Petty neighbour - parking related

[Snufkins]

Not sure why I’m posting on here or whether it’s me being unreasonable or the ‘neighbour’

I live in a new build development, it’s not a cul de sac as such but there are other houses at the back and bottom and fields at the top. So technically anyone can pass through on walks.

My house is opposite a long road which makes a T junction, a sharp left takes you to the rest of the houses and a right to the few others. DP parks on pavement as at the moment we have a single driveway, cars can get very tight round the bend especially if icy so it’s all we’re able to do at the moment (we’re not in London so not illegal?).

A couple on their daily walk (I don’t know whether they live on the same block) have taken to slamming DP’s wing mirror when walking past. It’s showing some damage. I think I have seen them walk through my front garden during summer several times too to get past. The road is quiet, they could easily cross the road but there is room to walk on the pavement just in single file. There are cars and a van parked nearby on pavement and they don’t do the same to them.
We’re forking out over £10k to sort out our bog of a garden which has taken a while to save and DP now says we need to extend the driveway at the same time to stop this happening, can’t really afford both!

I instead want to confront these people but are we being unreasonable or them? I want to say we have CCTV (we don’t) to put them off but I am frustrated they are picking on us, especially walking on my property.

Everyone here is being unreasonable. You are blocking the pavement, which is there specifically for walkers. They have a right to walk on it unimpeded. They are being unreasonable in that they could probably get by without damaging your car, even if they stepped off of the pavement for one. single. step.

However, as the pavement is for walkers, the onus to "fix this situation" is on you. Your complaint is a tiny bit like saying, "I can't park in the grocer's parking lot to go to the bank because of all the people shopping for food! Are they unreasonable?"

Get the car off the pathway and there won't be an issue. No idea why you think its only illegal in London. It doesn't matter if there is room for a buggy you still shouldn't park there. You knew the parking facilities before moving so should have factored that in, you obviously need a larger drive so reduce your lawn and provide your own parking space. The pedestrians shouldn't be damaging your car but if you've seen them why haven't you spoken to them about it?

Spend the 10k creating extra space for the car..............

Firstly, don’t park on the pavement...it’s for pedestrians
Secondly, if you are going to continue to park on the pavement, just put your own wing mirror in!!!

Illegal or not, it's a bloody inconvenient and selfish thing to do.
You're DH isn't willing to inconvenience himself by parking elsewhere in the street, he is also not willing to inconvenience others by parking in front of their house, you'd rather get your garden done than sort additional parking that you need, so you choose to willingly block part of a path that pedestrians walk on.

This happens all the time on our estate, and twice I have knocked on the drivers window to tell him I couldn't get past on the pavement so was having to walk around the car on the road, while he was sitting in it!
My pushchair isn't particularly wide, but why should I have to cross the road or walk around a car on the road, because a selfish driver has chosen to take up half of the path to park his car?!

I'm quite amused your partner doesn't fold his own wing mirrors in, especially if he's partly on the footpath.

We are extremely fortunate to have off road space for two cars (we only have one) and even off road, on our drive we fold the wing mirrors in in case we have visitors (pre-Covid habit) in our space.

We also offer our spare space to neighbours so that they can park off road.

FWIW I think YAN necessarily BU. But I do think you should fold your wing mirrors in!

We used to live on a road with wide pavements where this was the norm. Those people sound like they have a bee in their bonnets and are being dicks if they’re going out of their way to be ‘obstructed’ by your car. If I were you, I would pop out there next time I saw them doing something untoward and discuss it with them.

Push the wing mirror in job done.

I've not had time to read many replies so apologise if I'm repeating other advice.

NO-ONE has an automatic RIGHT to park immediately outside their house, so if there's not space, you'll have to park elsewhere and walk from there.

Just because you can't park outside your home you CAN'T part on the pavement, it's again the Highway Code, not sure if it's illegal but is definitely antisocial, although causing an obstruction IS ILLEGAL. Pavements are there for pedestrians, not cars.

If someone is trying to get past your car with a wheelchair, pram, pushchair, etc and 'accidentally' damage your car, it's an accident and in those circumstances the car shouldn't be there because it is impeding full access to the placement, thus causing an obstruction.

If you try reporting someone for damaging your car, expect them to argue that the car is on the pavement causing an obstruction, which, as I've already said, is illegal!

Ultimately, if people walk on your garden and you don't like it put a fence round the garden, but GET THE CAR OFF THE PAVEMENT!

OP, half the people commenting their drivel probably park with 2 wheels on the pavement. It’s normal now days. There’s literally nowhere else for me or my neighbours to park (we live in flats). I walk the pram into the road on a daily basis. It’s life. Lots of cars, not enough space. It isn’t yours or your husbands fault. Yes it’s annoying but I would never think to damage someone’s property just because I’ve been a bit put out. That’s illegal.

Its illegal for a burglar to break into my house. But everyone realises that doesn't mean you can just whack them one or kill them, right? Just because they were illegal first. 🙄

I think if you leave room for a pushchair or wheelchair to pass then yanbu to park slightly on the pavement, lots of people do, but technically its not allowed.
If there are pushing your wing mirrors in but not doing the same to anyone else they sound petty, particularly if they can use the pavement single file.
Can you fit two cars one in front of the other on your drive, or is there a slightly better place to park further down the road?

Your blocking a pavement, your in the wrong, pavements are for pedestrians not cars, find somewhere else for him to park. So yes you are being very unreasonable!

Park on the road somewhere away from the corner! No excuses to park on a FOOTpath. YABU

My whole road is people parking with 2 wheels on the path so i voted YANBU. Confront them and say you have CCTV.

If everyone on my road parked with 4 wheels on the road cars wouldn't fit