Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbour taking liberties

188 replies

Jaybird43 · 27/12/2022 15:33

I’m just so angry right now. I live on a busy new build estate and parking is a luxury. We have one parking space big enough for one car. DH and I were away over Christmas and mentioned to our next door neighbours, who are elderly, that they could park in it to save them from finding a space. DH told them we would be back Boxing Day.

We arrived home last night and a totally different neighbour has parked there! We then couldn’t park in our own space and we ended up scouring the street trying to find a space and had to unload the car with several trips!

I’m annoyed because the elderly neighbours have obviously told these neighbours that they could park there (we NEVER said anyone else could - we were trying to be nice to the elderly neighbours). Also, it’s been 24 hours and the car is still there! We’ve had to find another space on the road AGAIN - I’m angry because these other neighbours have my mobile number and I thought they would’ve at least text me to ask if they could use my space, and also because the car still hasn’t moved.

DH has been over to the other neighbours and they aren’t in, and I’ve text them and put it nicely, but bluntly, “move your car” - but no answer.

DH says it’s fine and that I’m getting upset over nothing, but I think both sets of neighbours are being CFs!

So please, shall I take a chill pill or would you be angry too?!

OP posts:
AlinaSquareQueen · 27/12/2022 18:05

YANBU. I’d be raging about this.

I live in a smallish property which happens to have the luxury of two parking spaces, but generally I only use one. But, occasionally CF neighbours have parked on my spare space without asking, but when I confront them, they’ll say, ‘well you don’t use that space’. That only makes me laugh more when I have a visitor who blocks them in, and then we go out for hours!

As PPs have said, new developments do not tend to provide nearly enough parking… there’s loads of new build flats near me which have NO parking for residents, except for a few selected plots. I think the developers have misjudged the demand, because they don’t seem to be shifting them.

Soothsayer1 · 27/12/2022 18:09

I think the developers have misjudged the demand, because they don’t seem to be shifting them
same here, over priced new builds, with the raise in interest rates banks now wont lend enough for most to get a mortgage on them, so they sit empty...

Soothsayer1 · 27/12/2022 18:11

‘well you don’t use that space’
->you're not using your sofa, can I go and lie on it?😅

Isahlo · 27/12/2022 18:25

Block them in over their own space or yours

aloris · 27/12/2022 18:26

No good deed goes unpunished, unfortunately. I trust you will no longer be offering your elderly neighbors to use your spot when you are out of town? They obviously don't understand that they inconvenienced you when they took it upon themselves to transfer their privilege to other people.

I have read up on parking allocation where I live and seen the justification that providing less parking encourages people to use public transport. So I would suspect that the provision of insufficient parking is purposeful. However obviously I don't know that for certain, it's just something I read on the interwebz.

AlinaSquareQueen · 27/12/2022 18:26

@Soothsayer1

Tbf, It doesn’t happen frequently, but when it does, it’s quite shocking.

On one occasion, a neighbour had her daughter visiting, but she parked (her Porsche) on my drive because ‘there was nowhere else to park in the road’. I told her ‘not my problem, and don’t do it again, because I need the space for my regular visitors’. The cheeky entitled bitch hasn’t done it again.

HangerLaneGyratorySystem · 27/12/2022 18:27

Now you see I knew Rob and Jane would be in on it. We’ve had threads like this before where an elderly neighbour offers other peoples facilities to all and sundry.

LlynTegid · 27/12/2022 18:31

Boy racer type- be glad he is not your partner or husband, as he seems the type who is probably inadequate in the bedroom.

Hope you can now think about other things.

ortonym · 27/12/2022 18:39

LlynTegid · 27/12/2022 18:31

Boy racer type- be glad he is not your partner or husband, as he seems the type who is probably inadequate in the bedroom.

Hope you can now think about other things.

😂😂😂
How did you arrive at that conclusion?
😂

Splonker · 27/12/2022 19:02

AlinaSquareQueen · 27/12/2022 18:05

YANBU. I’d be raging about this.

I live in a smallish property which happens to have the luxury of two parking spaces, but generally I only use one. But, occasionally CF neighbours have parked on my spare space without asking, but when I confront them, they’ll say, ‘well you don’t use that space’. That only makes me laugh more when I have a visitor who blocks them in, and then we go out for hours!

As PPs have said, new developments do not tend to provide nearly enough parking… there’s loads of new build flats near me which have NO parking for residents, except for a few selected plots. I think the developers have misjudged the demand, because they don’t seem to be shifting them.

There's been a quiet government policy handed out to councils to deliberately reduce the amount of parking available on new builds in order to force more people onto public transport & reduce road congestion. You'll find reduced parking spaces is part of the requirement to get plans passed.

Soothsayer1 · 27/12/2022 19:08

Splonker · 27/12/2022 19:02

There's been a quiet government policy handed out to councils to deliberately reduce the amount of parking available on new builds in order to force more people onto public transport & reduce road congestion. You'll find reduced parking spaces is part of the requirement to get plans passed.

Show quote history

I can see it would be better if more used public transport, but all I see is ever more ever bigger vehicles and not very good public transport😟
huge monster trucks and 4x4s parked up everywhere, I cant see over them to cross the road!

