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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

It's a Parking One

572 replies

ILoveFlumps · 10/02/2021 08:00

Ok mumsnetters I need some ideas.
I popped out for 10 minutes this morning and come home to a random car on my driveway (outside my house). This is private property and allocated parking for a New Build. The Main Street it's off is permit parking only - this car has a permit.
The only place I can park is blocking it in causing a semi obstruction which I've done.
Police won't help as a civil matter.
Note has been left on the car by me telling them it's private property.
What else can I do?! Immediate neighbours have no idea whose car this is. Angry

OP posts:
amitoooldforthisshit · 10/02/2021 21:52

buy a cheap clamp and clamp the thing charge a £500 release fee

RootyT00t · 10/02/2021 21:53

@ILoveFlumps

Ok, so the conversation went like this: Me: (opens door) I assume that’s your car that’s parked on my drive? Him: Err yeah, I’m really sorry Me: But it’s my drive? Him: yeah, I’m sorry Me: but this is private property? Him: yeah, err, I was in a rush and I didn’t realise Me: you didn’t realise it was a drive? I don’t understand. You had to pull off the main road. It’s outside my house. You can see my neighbours have a car parked outside their house, and you can see the signs? Him: I thought you were at work and I wasn’t going to be long Me: Two hours is a long time (glares at him) Him: (Silence) Me: So for future reference, what do you think I should do so this doesn’t happen again? You clearly didn’t realise it was a private drive, so what improvements can I make to stop other people doing it? What would have deterred you? Him: Err.......I dunno Me: Should I perhaps put more signs up? Or maybe paint the drive a different colour? Him: (Silence) then he says: look I’m really sorry, would you mind moving so I can get on to my next job? Me: It would be very inconvenient if you were late wouldn’t it? Do your employers know you’re parking on private property? (Can see his badge and uniform - he’s a carer) Him: I dunno what else to say Me: How about you say you’ll never park like a tit again? Him: Ok. I won’t. Me: Won’t what? Him: Park like a tit again Me: That would be great. I’d hate for your work to know you park like an inconsiderate arsehole

I then got into my car and reversed onto the road and he drove off.
Might not have had the explosive ending MN wants, but I felt satisfied and quite smug with myself Grin

Having RTFT....

I'm not sure why you feel satisfied and smug OP, that was a ridiculous interaction and regardless of parking he doesn't look like the bad one here.

assiasi · 10/02/2021 22:01

@Whythesadface

Why do so many of you have a problem with someone getting caught. Why do you make excuses for them? Why do you try to turn it so the injured party is too blame? Maybe take a nice look in the mirror, and realise you may be guilt of being selfish and this is your way of trying to pretend there is an excuse for doing wrong. Hint : there is no excuse...
Haha I love this! So because I think OP was overly belittling and rude, the man was in the wrong but had apologised, I feel guilty about something? Pray, tell, what it is I feel guilty about?
Significantown · 10/02/2021 22:04

Has anyone mentioned penguin bollards yet?

Sparklingbrook · 10/02/2021 22:06

@Significantown

Has anyone mentioned penguin bollards yet?
Do you know I don't think they have. Grin

But that would presumably be met with 'Why should the OP spend money' etc...

Jijithecat · 10/02/2021 22:07

@EarringsandLipstick what I was suggesting was that yours is the first post that wasn't baying for blood. Perhaps baying for blood is an overly dramatic term, but generally a parking thread on Mumsnet means at the very least numerous suggestions of penguin bollards/wheel clamps/something unpleasant smeared on strategic points of said vehicle. This thread followed along those lines until OP said the car owner was a carer.
BTW I live in a flat and don't have a garden, you wouldn't mind if I just set myself up in your garden for a couple of hours of a weekend would you?

Caspah · 10/02/2021 22:12

I believe (think somebody else mentioned) you're not allowed to block somebody in, but it's not an offence to block them from access to their own drive. So someone using your drive is only commiting an offence if they're stopping you leaving it

I had an appointment at my mum's care home. We couldn't get off our drive for 45 minutes, due to a stranger parking on it. When the car owner using our drive as a private parking space turned up, and we confronted her, she said they're were no parking spaces on the road.

