AIBU or is my neighbour?

[StrayDoll]

I live on a new build estate where the houses back onto a shared car park. Each house either has a garage and a designated parking space or 2 designated spaces with no garage. I have a garage and one space.

The car park also has a visitor space. In the last few months I've been using this visitor space whenever it's free as my partner has moved in with me and now uses my space (his vehicle is too big to fit in the visitor car port). If the visitor space is being used I use one of my neighbours spare spaces they don't use. This was suggested by them and I'm very grateful however I don't want to take liberties so use the visitor space as much as possible.

There are 8 other houses that share this car park and no one is bothered about me using this space apart from one neighbour. We have had issues in the past which means he is being petty and regularly takes the visitor space if it's free. He has 2 cars, one in the garage and one he keeps on his space. He doesn't need the visitors but does it to wind me up.

As an example I went out earlier for an hour and he jumped straight into the space. When I then went out again he had moved back to his space and luckily I got it back but it made me laugh how petty he was to take it.

AIBU to take it when 7 other households are not bothered and only one is?

You're both being selfish and unreasonable because it's a visitors space and neither of you are visitors!!!!!!
Maybe if you stop abusing the situation then the neighbour might too.
Oh and if I was your neighbour, I'd be right pissed off with you.

@StrayDoll

toomanyplants - sorry forgot to add my partner keeps his motorbike in the garage so can't fit my car in too.

Give this update, I think the issue here is that you've now decided to be a 3 vehicle household with only 2 vehicle allocation spaces. The visitor space is for visitors not residents who are in possession of 3 vehicles. To me, your only options is: Get rid of the bike or store elsewhere or outside and you park in the garage. I would imagine that if its a newish build there's a covenant about the visitor space.

Sounds like it’s time to move house into something more appropriate. With a big driveway.

Neighbours who impose their vehicles onto everyone else are entitled and unreasonable

“ For example if my petty neighbour uses the visitor space and I use my neighbours spare space it means if they have a visitor they have nowhere to park which is obviously not right.”

So if the visitors space is being used by neighbour, and a visitor wants to use it, that’s not right, but if you’re in the space, and a visitor wants to use it, too bad.

YABVU and every post is just another silly excuse.

YABVU and a massive cheeky fucker.

You have 2 spaces, not 3. The visitor space should always remain empty unless someone has a visitor. You should not be using it regularly.

If you don’t like the motorcycle in the garden you have two options: deal with it, it’s tough shit, or sell the motorbike.

So out of 9 houses you think you should always be able to park in the visitors space. Entitled.

Just because the rest of the neighbours are ‘cool’ about it, doesn’t make the other neighbour’s concerns any less valid. I’ve seen this happen before where the person using the visitors space constantly eventually assumes it to be their space and others daren’t use it. You’re being very self entitled.

I’m a director of a leaseholders’ mgt company in a block with 50:50 owner occupiers.

1. there will be covenants you don’t know about
2. more than one neighbour will be pissed off
3. if several neighbours complain to the mgt company (who will pass it to your landlord) or directly to your landlord you are unlikely to get your lease renewed. Non-resident landlords don’t want to piss their owner-occupier neighbours off as our actions keep their property in a “nice” state to attract new tenants.

And I’d be very surprised if there isn’t a covenant about vans. Most modern estates have them (which I personally always feel is a bit much as it discriminated against those who do jobs where van ownership is more likely) but I would be prepared to bet on it that your “petty” neighbour will invoke this next.

"The motorbike will ruin the vibe" Get OVER yourself. Who on earth do you think you are? YOU are ruining the vibe of the whole building you bloody idiot

Do you want 3 parking spaces in reality and in doing so blocking the visitors space. You say they are not bothered but really do none of your neighbours ever have visitors?

@opinionatedfreak

I’m a director of a leaseholders’ mgt company in a block with 50:50 owner occupiers.

1. there will be covenants you don’t know about
2. more than one neighbour will be pissed off
3. if several neighbours complain to the mgt company (who will pass it to your landlord) or directly to your landlord you are unlikely to get your lease renewed. Non-resident landlords don’t want to piss their owner-occupier neighbours off as our actions keep their property in a “nice” state to attract new tenants.

And I’d be very surprised if there isn’t a covenant about vans. Most modern estates have them (which I personally always feel is a bit much as it discriminated against those who do jobs where van ownership is more likely) but I would be prepared to bet on it that your “petty” neighbour will invoke this next.

