Really shaken up. Did I do anything wrong here?

[seventymodules]

For past two years I have done the school run, I park on a street near the school. There is a detached house with a driveway and a patch of grass next to the driveway. I park in front of the patch of grass, not blocking the driveway whatsoever.

Once I drop my child at school I get collected by my workmate (we are cleaners so have company car) and then work till 3 until I have to return for school run and car.

This morning as I was getting out of the car the lady in the house came charging out, she said 'can you stop parking your car in front of my house?' I said 'it's a public road' and she said 'you park out here 5 days a week, if you refuse to move it I should make you aware that I will be cutting my grass today and any damage to your car is not my responsibility' said with a sarcastic smile on her face, she then walked back into the house shaking her head.

I've left the car but worried now she is going to damage it.

Am I being unreasonable parking it there? It's a public road and not on her property at all.

You're not unreasonable for parking there as it's a public road, but it's probably annoying for whoever lives there (rightly or wrongly). I used to live on a side street near town and a few people did this to save on parking fees. But it was a tight road and emergency vehicles would have had a problem getting down it if they ever needed access and we wouldn't even have been able to knock on doors and ask them to move.

If it was me, I probably wouldn't park in the same spot every day to avoid any aggro. I'd move it around a bit.

I'd start taking photos of my car as I leave it. More to be a wind up than anything else, she has commented about damage to your car.

When she cuts "her" grass. Not entirely sure it would even be her grass if it's part of a public footpath.

I'm sorry, I'd react like an arsehole. Maybe not helpful but I can't stand people who "own" the street near their home...atleast she's not done what MIL and neighbours do, and bought massive rocks to stop people parking near their houses.

It might be legal but you’re taking the piss.

No, not in my opinion. But she might. Don't hesitate to get in touch with the police if she damages your car.

When you go back, I think you should have your phone ready to voice record if you see her coming to speak to you. Your words against hers is so much stronger if she says something incriminating.

@Michaelangelo467

It might be legal but you’re taking the piss.

How on Earth is @seventymodules "taking the piss" when it's a completely open legal parking space with no restrictions?

If she doesn't park there someone else can and will.

So should she forgo a perfectly reasonable parking space just to leave it open one or two days a week for someone else?

What, the grass cutting person doesn't like seeing someone regular benefit from the space outside her house that is NOT her own, so she wants a slew of randoms instead?

I swear I just don't understand sometimes.

I’d think you were a knob tbh. Why not find a non residential area to leave your car in all day?

Maybe she has visitors who can’t park or you’re parking too close to her drive so she finds it hard getting in or out?

You're not necessarily in the wrong parking there, but it could be that you're causing inconvenience.

At a previous house, the car park at a local amenity raised its charges and people started parking along our road. Sometimes our driveway was left clear but a car would be positioned so close to it that I couldn't get the car in and out without difficulty (narrow road with limited turning space).

As annoying as it it may be, you've not done anything wrong. She's being a twat.

I personally wouldn't have parked in the exact same spot everyday, but I'm stubborn, so that woman coming out and making threats like that would probably encourage me to park in that very spot until my child leaves the school. But perhaps be a bigger person than me lol.

You aren’t taking the piss at all she’s probably all talk, but I’d agree with taking pictures every day.

Are you parking on the public road, or a grassy verge on the pavement?

You’re technically not doing anything wrong, but I’d be irritated if I were in her position. But then, I wouldn’t have confronted you about it; I’d just have started parking my own car in the space you use!

If you’re parked legally she can fuck off, frankly. I also suggest taking a pic of your car every day and if she approaches you again tell her you’ll be reporting her to the police if there’s so much as smudge on your car.

@AFS1

You’re technically not doing anything wrong, but I’d be irritated if I were in her position. But then, I wouldn’t have confronted you about it; I’d just have started parking my own car in the space you use!

You’d invalidate your car insurance to stop someone getting to work, just because?

What you are doing is allowed/legal but I'd be annoyed by the same car parking outside my house 5 days a week especially if that meant that visitors could never park there. But I'd just put up with it as ultimately nothing I could do.

@MiddleParking it wouldn't invalidate your insurance unless she starts parking on the road instead of the drive most of the time. She could just move her car to that space at 7.30am until after the school run if she's so inclined and it wouldn't invalidate anything.

Wasn't very nice what she said, obviously she's very frustrated with your car being parked outside her house day in /day out.

At first, I thought you were just parking your car to drop your child to school, that would be perfectly reasonable but the fact you are leaving your car there all day every day is a bit rich. She may have visitors during the day and you are obviously causing an inconvenience to her.
Based on her reaction I would not antagonise the situation.

Some people would say, its legal, sod her! I'll do what I want, but its not a nice thing to do.

Stay out of the residential areas

People are wild aren't they? We live near some shops with a couple of small office buildings there too, people park on our street all the time and go to work all day. Do I care? No.

I agree you can park there but it would irritate me too tbh.

Obviously she doesn’t own the road but why can’t you just drive home and be picked up from there? It’s probably annoying having you parked there all the time so there’s nowhere for her visitors to park.

At my previous house the spot you’re talking about would be the only place people visiting me could park, so I’d definitely be annoyed by it five full days per week

Just because it's a spot outside her house doesn't mean she owns it. She has a drive so it's not like you are taking a space you need. I hate entitled people like this. If you had a car like mine (bodywork not great, I wouldn't care About her threats they are likely to be empty). But if you are bothered I would find another spot. I would try looking for different spots on the same road, if it's the only one though you shouldn't be afraid to park on it.

Whether you are unreasonable or not, it must be annoying. If it becomes too much of a problem residents can apply for parking restrictions then you won't be able to park there at all.

Move your car about a bit.

It’s legal to park there, and she’s out of order for implying that she’ll damage your car.

But having said that, personally I’d find it annoying if the same person was parked in front of my garden all day 5 days a week. Makes it awkward if there’s visitors and so on.

If there’s other nearby places to park then I’d move the car around so it’s not in the same place every single day.

People are so weird about parking. I see nothing wrong with what you're doing. Fine it irritates her but such is life. Where I live parking is a 'mare and people often park near my house (no driveway) and go to work in the high street. Yes it's irritating but are they doing anything wrong? No.

Legally you haven't done anything wrong. However you are taking the piss not varying where you park. That's really cheeky just to abandon your car there every day.