VinylDetective · 10/02/2021 22:16

@amitoooldforthisshit

buy a cheap clamp and clamp the thing charge a £500 release fee
Good idea. It’s illegal.
prh47bridge · 10/02/2021 22:23

I'm glad this has been resolved. However, I note that there are some suggestions that the OP could have had the car towed or could have clamped it. It is a good job she did not pursue either suggestion as it would have been a criminal offence under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 section 54.

Dreamscomingtrue · 10/02/2021 22:27

I was a care worker for nearly 10 years. Yes it’s a crap job, money wise, I did it to fit in with my children’s education. I’m working class, I didn’t have a parking permit, he’s lucky that he even has one. My council only issue them for nurses. He was totally in the wrong and lazy to park on a private drive. If his call was for 2 hours then it’s probably a regular call he goes to as most calls are usually an hour or much less. Totally wrong to park on private property, I hope he’s learnt his lesson and doesn’t inconvenience anyone else like he did today. I think some of you are just pissed off that you don’t have your own drive. Some really bonkers responses.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 10/02/2021 22:37

"That said, though, the worst CF in this scenario is getting away with it completely unblamed. I actually think that OP should consider contacting the care agency/council, but in a positive way. This man is doing an essential job, but is neither provided with the time nor the facilities to do it properly. If they can't ensure that he has somewhere close to the client to park (maybe having to carry in bulky supplies/food/medical equipment) - even having got him a parking permit on an oversubscribed road - the onus should be on them to pay him for the extra time it takes him to park as close as possible in an available, appropriate space and then go to the client's house. I believe Royal Mail take this into account, by giving a much shorter round and transport if necessary to their workers delivering to remote houses and those with very long drives, so goodness knows how a care agency is allowed to just blatantly ignore this need."

Although I'm not sure I agree with calling the man's employer, I DO agree that this is an option that should be looked at from the employer point of view.
I have a friend who works for a council social care department (I doubt it's called that, but it's still where she works) and her job is managing the carers who are sent out to people in need. For the last few years, her job has been to pare the services to the bone and maximise the number of visits in a day, to get "value for money" from the care workers. Allowance for travelling time is at a minimum, and as for finding parking, I doubt that's ever factored in. Given that the number of cars on the road is so much higher, and therefore more people needing parking spaces, it would make sense for these employers (council or private) to have access to parking permits that DO allow employees to park ON THE ROAD (NOT on other people's driveways) in places that are restricted. Of course, they would still have to park safely, but for e.g. they'd be able to use Permit holder spaces, paid parking spaces etc. without penalty.

It wouldn't be the total solution but I also like the suggestion of having a pre-printed placard in the car, explaining why they've parked where they've parked - and including their phone number - because if you DO "have to" park like a twat, at least make it easy for people to call you and ask you to move.

ILoveFlumps · 10/02/2021 22:51

@prh47bridge

I'm glad this has been resolved. However, I note that there are some suggestions that the OP could have had the car towed or could have clamped it. It is a good job she did not pursue either suggestion as it would have been a criminal offence under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 section 54.
I knew I couldn't clamp the car, but was unaware I couldn't have it removed from my property. Can I ask what the legal recourse is for situations like this?
OP posts:
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 11/02/2021 00:13

I think you can notify the police of it being an abandoned vehicle - but they will expect it to have been there for longer than a couple of hours for that!

The person who saw a private car space had been blocked for 2 weeks by the CF holidayers, THAT could have been notified as an abandoned car (and I would have!) probably after a couple of days. The police would then (I assume) try to trace the driver, but they don't remove it immediately, it would still be in situ for a while longer.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 11/02/2021 00:15

If, as you suspect, this happens regularly on days when you are at work, and you wish to stop it entirely, a lock pole is your best option. Or even just sticking your wheelie bin in the middle of your driveway - but then you'd have to get out and move it when you came home.
It's fairly ridiculous that you'd even have to consider doing anything - people should just know not to park on empty driveways - but clearly there are plenty of people who think any space is fair game, so it's up to you how hard you want to drive the point home.