Rhondaa · 27/12/2022 19:08

'Is it on your drive, or a designated space with your house number painted in it? Otherwise it's normal for people to park in the street outside other people's houses.'

This. How does it work, have you bought the space as part of a house purchase is it offcially allocated and if yes how do other people know whose is whose?

AlinaSquareQueen · 27/12/2022 19:25

@Splonker

Fair point, and I understand the logic in this.

But I think most people trying to get on the property ladder, will want somewhere with a parking space, even if public transport options are really good.

Plus they’ll be taking into account how easy, or not, the property will be to resell, when they want to move up the ladder. I wouldn’t blame anyone for this aspect (no parking for residents), being a deal-breaker in whether or not to buy an over-priced new build.

WollyParton · 27/12/2022 19:48

I’d park behind them, blocking them in and put a polite note on their windscreen asking them to call you if they need you to let them out…and that they are parked in your allocated space. I do this where I live, and it makes them squirm beautifully when they have to knock on your door 😆

EarthSight · 27/12/2022 19:56

We have one parking space big enough for one car. DH and I were away over Christmas and mentioned to our next door neighbours, who are elderly, that they could park in it to save them from finding a space. DH told them we would be back Boxing Day

I'm sorry OP. I wish more people were like you but unfortunately many more people are either thick or are ready to take advantage of whoever they can.

LlynTegid · 27/12/2022 19:57

@Soothsayer1 agree with you about SUVs and other 4x4s, and the planning laws do bring unintended consequences. Often new builds on land that becomes an option when a by-pass is built, not a new rail line or other new public transport option.

EarthSight · 27/12/2022 20:03

DH told him that he can’t park in our space but CF said “rob and Jane (elderly neighbours) said it was fine” - I’m going to speak with them to make sure they don’t offer my space out again

God that is so lame. How old is he? 9 years old?

If Rob & Jane said it was ok that they have a party in your garden or help themselves to your bin space....presumably that would be ok too?

If he was that considerate, he would have made sure to leave a note with his number displayed on a piece of paper on the dashboard window so he could move his car the moment he you were back......but he didn't did he? He made you have to search for him and inconvenienced you.

toffeeapple77 · 27/12/2022 20:06

It's annoying but I think you've come off worst as you've wasted a lot of energy getting disproportionately cross and curtain twitching. Doubt the guy who parked has given it a second thought!
And fwiw I doubt the elderly neighbours are involved whatsoever.

EarthSight · 27/12/2022 20:07

Splonker · 27/12/2022 19:02

There's been a quiet government policy handed out to councils to deliberately reduce the amount of parking available on new builds in order to force more people onto public transport & reduce road congestion. You'll find reduced parking spaces is part of the requirement to get plans passed.

Show quote history

That's awful because a lot of new builds will not be attractive to middle classes. All they've done is made life more difficult for working class people. Despite living in an urban area, I remember being really limited in terms of jobs because I had to restrict myself to the main travel line. Otherwise, you really could be commuting 2 hrs each way and if anything happens on your connection, you're fucked.

FlissyPaps · 27/12/2022 20:19

Give someone an inch, and they take a mile.

Society is filled with Cheeky Fuckers, until they’re the ones who are inconvenienced.

Well done for blocking him in OP! (I would have done that from the start). Hopefully theyll learn their lesson not to be CF’s. As well as the neighbours who thought it was okay to offer someone else your space.

Don’t tell anyone that they can use your spot in future. The whole street will find out and try it on.

Blossomtoes · 27/12/2022 20:39

LaughingCat · 27/12/2022 17:43

Just came across this and I’m with your DH…I mean, woah. So much aggro. Over a parking space. I’d be pissed, sure, but maybe not ‘post on the internet then box in the car while curtain-twitching’ mad.

But then, my DH would react like you, so I think the roles are just switched in our relationship to yours 😂

Same here. He’d go ballistic and I’d shrug.

Please, please never do the Vaseline thing, it could kill someone.

HideTheCroissants · 27/12/2022 21:09

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 27/12/2022 17:40

Because they aren’t going to use land for parking when they can use it for more houses. It’s all about the money so they aren’t going to waste a spare inch of land.

Show quote history

A few years ago (we were toying with the idea of moving), we looked at a looked a lovely new build estate. The house we were looking at was detached, very large, off road parking for ONE car and road was double yellows. When I said that I would want to convert some of the front garden to more parking we were told that it wasn’t allowed under the rules of new builds in the U.K. at the time (it was around 2000/2001). We were told government legislation limited the amount of parking. If we wanted one of the five bed homes we would get two parking spaces!

About 10 years ago I worked at a school and we had a bit of an extension built for an IT suite and library. It didn’t encroach on the existing carpark which had room for al staff and some visitor spaces. Part of the conditions of the build were that we removed half of the car parking “to encourage use of public transport”. Staff actually left because a 20 minute drive was an hour and a half by public transport for some (no parking in the roads surrounding the school).

That’s why there is never enough parking!

Katekeeprunning · 28/12/2022 17:50

thelobsterquadrille · 27/12/2022 15:54

Just park on the road and block the driveway.

This is what I’d do. I’d be fuming

Zazazoolly · 28/12/2022 18:03

Could they be in an emergency situation like a hospital admission or something?

Jaxxy · 28/12/2022 18:10

THIS

Swipe left for the next trending thread