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.

@TwinMum35

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

You can huff all you want but the only way to solve such things is a Controlled Parking Zone with permits for houses.

Anything else is maybe justified annoyance, but while it's legal someone can do it.

Just get picked up from home at leave your car on your drive. I think you're taking the piss a bit leaving it outside her house everyday although there's nothing to stop you.

I think she was out of order speaking to you like that, she could've just approached you and asked why you park there every day.

But saying that I would be annoyed too if it was 5 days a week every week. Maybe you could move around a bit like a pp said? Or drive home and be picked up from there?

I also don't get what if I have visitors? If she has a drive and they are visiting why don't visitors park over the drive or in he drive if it's free or walk like everyone else when there is no free spots outside a house.

@Rillington

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.

Why do people have to "vary" where they park?

Surely if OP doesn't do it then someone else will take her place every so often?

If the parking space is there surely it doesn't matter if it's one person parking there 5 days a week, or 11 people parking for short times over the same period.

No one owns the kerbside parking space outside their house unless it's written that they do.

Someone does this outside my dads house and whilst it is legal it’s also bloody annoying.
I visit several times a week as he is elderly and cannot walk. I park on his drive but it makes it really difficult to reverse out as the road is very narrow. I have to shuffle the car backwards and forwards a few times and end up with a line of traffic behind me.
Perhaps sometimes park elsewhere?

She sounds like a crazy woman. However, whereas you're legally not doing anything wrong, I have to say, that would piss me off, if it was every week day.

I have no idea why she couldn't have tried a more friendly initial approach and just ask if you wouldn't mind parking somewhere else, though. Seems strange to go from nothing, to essentially threatening you.

You’re technically not doing anything wrong but....

Our area has recently changed to residents only all day every day, because of people doing things like this. A few people got annoyed and complained to the council and now the whole area is residents only. Non residents can only park using (expensive) pay and display bays.

So in your shoes, I would swap around where you park to avoid the risk of something like that happening.

Legally you're not doing anything wrong, but I can see how it would be annoying.

However, given the threats she's now made towards your vehicle, I would find somewhere else to park it. There's no point risking it.

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

See, this kind of attitude makes me laugh. The woman whose house it is, is 'entitled' because she's pissed off about someone parking outside her house, despite how it may inconvenience her (and let's face it, we only have one side of the story here). Yet it's ok for the OP to leave her car somewhere where she doesn't live, on a residential street, all day because it's easier for her than parking at home.

There's a bit of entitlement here from both of them, let's be honest.

It would annoy me if a stranger parked outside my house all day every day. Can't you find somewhere else to park? Pub car park? Your own driveway?

It’s obviously perfectly legal.

I think it would get annoying all day, every day. She’s probably just got really frustrated. She shouldn’t have shouted though or made threats - in the first place she should have spoken to you nicely.

I’d try to mix it up a bit if you possibly can.

We had a teacher who did this outside our house when we first moved in. 5 days a week he'd park outside our house from 8-6pm. We had two cars: one on the drive and one in that spot. We used the car on the road to do the nursery run for DC and he would always be parked there by the time we got back.

DH contracted and used his driveway parked car in pockets through the day to go to jobs. We'd therefore have one car on the drive and one parked halfway down the road until he came back for it at 6.

I had irrational hatred of him until one day, pregnant and tired I approached him and explained the situation. He profusely apologised and I suggested he park in different spots which he did do after that. I was annoyed at myself for not speaking to him sooner!

So yes, not illegal at all but depending on the house owners circumstance, can be hugely annoying!

If you're parked legally then she is being utterly unreasonable. Why does it matter if it is your car parked there daily, or a different car each day?

If it was causing her a specific issue, that she had explained, then perhaps that's a different situation. But it seems she just doesn't like someone/anyone parked outside her house on weekdays. If that's the case, then she needs to campaign for parking restrictions!

The people saying this is annoying: why is it? It's a public road with no parking restrictions. Assuming the OP isn't blocking access, I can't understand why it would even be an annoyance. People are so bloody weird about parking, I can't fathom it.

OP - my mum had a very similar experience. There is hardly any on-road parking outside her house and she frequently has to park her car in a nearby cul-de-sac. Again, no parking restrictions at all and she never parked dangerously or inconsiderately. She started getting sparky notes from the person whose house she often had to park in front of, eventually escalating to being shouted at and threatened. She called the police, who reminded this man that my mum had a legal right to park in front of his house and gave him a caution. He hasn't bothered her since.

Honestly she has a driveway which she has every right to dictate who parks on it. The road outside she does not. If she wanted guaranteed visitor parking then she should of bought a house with a double driveway. Carry on OP you’re not doing anything illegal.

You don't know the lady's situation. She may have carers come or some other reason your parking inconveniences her.

@Michaelangelo467

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

How?

Ludicrous! We have free parking outside our house. It is the only parking we have access to. But if someone else decides to park there for days or weeks on end we just have to put up with it... and go park ourside someone elses house!

You aren't technically doing anything wrong, but this would really wind me up if I was her. I wouldn't actually say anything to you about it though, I would just huff internally every time I looked out my window and saw it!

@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!

I agree with this. Yes, it’s legal - but so is playing music in your garden all day, leaving your car radio on while you wash it etc etc. What you’re doing is pretty likely to cause her annoyance and inconvenience.

I suppose it depends how wide the road is. For example if someone parks next to our neighbours drive (but not on it) we have to do a three point plus turn to get out of our drive. As it's just a few yards from a bend it's a bit dodgy so our neighbours just ask people not to park that side of the drive as we do for them as they have the same problem.

And my mum used to live in a sheltered housing scheme where our high street workers used to park their cars to avoid the car park charges (not blaming them, they're extortionate). But, because a few people parked on the bend, it narrowed the lane so much that an ambulance couldn't get down once and a lady who'd had a stroke had to be wheeled the full length of the street. So up went the double yellow lines and now no one can park there.

So in theory you did nothing wrong and she's a twit but in practice there could be more to this than 'I live in a big house so you do as I wish'.

It would annoy me having the same car outside my house day in day out but she shouldn't be threatening to damage it.
If you have to leave it there, maybe invest in a dashcam!

If you are not causing an obstruction, you can park where you like. But do be sure that you are really aren't causing any sort of obstruction. For example, I don't park opposite a driveway, as it can make it difficult for people to get out, especially if they have driven in and need to reverse out.

Yet it's ok for the OP to leave her car somewhere where she doesn't live, on a residential street, all day because it's easier for her than parking at home Yes it's perfectly ok as long as it doesn't inconvenience anyone else (simply not liking it isn't being inconvenienced).

@Ilikecheeseontoast

It would annoy me if a stranger parked outside my house all day every day. Can't you find somewhere else to park? Pub car park? Your own driveway?

Lots of people say this but... why?

Especially if this person has their own driveway and OP is parking on a public road, I don't understand what would be annoying about it?

My grandparents' street clubbed together to make formal looking notices that made people who parked there (often for the train station) think they were getting an official fine. They were SO angry that people were parking on their (public, convenient location) street. WHY? It's a fact of modern life, if you don't want people parking outside your house because the sight of other people's cars... offends you?... then buy a house on a permit only street or in the middle of nowhere.

Otherwise, get over it.

People are so bloody weird about parking.