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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

New house - new neighbours - new parking woes

144 replies

PeeAche · 16/12/2021 14:21

Moved into the house of our dreams this summer - but didn't realise parking would be such an issue.

We have a "driveway" that is wide enough to accommodate 3 cars. It is L shaped so 2 cars would be parked in a line and 1 car off to the side IYSWIM.

We don't have 3 cars though, we have 2. And we thought it would be perfect. But after we moved in, we realised that space 3 (the one off to the side) is impossible to get into, due to the narrow entry way into the drive.

Because spaces 1 & 2 are back to back, we only really get use out of 1 space.

The people that lived here before us were very elderly and housebound.

So the solution is to whip out the gate post and make it all wider at the front. Ideally we would also increase the dropped curb.

Parking on the road should be no issue. It's a tiny village with no shops, no school and no attractions. Just a line of houses and every single house has a drive - apart from the house opposite. The house opposite have 3 enormous cars and nowhere to put them. The road is narrow.

Their preference is to park them right outside our house - which would be no problem, except they hem us in on all sides. They park so that each end of their cars are overhanging our dropped curb by just a few mm. The third car, they park directly opposite our drive. It's not technically an illegal parking formation but it does mean that it's a 6-point-turn getting onto or off our own driveway. Every day. It's driving me batty!!!

I have tried having a friendly word and they just said "we've lived here for 22 years" and nothing else. No apology, explanation or owt. Just that. And then they walked away.

I realise this is a very small thing to be complaining about. But I am at my wits end after missing my own midwife appointment last week because they had totally blocked me in!

The other thing is (although the speed limit is 30), people average around 50mph on our road and I can't see round the tunnel of car they have created. It's like the riskiest creep-n-peep ever. And it's an almost daily occurrence that some vehicle is bombing it along and has to do an emergency stop because I'm sat in the middle of the road, trapped between 3 cars, doing my dodgy 6-point-turn 😅

If I call the council and show them how dangerous it all is, how likely is it that they will let me increase my dropped curb by another foot or so? Or apply some double yellows? Or am I in fantasy land? And would this be the biggest Dick Move ever to my neighbours - who would then have to shuffle along the street to the next spots?

We do try to nab at least 1 of the spots with 1 of our cars, if we can - and leave a good foot of space so that the driveway isn't all hemmed in. But we work full time and the cars are in constant use. Whereas our neighbours seem happy to leave theirs there for days on end. We can't both be parking on the street all the time as we have young kids to load in (and I'm preggers). Plus my car is electric so I need to be able to charge it.

Our house is quite wide so there are a total of road 3 spaces along our frontage. They could shuffle down a bit and not use the one that hems in our drive!

Oh, for the record, I drive a Golf so it's neither a big nor small car. DH drives something similar but not electric. I'm not trying to manoeuvre some angry tank!

So, the Q is:

AIBU to contact the council and try to get the curb lowered / permanently change the parking situation?

YANBU: This sounds fine and safe and your neighbours will get over it.
YABU: They've done this for 20 years and now you think you should shake it all up? It's just parking. Get a life. Etc.

Opinions from both sides welcome! I can submit diagrams if this helps... I have the day off.

OP posts:
Justheretoaskaquestion91 · 16/12/2021 15:49

This is soooooo annoying! Our neighbours have a drive and drive a tiny car. They also have parking for about 2 cars but for some reason INSIST on parking right up to our drive. We’ve asked a couple of times politely if they could please just back off and park CLOSER TO THEIR OWN HOUSE! But they do not…. I’m sure it’s deliberate. V annoying 🤦🏻‍♀️ Ask the council

Unreasonabubble · 16/12/2021 15:51

@PeeAche If this is your dream house and you intend living there for quite a few years, I think it would be worth every penny to have the longest dropped kerb the Council will allow you put in.

daimbarsatemydogsbone · 16/12/2021 15:52

@NumberTheory

Could a fire engine get through the road with the neighbour’s cars parked as they are? If not you may be able to get double yellow lines down one side to ensure access and that might be a very good idea from a safety perspective.

Getting your drive and dropped curb widened would be sensible but probably expensive. You aren’t being at all inconsiderate when you’ve asked them and they’ve basically said FU.

If that doesn’t work out for some reason you could consider getting a dirt cheap moped and parking it permanently on the road by your drive so neighbours can’t block you in so badly. Would require keeping it taxed and insured, though. So not a cheap option long term.

Classic car - no road tax or MOT required, just insurance which tends to be cheap - job done.
pilates · 16/12/2021 15:54

It does sound like an accident waiting to happen. Perhaps start with the white line and removing the gate post and see if that helps. Are you able to reverse on to your drive?

Dentistlakes · 16/12/2021 15:58

YANBU. The current arrangement sounds dangerous. I would apply to widen the dropped curb and also get lines painted on the road to designate how close someone can park. It’s the only way forward and they won’t change their behaviour now. It suits them and they clearly don’t give a shit about you or your safety.

GrumpyLivesInMyHouseNow · 16/12/2021 16:02

I'd drop the kerb outside your house so you can use space number 3. That way you can use your third space correctly and it will give you more room to get off your drive

I feel your pain, we had similar parking at our last house. The neighbour opposite used to park in the road as she reversed into her own gatepost. So it meant I nearly hit her car every time I tried to get off the driveway. I'd recommend reversing in as it's easier to get out

Totalwasteofpaper · 16/12/2021 16:11

Yanbu to make your house more practical for you and the neighbours sound annoying

If I were you I would widen the drive entrance right across so the full width of space 3

Then use 1 and 3 as main spaces and 2 for guests. I would find it very annoying not being able to get cars out independently

SchadenfreudePersonified · 16/12/2021 16:17

@NumberTheory

Could a fire engine get through the road with the neighbour’s cars parked as they are? If not you may be able to get double yellow lines down one side to ensure access and that might be a very good idea from a safety perspective.