And good on the neighbours if they do is my opinion!

I bet your neighbours hate the van, btw. This could be the issue the angry neighbour has.

Your neighbour is being petty yes but that doesnt mean that this is a long term solution

It is very rare that anyone here has visitors. Of course this may be largely due to lockdown atm!

Yes this is it isnt it - if its been a few months it is likely to first of all be height of winter and now lockdown things are going to change

You have too many vehicles and not enough space (and yes why does your partner get both spaces). Look at renting your neighbours space or other ideas but permanently taking the visitors space just isnt a feasible long term option

Has it occured to you that ''Mr Petty' as you insist he is, maybe having visitors? In order that his his visitors have somewhere to park, he may have to grab the visitors spot the second you move out of it in order that his own space ( which you cannot park in) is free for his visitor?

if you think you are entitled to use it, so equally is he.

The only thing I think you’re within your rights to say OP is that no one asked you explicitly to move. They probably thought they didn’t need to but still, you can always diffuse the situation by saying “next time please don’t feel bad about asking me directly, I misunderstood how people felt about it”. Unless you’ve been bitching about your neighbour in which case then you’ll find it harder. But I think most people will simply be glad it’s resolved.

Ask your LL to check the covenant, you won’t see it as it’s on the title deed not on the tenancy contract, although a good LL and / or agent will always ensure relevant covenants are included in the tenancy contract

You shouldn't be parking in a visitors space. Move the bike elsewhere and park your car there.

you shouldn't be using the visitors space. it is for visitors. you already have private capacity for 2 cars, your garage and your reserved space. your neighbour's tactic to try to make you form a new habit of keeping to your own spaces isn't great but it has been successful in making you think about the issue so I don't blame him. when you choose to park in the visitors space you are essentially co-opting what is supposed to be a shared resource to instead give your household private use of 3 spaces. if you can do this then he has just as much right to do it too.

you should call a truce with him and agree that in future neither of you will use the visitors space.

Oh you're one of those entitled PITA neighbours who think they can have loads of vehicles when they don't have the space for them.... and f**k the neighbours if they want to use the space reserved for visitors!

You don't want to park your car where you can't see it.
What happens if you go out leaving your car behind?
Do you have the automobile equivalent of a nanny cam set up to your phone, so you can check up on it when you're not around? What happens if, heaven forbid, you have to leave it in a car park?
I bet that gets your nervous heart a-fluttering when you cant see it.
Or do you put the gears in neutral, handbrake off and tow it behind you wherever you go?

YOU ARE ONLY ENTITLED TO TWO PARKING SPACES.

How dense must you be to not understand that? Tell your boyfriend the motorcycle has to go. 3 vehicles between two adults is ridiculous anyway.

I lived in an apartment complex and have to honest people like you did annoy me.

In our complex we paid a lot more for an apartment that came with two car parking places.

When we had visitors they could never find a car parking place because other residents permanently used the visitors spots.

So I paid for two spots plus occasional use of a visitor spot when in reality I was paying for some cheapo to steal the visitor spot.

The caparking provision you signed up to no longer suits you. It’s not fair to take something away from the other residents to suit your needs. It might be time to move somewhere that has enough parking to meet your needs.

I didn’t say anything at the time, because I didn’t want a parking war. I sold up because it was so frustrating. It was one of the many irritations of living in a complex.

Sorry - this thread has stirred old resentments.

Haha. CF! You are definitely BU🙄

YABVU. You have a garage, a space and 3 vehicles you need to:

a. Get rid of a vehicle and use your own garage and space for parking.

b. Park the car you're using the visitor space for somewhere else.

If I lived there I'd be so annoyed with you too.

This would really piss me off if I was a resident in your area. You're not a visitor. You have 2 parking spaces. It's not your neighbours fault your partner moved in with two vehicles. I agree with pp, maybe 'Mr petty' (not petty in the slightest) is having visitors and needs the space to allow his visitors to have somewhere to park?
Stop being entitled and find somewhere also to park one of your vehicles.

You're being very self entitled and your neighbour is simply trying to make a point. One that is clearly going over your head.

Everyone here has tried to tell you but you're so wrapped up in your own self entitlement you've ignored them.

You have 2 spaces. Not 3. I repeat 2. If you don't have room for all your vehicles move house, or move the bike into the house, or simply ask your partner to not bring both into your property causing the issue in the first place. Surely he has a home of his own?