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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to want to park in my garage

140 replies

Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:12

My garage is on a corner so if my neighbour parks out side her garage - it blocks mine.
The parking round the back of mine is horrendous so I want to start using my garage to park my car.
If I do this this means that my neighbour can’t park outside hers as she’ll be blocking it- and possibly the neighbour next to her won’t be able to park outside her garage as it won’t give us enough space to get into our garage.

It’ll mean they’ll have to find somewhere else to park or park in their own garages.

Do I have a legal right to have access in and out of my garage?

I’ll probably ruffle a few feathers but the neighbours are so inconsiderate when it comes to parking

OP posts:
oviraptor21 · 22/10/2021 19:36

Ah so the lane is like a footpath and the bit the cars on is effectively road or layby?
They need to park further up (to the right in your diagram) if possible or in their garage as others have said. Can they park sideways on and you get into your garage?

Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:38

They are just used to parking in front of it - i always find somewhere else to park- problem is over the last year or so our neighbours seem to have multiple cars so we are finding we can’t even get parked somewhere else.
I’ve tried being nice and letting them do it but it’s so annoying when we only have 1 bloody car to park and there’s no where because people have 3 cars.

OP posts:
Fetarabbit · 22/10/2021 19:38

It does seem a weird set up, but no, it's not unreasonable to want to park in your garage. The only issue I suppose is that they might still park there and block you in, if they've gone out or something you might be stuck.

Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:39

@oviraptor21

Ah so the lane is like a footpath and the bit the cars on is effectively road or layby? They need to park further up (to the right in your diagram) if possible or in their garage as others have said. Can they park sideways on and you get into your garage?
I have asked this but the neighbour next to my neighbour has no no she doesn’t want to do this- it’s so frustrating Thing is if we park in our garage she will have no choice but to park in her garage
OP posts:
Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:41

It’s such a stupid set up!
I’m going to speak to them and tell them from March onwards I’m going to use my garage.
That then gives them time to clear a space in their garage if they then have no choice but to use their garage as an actual garage!

OP posts:
Candleabra · 22/10/2021 19:41

But if you park in your garage, then she parks outside afterwards, won’t she block you in?

Candleabra · 22/10/2021 19:41

How would she know your car was in the garage, I mean? It seems a very odd layout.

oviraptor21 · 22/10/2021 19:42

I don't think the second neighbour would be a problem from the aerial view. You could reverse into your garage from the other side and then just forwards out?

neededafart · 22/10/2021 19:42

You have every right to park in your garage. But I'm reality are they doing anything wrong by parking in front of their garages ?

Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:44

@Candleabra

How would she know your car was in the garage, I mean? It seems a very odd layout.
I suppose she’d have to never park outside her garage as she’d never know when we need access to it

Might be easier to move house

OP posts:
Mooloolabababy · 22/10/2021 19:44

How much of the area outside your garage is actually your land? Could you fence off the drive up to your drive if you own it?

Purpoole · 22/10/2021 19:45

Can you get the crosshatches painted in the ground to indicate it’s a no parking area? Maybe via the council?

etulosba · 22/10/2021 19:45

But I'm reality are they doing anything wrong by parking in front of their garages ?

Presumably, when the garages were built it was expected that people would park their cars inside them and not outside in front of them.

It seems a reasonable presumption to me.

Purpoole · 22/10/2021 19:45

*on

Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:46

@neededafart

You have every right to park in your garage. But I'm reality are they doing anything wrong by parking in front of their garages ?
For my neighbour to park outside her garage it means she has to block my garage

I’m quite easy going and have let her do this. The problem is when the neighbours have suddenly got 2/3 cars of which they are parked in the spaces I’d normally park in - so they can park outside their garages - does that make sense?

OP posts:
Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:47

@Mooloolabababy

How much of the area outside your garage is actually your land? Could you fence off the drive up to your drive if you own it?
I think it’s council owned so I don’t own any of it
OP posts:
peboh · 22/10/2021 19:47

Do they have one car or two?
They aren't being unreasonable to park outside their garage, however considering the layout, if they only have one vehicle I wouldn't hesitate to speak to them and ask if they can park it inside.

Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:48

@etulosba

But I'm reality are they doing anything wrong by parking in front of their garages ?

Presumably, when the garages were built it was expected that people would park their cars inside them and not outside in front of them.

It seems a reasonable presumption to me.

Yes- back when the houses were built not everyone had a car and yes if they did they would have used the garage
OP posts:
Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:50

@peboh

Do they have one car or two? They aren't being unreasonable to park outside their garage, however considering the layout, if they only have one vehicle I wouldn't hesitate to speak to them and ask if they can park it inside.
She has 1 car, her boyfriend that seems to always be there has another and her daughter that is sometimes there 3/4 nights a week is also there.

I think she’ll stress out as her garage is full of junk- she wouldn’t be able to get her car in there at the moment as she uses it as a laundry room so I know she’ll get so mad

OP posts:
MilduraS · 22/10/2021 19:50

Do their cars fit in the garage? Most 70s garages are very narrow. I have a tiny VW UP! and could carefully park in our garage then very carefully squeeze out. DH would have to get out through the boot in his Audi A4 and couldn't open the doors..

Chasingsquirrels · 22/10/2021 19:51

March?? No way. The end of November would be generous.

You need to look at your deeds and check your garage access.
Maybe you all own part of the land outside your own garage (in which case you'd have maintenance costs).
Maybe you own the garage and the carpark land is communal and you have rights of access over it but not rights to park on it.
Or maybe the carpark land is adopted?

You garage looks double on the aerial photo, do you just have the half where the cross is? Can the other half access their garage?

Original poster
Poppets14 · 22/10/2021 19:51

@MilduraS

Do their cars fit in the garage? Most 70s garages are very narrow. I have a tiny VW UP! and could carefully park in our garage then very carefully squeeze out. DH would have to get out through the boot in his Audi A4 and couldn't open the doors..
Luckily she has a very small car as do we
OP posts:
Clymene · 22/10/2021 19:52

If you put your car in your garage and she then parked her car in front of hers, you wouldn't be able to get out.

What a silly design.

Suzi888 · 22/10/2021 19:52

You can use your garage, it’s yours but I’d be very wary of someone blocking you in.

HundredMilesAnHour · 22/10/2021 19:52

Confirm that the owner is the council and go to them and explain that your garage access being blocked because neighbours aren't parking in actual parking space (or garages).