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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why does neighbour keep blocking driveway?

141 replies

time2tork · 02/01/2022 08:31

We bought a new house a year ago. It's along a road with a few other houses and driveways but a couple of houses have been made into 4 flats.

We made a driveway at the back of our house and turned what was parking at the front into a garden, installed gates on driveway..

Our gates aren't automatic, so we sometimes park in front of them blocking our own driveway if we can't be bothered to swing them open.

A neighbour parked there once, we came home and couldn't get in so asked him politely to move.

Same neighbour has parked there when we needed access to it, again asked to move.

Same neighbour parked there and I mentioned I'm pregnant and ambulance access to our property is essential as I'm high risk pregnancy...

Same neighbour, parked there again, we also have builders in and out, carrying heavy things and they need the use the driveway.

He's the only neighbour who does it, what is the mental reasoning for it?

He and his wife are really nice people and
I genuinely like my neighbours.. but what is with this? they are the only ones who keep doing this? We've only been nice to them.

We paid a lot of money for our house and the luxury of having our own parking. Lots of tourists come and park around our houses, not even they park in front of our driveway and block us in..

OP posts:
Original poster
time2tork · 02/01/2022 10:21

I've just seen, I can get a car towed £1-£3 per mile from a towing company on check a trade, open 23/7.

Maybe next time I could join in with the game and move it..

But only up the road a little bit 😂 just enough to give the "where's my car gone" mini panic. 😂😂

We have heavy deliveries to the drive often for the builders so I can blame it on the builders just needing the car moved, say if I was out... then hand neighbour the invoice for the towing. Ahaha.

Is that petty 🙈🙈

There's lots of free on road parking here. No reason to park across our drive - he just doesn't want to walk a little bit if immediate free spaces are gone.

OP posts:
billy1966 · 02/01/2022 10:22

Stop trying to be good neighbours to awful people.

When you have your baby this is going to be infuriating.

TELL him not to do it again and that if he does you will report him to 101.

Take a photo of his car blocking your brive.

He thinks you are a MUG.

Why has your husband not gone around if he is ignoring you?

wizzywig · 02/01/2022 10:22

Just park behind them. See how they like it

Larchneedles · 02/01/2022 10:23

Re spelling - I hate it but it's considered bad form to correct grammar and spelling, much as some of us would like to!

lifeinlimbo2020 · 02/01/2022 10:28

[quote maudmoon]@Silvershroud they are using the driveway! It is their only drive!!! Have you read any of the OP's posts? Including the first one!? [/quote]
Why? Just why? And even if they weren't using the drive why?!???! Some people blow my mind 🤣

Chickorma · 02/01/2022 10:34

YABU to not upload a diagram for us to visualize your dilemma. Don't you know it's Mumsnet Law to included a picture when posting a parking thread?!

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 02/01/2022 10:35

Write them a very stern letter. Then you have a written trail if this needs to go further.

AgathaMystery · 02/01/2022 10:38

I came for the diagram?! Hmm

Original poster
time2tork · 02/01/2022 10:38

@Chickorma

I don't want to end up on the daily mail 😂😂😂😂😂

OP posts:
StrangerThanSpring · 02/01/2022 10:39

Just tell him. Be blunt and a bit rude about it. Something like it's illegal to park on a dropped curb and we don't want to start getting the police involved, do we? Hopefully, he'll stop doing it. He's not your friend. Why do you care about his feelings so much?

Booklover3 · 02/01/2022 10:43

He’s deliberately being a knob I’m afraid

StrangerThanSpring · 02/01/2022 10:44

@Booklover3

He’s deliberately being a knob I’m afraid
I agree with this by the way!

He knows exactly what he's doing.