Nith · 11/02/2021 00:55

@ittakes2

I would be livid if he was on my drive but at the same time I would not have been so condenscending to him. Getting a kick out of a power play is not so cool. Being a carer he was likely to be worried about some elderly or disabled client needing help so he can't be such a bad person. It wasn't like he was parked there to go to the pub!
OP was there, you weren't. She saw his expression and heard his tone of voice. She's said that the apologies were empty words. Therefore she was entitled to do what she could to drive it home to him that just saying "sorry" isn't enough when you don't mean it. It's not as if there was a large crowd listening to OP and laughing and jeering at him, FFS.
Starseed2021 · 11/02/2021 04:27

I think that interaction was actually rather infantile and embarrassing - like a teen who always has to get the last word in.

(Can see his badge and uniform - he’s a carer)
Personally, no matter how pissed off i was, if i saw this my attitude would have been a lot more understanding and hopefully i'd be able to muster some compassionate humour to deal with it.........

HelloThereMeHearties · 11/02/2021 07:59

@Hoppinggreen

He wasn’t sorry, he was sorry he had been caught As for being a Carer my mum has them twice a day, they get her up, to the loo, tidy up a bit, make her a cuppa in 30 minutes tops so no idea where this one has been for 2 hours
Ah, so because your mother isn't incontinent, doesn't have dementia, doesn't need her skin integrity checked, isn't a fall risk, doesn't need careful feeding, etc etc, nobody else is/does?!
Hettya · 11/02/2021 08:01

Bizarre that some people thinks he should get some special dispensation because he's a carer. He's employed to turn up at a certain time and do his job. He needs to build into that, enough time to park, so he's not just flinging his car wherever is convenient to him, ie someone else's driveway. He's not the emergency services, he doesn't get to park wherever the hell he likes for goodness sake.

prh47bridge · 11/02/2021 08:04

I think you can notify the police of it being an abandoned vehicle - but they will expect it to have been there for longer than a couple of hours for that!

The police won't get involved with a vehicle on private land unless it is in a dangerous condition. If the vehicle has been abandoned, you should notify your local council. They are supposed to remove abandoned vehicles from land in the open air and roads (including private roads). Some councils are more helpful than others.

@ILoveFlumps - I'm afraid that, as the law stands, you can get the car removed but it isn't going to happen quickly. You can get a court order forcing the owner to remove the vehicle and/or pursue an action for nuisance against them. Unfortunately, an unintended side effect of the government legislating to stop cowboy clampers has been to make it much harder for people to deal with drivers parking on their land.

custardbear · 11/02/2021 08:16

Good for you!

It reminds DS me, my NDN about 10 years ago had carers and told them to park on my driveway (she has right of access which isn't the same as right to park). I was blocked in and needed to go to work - I knocked, the carer said 'I'll be 20
Mins, and no I can't come out and leave my client before then otherwise she'll be at risk' and shut the door ' - I was livid! I had a right go at her when she came out - told her she had no rights and wasn't allowed to park as it's trespassing then I made a huge complaint and they organised to park in the local ambulance station after that and I got a big sorry from the carers but I really went to town on the company

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 11/02/2021 08:18

Well done Op you handled it perfectly. So what if he’s a carer, doesn’t give him the right to park wherever he likes! If it was an ambulance completely different story but it wasn’t. Op you were way nicer than I would have been. All those that think it’s fine to park on others drive are clearly CF who actually do this type of crap.

Cloudsurfing · 11/02/2021 08:20

@custardbear

Good for you!

It reminds DS me, my NDN about 10 years ago had carers and told them to park on my driveway (she has right of access which isn't the same as right to park). I was blocked in and needed to go to work - I knocked, the carer said 'I'll be 20
Mins, and no I can't come out and leave my client before then otherwise she'll be at risk' and shut the door ' - I was livid! I had a right go at her when she came out - told her she had no rights and wasn't allowed to park as it's trespassing then I made a huge complaint and they organised to park in the local ambulance station after that and I got a big sorry from the carers but I really went to town on the company

That’s awful, I can’t believe they wouldn’t move for so long when you were late for work. I’m glad you complained and got it sorted.
Goldieloxx · 11/02/2021 08:24

It's not illegal to park on someone else's drive its just incredibly stupid

YetAnotherSpartacus · 11/02/2021 08:25

Perhaps you should read Thumbwitches post, Hettya?

What she said was true for the carers my Mum had when living at home - they were always on a tight schedule as described.

Sparklingbrook · 11/02/2021 08:26

He's employed to turn up at a certain time and do his job. He needs to build into that, enough time to park

As a PP pointed out his employers need to allow the time for that.

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