clear, we will not be spending any money to sort out your problem, which should have been clear as an issue when you bought the house."

Lulualla · 15/01/2020 14:55

@Drabarni

Have you actually looked at the diagram? The OP has double drive at the end of a road, with the pavements going away from either side of their drive. The neighbour is parking up on that pavement, but it is right infront of their dropped kerb. They arent parked on the dropped kerb, but they are blocking the drive by parking face to face with the dropped kerb.

Also, of course you can put fences between properties. My question to you was how would that help? How does a fence down the edge of their driveway stop someone blocking the front of the driveway?

Mollychristmas · 15/01/2020 14:56

You really shouldn’t park your car where they have!

1, it sets a precedence you are happy for a car to be parked there.
3, they will wait to you move the car and park there themselves, if you then moan about they will say you park there anyway so why not them.
3, you can’t use the not having a dropped curb and it being illegal if you do it yourself.

I would ask them to move each and every time. I would also ask them what what they are going to do about it and that it’s unacceptable to make it your problem, that you don’t want to have to escalate things but it’s affecting your enjoyment of your home and it needs resolving.

AgathaX · 15/01/2020 14:57

As others have said. Knock on their door every single time you need to move your car. Need to move your car regularly, and at unsociable hours. Knock loudly and don't take no for an answer.

Serenity45 · 15/01/2020 14:58

You can make it as inconvenient as possible for them while still seeming reasonable OP. It's a pain but knock on every.single. time they do it saying you need to get out (even if you don't).

Agree that they are likely committing a parking offence (though I'm no expert) so seriously consider logging with 101 every singe time as well. You've tried to be fair and spoken to them but it sounds like they are trying to make this YOUR problem. Make it theirs and start doing it now.

Good luck!

NoProblem123 · 15/01/2020 15:03

Park one of your cars where they are parking one if there’s and see what reaction you get.
Maybe then they’ll be a bit more considerate.

Ihavenoidewhatsgoingon · 15/01/2020 15:04

Are they still selling houses and do they have someone there showing prospective buyers around?

Go in each time you see someone looking around to buy and complain about the parking.

Post on the builders Facebook / Twitter etc asking why they aren’t doing anything about the parking problems - make it the builders problem not yours

NoProblem123 · 15/01/2020 15:05

No - I’ve changed my mind. Loud knocking at every opportunity for them to shift because you want your car out - I make sure you take your car out and back in again A LOT.

Antigonads · 15/01/2020 15:12

Must be just me that can't understand the diagram Confused

JacquesHammer · 15/01/2020 15:14

There is no law against parking on the pavement

Depends where you are. In some areas there are bans on any sort of pavement parking.

If they can't get themselves organised to swap cars (which isn't hard lets face it) then they need to come up with a solution that doesn't inconvenience other people.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 15/01/2020 15:16

Can you perhaps convince the builders, if they are still there, that a steel bollard fixed into the ground is needed at the road side of the pavement in front of your dropped kerb and drive, far enough from the drive for you to reverse in past it? That would stop the CF neighbours from parking their car so that you cannot get in and out past them. They would have to park more towards their own drive.

If the builders are no longer on site, agitate with the management company to get it done.

It would need to be half way between the front of their car and the words "their car" on your diagram, and right next to the kerb on the pavement so that it blocks neither the pavement nor the road.

bluetongue · 15/01/2020 15:16

You poor thing OP. I also have a neighbour that has managed to make out that a problem with their house is my responsibility. On top of this my refusal to sort their problem is apparently causing them great stress and financial hardship.

They have now threatened legal action to get me to pay for the issue with their house (you couldn’t make this stuff up). I’m currently in the process of putting my house on the market Sad

I have no suggestions for you as I have done everything by the book and after successfully doing the grey rock technique and not engaging for over a year they have kicked after I said hello to them when we ran into each other out the front of my house. Apparently I abused and threatened them Shock

LakieLady · 15/01/2020 15:17

They think parking to block you in is easier than blocking one of their own cars - if you make it inconvenient enough for them they'll probably stop.

This.

Make them move, every single time. Find reasons to pop out for short trips. And park where they park, so they can't.

Original poster
starrain · 15/01/2020 15:20

Im going to read the covenants myself tonight and get back to the developers.
We are not living there at the moment, so at times when we pop over sometimes they are not home or not parked there. However, we are going tonight, and if she is parked there i will have to say something.

OP posts:
WhereDoesThisToiletGo · 15/01/2020 15:25

If the building development is still ongoing, this would be a good time for them to ask the developers to extend their drive sideways a bit nearest the road. It is likely to be cheaper than asking an independent contractor to do it . I am in a similar development and several of the neighbours have made their drives wider so that they can get three cars across the drive

Wingedharpy · 15/01/2020 15:29

Just a thought : Given that you're not living there at the moment, could it be that they don't intend to park this way for ever, but they're just taking temporary advantage of the fact that your house is currently unoccupied?

dreamingofsun · 15/01/2020 15:39

builders put covenants in place so they can sell all the development easily,, eg they may ban commercial vehicles because they bring down the tone of the area whilst they are selling houses. its only the covenant owner that can enforce it and i cant see them wanting to get involved - would cost time and money.

ProfessorSlocombe · 15/01/2020 15:44

Has the OP clarified who owns what bits ?

A lot of new builds have odd ownerships over drives (which is why I asked). I have seen houses where the drive in front of a house is teh shared access to the next doors drive. Meaning you can't park on your own drive. A friend caught that once just before completion and insisted the builders redrew the deeds. Their solicitor and surveyor missed it.

PopGoesTheWeaz · 15/01/2020 15:47

Can you get council to paint a double yellow line there?

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 15/01/2020 15:56

Also worth checking with the local council, whether they allow pavement parking or not. Most don't (some do) so they might be able to do something as well, even paint some double yellow lines there or something.

GabriellaMontez · 15/01/2020 15:56

Cf's dont want to be inconvenienced by juggling cars around and would prefer if you were. I would park there, in front if your drive.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 15/01/2020 15:59

Who owns the garage?
If it's yours, could you park your cars in it then you could use the whole of your drive to manoeuvre round to get past neighbours' car.?

Why should she? No-one should have to manoeuvre round anyone - the neighbours shouldn't be parked there:

  1. they are impeding the pavement

  2. they are in front of a lowered kerb

Both of these are actually offences.

BlouseAndSkirt · 15/01/2020 16:02

There is no law against parking on the pavement

You get a ticket in London if you have so much as a wheel on the pavement.