AnotherForumUser · 02/01/2022 10:44

@Anoisagusaris What a shame you couldn't be arsed to RTFT in your desperation to criticise another poster. At 09:18 before your comment (at 10:03) GoodnightGrandma wrote

Priam Farrell - my DM did not call the police out, they came out because she asked them not to drive on the pavement. They took offence to this and contacted the local police.
They are mounting the pavement at her dropped curb and driving along to their house, which is 4 houses along.

mommydragonn · 02/01/2022 10:45

We have had the same issue. Turns out our neighbour is extremely jealous of us and was doing it to cause us inconvenience and when we got stern with him things turned out nasty, with him now making properly harassing us in anyway, his full time hobby. We have given up on him and got Police involved and although inconvenient, can manage to get our car in and out of our driveway. He is also desperate for attention and would do things like purposely take our bin right into his front garden, so that we had to keep going and asking him for it. This is when there are numbers written in bold on both our bins. I once told my DH not to ask for our bin back and use his. He was lying in wait in his porch and came running out saying that the bins had been swapped by the binmen. I would suggest to send your DH now going forward and at unsocial hours and asking him to move his car and say that the driveway is in constant use and not to block it as you may need access in an emergency. Who knows, he may fancy you and is creating scenarios where you have to go talk to them. After my experience with my neighbours, I have realised there are weird people out there and I don't rule anything out.

NinaDefoe · 02/01/2022 10:49

Open the gates and park on your drive.
If you are just parking in front of them regularly it could be seen as an unused driveway and a free for all - another place for everyone to park.

Bagamoyo1 · 02/01/2022 10:50

@Nix2020

In the grand scheme of things does it matter? If your not using the space as a drive way because you've built a new one, what's the issue. If you've got builders in ok ask him to move. I honestly don't see the issue of parking spaces. Of you need to walk further to your home then walk.
These replies always make me laugh. When you’re on holiday, do you leave your house unlocked so anyone can come in and sleep there, watch your TV etc? I mean, you’re not using it, so why not?!
Bagamoyo1 · 02/01/2022 10:52

@NinaDefoe

Open the gates and park on your drive. If you are just parking in front of them regularly it could be seen as an unused driveway and a free for all - another place for everyone to park.
Ok so if you see a driveway, with gates, and a dropped kerb, but the owner sometimes parks outside the gates, do you actually think it’s public parking?
godmum56 · 02/01/2022 10:53

@NinaDefoe

Open the gates and park on your drive. If you are just parking in front of them regularly it could be seen as an unused driveway and a free for all - another place for everyone to park.
whether or not the driveway is used is not an excuse. Driveway+dropped kerb means you may not park there
CharityDingle · 02/01/2022 10:53

@Booklover3

He’s deliberately being a knob I’m afraid
I agree. He likes having you having to ask him.
NinaDefoe · 02/01/2022 10:54

Bagamoyo1

No but the OP’s neighbour obviously does.

bunsnroses1 · 02/01/2022 10:59

He's man-spreading all over your drive Angry

Bagamoyo1 · 02/01/2022 10:59

@NinaDefoe

Bagamoyo1

No but the OP’s neighbour obviously does.

But he’s wrong. Why should OP modify her behaviour because someone is either misinformed or deliberately being a dick?
HandlebarLadyTash · 02/01/2022 11:00

24 hour access needed please dont park on/across privately owned driveway

Reiterate face to face you dont like having to wait for them to finish their activity in order for them to release ther car from your drive way

GrumpyLivesInMyHouseNow · 02/01/2022 11:02

If it's a dropped kerb then tell him he can't park there in future. If you're not telling him he'll think it's ok

Silvershroud · 02/01/2022 11:03

[quote godmum56]@Silvershroud

"I agree. If OP isn't actually using the driveway they are just being dog in the manger."

and now we have two enablers......any advance on two?
Shall I come and use your bathroom because if you aren't using it you are being a dog in the manger? Sit in your garden?

OH PS OP, you don't need to know or understand why he's doing it. Doesn't matter.[/quote]
I know all about parking wars. We and a neighour had a driveway each (link detached houses). Previous owners of our house had no car so had allowed neighbours to park on their (now our) driveway for 10 years. Neighbours had four cars (two adults, two adult children) they moved in grans old banger when she went into a home, and used to phone friends to block our driveway when we went to work. So we had 5 sometimes 6 cars crowding our drive! After months of rows, they forced us to move house. They didn't torment the new owners, they were just angry with us. I have read OP's posts, I thought she was only using her new drive infrequently.