Being annoyed about a visitor parking bay

[SaltyChickenWhite]

Hi,

I moved into a new build development recently. It's North London and space is quite tight. Each house has 1 allocated parking space.

Please see the humble diagram attached.

A row of 4 houses. Houses A to D each have 1 allocated parking space. And House A and D have a visitor bay outside. I live at House D.

There's a church and park on the other side of House D, but no parking availability down that side of the road. And the brown bits are pathways.

The issue I've quickly found is that House A has 2 cars. So they have complete control over that visitor bay. And when they have only 1 car at home, they'll park in the visitor bay first.

House B also has 2 cars.

And because Houses C and House D (me) only have one car each, House B has taken to parking their second car in the visitor bay outside mine. This means their car is parked in the visitor bay from evening until morning each weeknight, and usually most or all of the weekend.

It seems House B is fully aware that House A is in control of A's visitor bay, because House B never attempts to park their second car there, even on the rare occasion that it's empty. They just come straight to House D's visitor bay.

To the left of the houses, there's a road which has sort of unofficial parking availability (the blue line), and visitors have taken to parking there instead because Houses A and D visitor bays are usually occupied. And I find it strange that Houses A and B would not park their second vehicles on that road instead.

My options as I see them:

Speak to the neighbour. But I don't know them and people are unpredictable in how they'll react.

Speak to the developer, but what are they realistically going to do? And council have zero power etc.

Do something else?

I have a few questions:

Because I only have one car, should I even care about this? Would it annoy you in all honesty? It just seems a little cheeky to me.

It only becomes a real issue when we have a visitor (in that they can't park outside our house - but then again, they wouldn't be able to either if a genuine visitor was already in that bay, and in which case that would be totally fine - but because it's a neighbour's second car sitting there it sort of stings). Is there anything I could do or should do?

If you had a second car and you lived at House B, would you park in the visitor bay?

And of course give me some brutal honesty if I'm overthinking this.

And the award for most pointless post on a thread goes to ☝️

Is there a management company? We have a similar problem and every few months the offenders get a letter to tell them to leave the visitors' spaces for visitors only. It has made no difference and the MC say they are going to get signs made saying visitors only. I'm guessing they will be ripped out by the selfish owners. My visitors can never park.

Just park your car in the visitors bay then no one can park in your legal bay
it’s not a bad a a neighbour who has his own bay and a visitors bay next to it and when he tried to sell his house tried to say the visitor bay was his ( the V had disappeared over the years )
lost him his house sale as the buyers were buying it because it was sold as a double driveway 😂

I’d park in the visitor’s bay if you know you’re having visitors.

That's really irritating and I feel for you OP, but sadly I don't think there is much you can do about it. I had similar last year with the residents' bays outside my house. Another guy on my road had several vans plus one car. Always parked his nice small car outside his own property and the big vans he hardly ever moved right outside my front window. Pillock. So glad he moved house!

Thanks for comments. I understand the comments saying that it's petty to feel this way. It's just not something I would do if the shoe was on the other foot. For example, the car has been parked there 24/7 for the last 4 days as it looks like they've gone away somewhere. If I was planning on leaving my 2nd car there I would probably at least introduce myself to the neighbours or mention my intentions. But I accept I may be built a little differently, and they aren't required to explain themselves to me. But that would just be a normal thing I'd do.

If I truly wanted to be petty I'm sure there are things I could do to control the bay quite easily. So I'm not wishing to get more petty than making this post and asking for perspectives lol

I find it strange that Houses A and B would not park their second vehicles on that road instead.

I think you’re unreasonable that you find this strange.

House A has 2 cars and 2 bays available right outside their house. Of course they’re going to park in them. House B can’t be arsed to have a fight about it because there’s another free bay for their second car outside your house. Houses C & D have only one car each so at the moment it’s all amicable.

Visitors park on the road and haven’t complained. No terrible problems have ensued from this arrangement.

I was hoping to leave it open for genuine visitors for all neighbours. Not to be reserved for someone's 2nd vehicle.

It would be nice if everyone followed the rules but it’s unrealistic and extremely petty if no actual problems are being caused. Leave it well alone, is my advice. Thank your lucky stars there’s only 2 two-car households.

I feel your pain! We have a residents parking scheme, one permit per household and one visitors pass. However, the visitors permit has morphed into a second vehicle pass. The council are not bothered and elderly people who don't own cars are unable to have genuine visitors.

It's just not something I would do if the shoe was on the other foot.

You’re uniquely nice then, I reckon!

It makes more sense the "visitor" bays are used by your ndns on a first come first served basis so their cars are parked overnight near their house when there is a perfectly good space feet from their front door that would mostly otherwise be empty. I would think they were just being sensible and it wouldnt cross my mind to worry about it.

Blame the developer for not designing housing with sufficient parking.

More likely, just easy to say when you only have one car. 🤣

If ever you have 2 cars in your household OP, don’t hesitate to do the same as your neighbours.

Why are you getting involved in this? You only have one car.

Presumably it's first come first served on the visitor space so it's up to those with second cars and visitors to sort this out.

Great diagram !
I'd do the same as your neighbours, & park near my home.

Going against the grain - if its a visitor space it should be available for visitors. We had issues with this (not us personally as we have enough space for our car and visitors) and the management company is enforcing time restrictions on the all visitor bays now because 1 person took the piss and left a car there 24/7

First of all op, excellent diagram!

thisxelukd also abbot me. And the most annoying part would be that I’d know the annoyance was petty and pointless and that would annoy me even more!

not sure there is much you can do but try and let it go.

I agree with this actually. Do you have so little going on, you're wasting time monitoring where your neighbours are parking and when? 🙄

I'd have to park occasionally in the visitor bay....mix it up a little, and always the evening before visitors are expected so they can use your driveway

Since these aren't designated or in your deeds, I'd park my second car in the visitor spot too, especially if I knew two of the houses only had one car. I wouldn't park it on the road 'on the off chance' you may have a visitor sometime.

If I lived there and had a second car I would park in the visitor bay too, I suspect. Especially if one of the other houses was doing it first. There is parking close by for visitors which, IME is fairly good going for London, so I’d probably not be that bothered. And if it was detrimental for some reason I would be tempted to park in the visitor bay whenever it’s free and leave my own spot open for any visitors (much like A is doing to leave their own spot open for their second car).

May I be the first to mention penguin bollards?

Kudos to the OP for the diagram - excellent effort.

Excellent diagram! Is the visitor space directly outside the front of your house/window? I'd also find this massively annoying, but agree there's not much that you can do.

On the days youre expecting visitors, park in one of the visitor spots, and leave your space open for your guest.

If I lived there and had a second car I'd park there too. Parking on the street with the blue line is less inconvenient for occasional visitors compared to residents. If a neighbour said their elderly or disabled relative was visiting and asked me not to park there for a day I'd move it but otherwise I'd be using it.

Haha thanks for all the comments on the diagram.

It's right outside the window, yes. I knew this and was mentally prepared for visitors aplenty. So it being always in use I can accept. But for some reason someone using it as a permanent second parking bay has triggered something in me, haha.

Interesting mix of opinion in the thread. Reading the vibe from those who see my ask as unreasonable, it's perhaps 'get a second car and join the party. And then I'll know all about it'.

What are the brown spaces in your diagram?