To want my neighbour to stop parking in my spot

[KangarooAtTheZoo]

I have an allocated parking spot in a cul de sac. It's on the deeds to the house and we have the freehold so we own the parking spot. We don't own a car but we use the spot for visitors alot. A neighbour has started parking in our spot every day even though they have 2 spots and there are communal spots (his household have at least 3 cars I think). It started in the lockdown as we had no guests. I have left notes on the car and asked them not to park in our spot because our guests can't use it and it's blocking access for me to get my pram out when there is a car parked there (there is narrow paths and bushes either side). When I have confronted him he says just ask him to move his car when you have guests. But the last two times we had guests he didn't answer the door so my guests couldn't park there. And why should I be inconvienced by him parking on our property.
What options are left now? I assume police and council can't do anything? There is a property management company that manages the communal area because some people own half the property and pay half rent to this company but I assume because we own the freehold they can't do anything? Can I put a parking bollard on my spot? I'm also worried if it goes on for to long they can claim rights to the parking spot. Thanks for any advice

I'd borrow someone's car and park it there for a month until he gets the hint

^This it does work.

I lived in a rented house which as we didn't have cars the landlord got one of his local mates to park his car in the house's parking space to prevent random CF parking in it as we were near a station.

When I did get a car and use to stay over at some friends' I was told to park in one of their parking spaces during the day as random CF use to park in it as they were near another station. There was parking about a minute further away but for some reason they either couldn't find it or didn't realise it was for anyone to use.

@KangarooAtTheZoo

Sirzy if he is parked in my spot he can't be blocked in without blocking 2 of the neighbours spots.

That's just unfortunate... for him.

I'd do it. And tell the neighbours they'd have to ask him to take his car out.

Although locking him in with a bollard would be very tempting.

Been looking at lockable bollards but one company wants to charge 180 pounds to install in addition to the 70 pounds for the bollard. Seems expensive

That £250 now could save you a lot of time, effort and mindspace when it comes to either selling your home or if/when you get your own car.

Some of you lot sound so...I don't know....angry. Or maybe some of us have been through similar and now how difficult it can be when someone lays spurious claim to a parking space.

I guess I don't put that much value on something that's mine but I don't use very often, that could help someone else out. Helping someone else out involves dialogue, an offer of help. Not someone just helping themselves and brushing you off when you try to talk to you. You sound so ... erm.. disinterested? It's odd not to care if someone chooses to use things you own without so much as a by your leave!

How about renting out your parking space if you live anywhere worth parking? www.yourparkingspace.co.uk/

Keeps it occupied, makes you a bit of money.

I guess I don't put that much value on something that's mine but I don't use very often, that could help someone else out.

Would you do the same with your back garden (if you have one)? Your actual house whilst you're away on holiday? Would you be happy if somebody just let themselves in, completely unarranged, and took up residence in your house? "Oh, yeah - just give us a call half an hour before you're due to arrive back."

We get on very well with out NDN and we often do each other little favours which are probably comparable to parking in somebody's currently-unused spot. The big difference is that we ASK or the other one OFFERS. You don't just help yourself - and even then tell them when they might be able to have their property back again if they ask.

Any shred of neighbourly give and take that there might have been in place (and I'd be interested to know what favours he regularly does for OP) was destroyed once he deliberately moved the bin and ignored the no parking sign on it.

It's a shame you have to go to the expense of buying and installing a bollard, OP, as well as the hassle of keeping your visitors waiting in the road after they've already arrived whilst you lower (if you drop it half an hour before you expect them, so they can just drive in, pound to a penny he'll be straight in there first), but you don't have any other option, it seems. You can't reason with him, because he's already made it abundantly clear that he is not a reasonable person. How dare he assume to use somebody else's property to make his life easier and then give them instructions as to how they need to put themselves out to work around his selfish preferences to use THEIR property.

At least with burglars, they tend to scarper as soon as they're disturbed - they don't usually tell you that you just need to wait and give them an hour or so to finish loading your stuff into their van.

We get on very well with out NDN

with OUR

The original penguin bollard lady only bought a pair for garden decoration because they are nickable but at the same time hard to move if moving a lot. She invested in the remote controlled bollards that you higher/lower when required. The penguins are cute but currently unavailable from Amazon and if cf moves bins, he'd have no qualms moving Pingu.

Buy a wheel clamp, I'm sure you could find one on Ebay, put a notice on his car that it is £250 to release the car. Put up a notice that cars will be clamped.

Don't do that ^^ it's illegal!

try and get your hands on traffic cones and place them there.

You just need to be careful with traffic cones, as they could have been anywhere. For all you know, they might even have hidden dog poo smeared all around the inside top rim that most people would instinctively put their fingers in to grab and lift them out of the way. Just something to bear in mind....

That's not true - as long as the OP makes it clear he does not have her permission then no easement is created. I bet he wouldn't come out with that CF crap if he was talking to a man.

Oooo what's a penguin bollard and how does it work?

I think he doesn't realise you actually own the space, as the others are not owned

Great idea, rent it out OP! You will make your money back from the lockable bollard!

If you think a lockable bollard may not be on, you could put something more moveable to which only you have the key(s).

You could put two or three wheelie bins on your space with a chain joining them together through the handles. Maybe secure to a post out of the way at the back. You could put a sturdy lock on them. Maybe have one for this purpose, chained shut and with some bricks/concrete block in it. He will find this set up a lot harder to move along.

Once you separate them, you can easily move them out of the way if you have visitors. They won't take up the full width and you can arrange them so you pram will have more space to move than if a car was parked there. However, only you have the keys for the locks. If you put a camera on these, you can see if he tampers with or damages them.

I imagine someone who does this doesn't give a toss if someone else owns them or not.

She invested in the remote controlled bollards that you higher/lower when required.

Now THAT sounds fun. Imagine the entertainment you could have by watching through the window, waiting for him to manoeuvre his car into the space and then remotely raise it juuust before he drives in On an entirely unrelated note, can you buy bollards styled to look likke a middle finger....?!

No idea what 'likke' is - maybe a bedside cabinet from IKEA?

The problem with putting things like bins in the spaces is that there may be covenants preventing anything from being stored in the parking space. It wouldn't be so bad if he had asked could he come to some arrangement with you to use your space - you could then grant him a licence and charge him a fee.

Like most people, I'd be so ashamed to know that one of my neighbours in a small residential road had to go to the trouble of buying and fitting an ever-visible bollard on their usually-empty parking space purely because of me and my inability to respect their property. I know a lot of people use them to prevent caravans or motorhomes from being stolen from the drive, but not normally to prevent the actual space from being stolen.

Then again, like with so many things, those of us who would feel any shame wouldn't dream of doing it in the first place. It's water off a duck's back to that sort. If he feels anything, it'll likely be anger at OP for being 'petty' and 'selfish' rather than any kind of shame for his own behaviour.

@FelicityPike

Penguin bollard (as others have said). £25 from Amazon

Out of stock!

www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Bollard/dp/B00NP0O0OE?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Lockable bollard is the answer. We had the same problem. I have a driveway that belongs to me but 3 other properties have right of access via it to their back gardens. One would park on it as if it was his if there wasn't a parking space right outside his front door. Would move if asked, but that was a pain as I'd have to double park on the road, or park round the corner to knock and ask him to move. I had a bollard installed which cured him. I really don't think some people give a second's thought to inconveniencing other people.

What is the surface of the parking spot? Tarmac brick or concrete?

Any chance of your guests using his spaces or blocking them?

Alternatively, invoice him for the use of the space. Place a notice stating the cost. Win win.