Getting your drive and dropped curb widened would be sensible but probably expensive. You aren’t being at all inconsiderate when you’ve asked them and they’ve basically said FU.

If that doesn’t work out for some reason you could consider getting a dirt cheap moped and parking it permanently on the road by your drive so neighbours can’t block you in so badly. Would require keeping it taxed and insured, though. So not a cheap option long term.

I was going to suggest something similar to the above - buy a cheap banger at auction, tax it and leave it parked on the road in such a way as to inconvenience those buggers as much as possible and give you a bit of space to manoeuvre and to see what is coming.
Spectre8 · 16/12/2021 16:17

I'd get the kerb dropped and widen your entrance, don't even mention it to the neighbours. It would add value to the house overall so much better than getting markings on the road.

Geekygeek · 16/12/2021 16:23

Called a H bar marking.

Quick google gives this. Not sure why Rochdale was top of the list

www.rochdale.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/Pages/apply-for-h-bar-markings.aspx

thenightsky · 16/12/2021 16:23

Why on earth can they not park all their 3 cars on their side of the road? It seems deliberately provocative on their part to park how they are at the moment.

CharlotteGoldenblattYork · 16/12/2021 16:24

I'd be really cross that they seem to think that because they have lived there for 22 years they can just practically hem you in your driveway, and would go ahead and get a dropped kerb done.

It looks really unsafe and difficult to get out of your driveway because of their parking. I don't see why they can't park each car a little further along on each respective side and therefore give you a little more room to at least see when you're pulling your car out.

Staffy1 · 16/12/2021 16:26

Can you get the curb dropped all the way in front of space 3? That would give you plenty of space to get in and out and they would have to move one of their cars. They shouldn’t be parking overhanging your drive anyway and they must know how awkward this is making it for you with their third car opposite, bunch of inconsiderate prats.

HideousKinky · 16/12/2021 16:29

OP we used to have a situation similar to yours where cars parked either side of our driveway made it very difficult to get out. It took me 10 years to get double yellow lines painted on one side of our entrance - I'd almost given up when it finally happened and it has been so much easier since.

5keletor · 16/12/2021 16:32

I wouldn't worry about how they'd feel about you getting your dropped kerb extended or asking for double yellows to be put down, they obviously don't care about the issues they're causing!
I know it's not a very practical solution, but I'd be tempted to get an old banger and always leave it parked in way that makes their dangerous parking formation impossible! We've got 2 spare cars and I would plonk them on the road in a second in this situation, although maybe I'm too petty. 🙈

CharlotteGoldenblattYork · 16/12/2021 16:34

I bet the neighbours are the type to kick right off if you parked your car on the road outside the house, yet think they can do as they please.

I bet, also, that they are a couple that have an adult son living at home who is one of the car owners? Whenever we've had petty behaviour from neighbours it's always weirdly been from couples that have an adult son living at home who joins in with the pettiness.

CovidMakesThingsHarder · 16/12/2021 16:35

Fuck them. Contact the council and widen the dropped curb by several metres. Every single day, even if you can squeeze out, go and ask them to move their car. Every day. Or honk. Or go out every half hour if they put it back. If you see them move their cars, go and park your cars exactly in the same place on their Side, tell them you though that was ok.

GoodnightGrandma · 16/12/2021 16:36

Park on the road outside your own house. You shouldn’t have to but play them t their own game.

Justcannotbearsed · 16/12/2021 16:39

buy a cheap car and park it where there cars are, but better. And leave it there.

MzHz · 16/12/2021 16:39

Do what you got to do, they are unreasonable and they damned well know it - matters not if they are there for 22 years, there is a new family in the house and things have changed, they need to be more considerate, or you will have to make changes to ensure that they ARE considerate.

We had the same with our bully boy arsehole neighbours - 3 years we have been battering them back, and we are getting there.

SquashMinus · 16/12/2021 16:40

Definitely widen your dropped kerb as much as you can. And in the meantime, why not park one of your own cars in "their" spots? Or go for broke and park both on the road in their chosen spaces, reserving your drive for plant pots, visitors, or the occasional spot of unicycle riding.

BedSoComfyWhyLeave · 16/12/2021 16:45

Definitely just contact the council about extending the dropped kerb and see how far you can take it.

Just because they have parked that way for 22 years doesn't mean it doesn't inconvenience someone now. I hate this attitude. Clearly they can see it is problematic for you. If you can, get your Dh to take photos of you exiting the drive so you can provide this to the council as a reason want to extend your dropped kerb.

Duxiejhrhrvjz · 16/12/2021 16:46

We had this problem when I lived with my parents at the family home.
You can pay the council to paint a white line across your drive and drop curb.
Or you can steal some cones from somewhere and set them out around the edges of your drive so no cars park there, tell everyone you are getting the council to paint a white line, and get your dad or brother to come round in overalls and paint a white line 😂

Duxiejhrhrvjz · 16/12/2021 16:48

Alternatively do you have a parish council? They phones the police on my friends husband for questionable parking.
Parking opposite driveways isn’t allowed is it?
Also parking over the edges of dropped curbs isn’t allowed?

YouDoIDo · 16/12/2021 16:53

You have left your front door open 😁

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