10 YEAR PARKING DISPUTE WITH NEIGHBOUR.

[eastafricanomad]

Hi all,

I need some serious advice. I'm probably writing this in the heat of the moment so please ignore any theatrics. Let me break it down...

We've lived in this property for about 17 years. Our charming neighbour moved in on our tenth year. She is our attached neighbour on the right hand side. We all have allocated parking - what is the problem you ask?

See the thing is, we live in a cul-de-sac. Every house has an allocated parking spot and we have several visitor spots (families with multiple cars use these visitor spots as permanent parking spots and it doesn't appear to be an issue with anyone including me). My neighbour, has an allocated parking spot at the back of her house, but due to her mobility issues - she parks in front of her house on a public highway - again, no issues with this.

There is still space for another vehicle to be able to park directly parallel to her with no issues of blocking her car or her house. Yet she has proceeded to block off this empty potential parking space because she doesn't want anyone 'parking in front of her house' - bear in mind, this is a public highway. No one can reserve rights to a public highway.

Living in a cul-de-sac, naturally parking is tight despite the allocated spots we have. Households do sometimes have more than one vehicle and everyone else on the street is incredibly understanding.

However, this woman, has proceeded to put CONES! In an empty slot on the public highway, not reserving it for any reason as she has one car. No daily visitors - her sole reason is 'I don't want anyone parking in front of my house' (???) ITS A PUBLIC HIGHwaaaaay. Anyway.

Now that we are adding a vehicle to our household, this has only really started to irritate me now. We've ignored her a long time, DESPITE her harassing anyone that parks there. She has harassed my family, construction workers, delivery drivers - you name it! I'm at my wits ends. The straw that broke the camels back was this week, when we had a lovely gentleman come out from Hillary's to do measurements for my blinds. She left a note on his car and yelled at him when he left my property.

I've spoken to the local council, they have confirmed - no one can reserve rights to a public highway. I've spoken to the police, they have confirmed - this is illegal. I've sought legal advice, again - confirmed my perspective.

What on earth do I do with these cones? We work 7 days a week in my household, and coming home after a long shift, moving cones to park my car is proving tiresome! It's not even the inconvenience, its the AUDACITY!

Am I being unreasonable? What would you suggest? What would you do with these cones? I want to put them in my boot and dump them 500 miles from my house. Any advice on this issue would be helpful.

Good point @BasilParsley. I feel I should mention penguin bollards and the local rugby team too

Had a similar issue with a neighbour who kept reserving who expressed puzzlement as to where his 'private parking space' sign and accompanying cones kept disappearing to. He has moved now so can confirm that they all went in his wheely bin on bin collection day, happened three times before he gave up.

If someone else has been parking in her allocated space for “years”, maintaining it and most importantly are able to prove it - they can go to court and legally get that parking space 🤔🤔

OP - I have a lovely hi Vis jacket with what looks like a very official logo on it. I'd be happy to come round, ostentatiously take some pictures of the cones in situ and then remove them.

I'd imagine there will be quite a few people you know with similar! Just a thought!

@Iris1976 I'm ON IT! I've been researching CCTV cameras and I will definitely be installing them ASAP.

You have to pay to speak to your council? WTF?

Fake letter from Council stuck to cones warning the user against falsifying Council identity and something copied and pasted from Internet about use of highway for parking. Something about fixed penalty notices. That sort of thing.

@LampLamp Yup, they have a dedicated highways contact number and it is an 0800 number unfortunately.

@SilverHydrangea Ahahahaha that is brilliant!

0800 is free phone?

@LampLamp I spoke to EE and they said this number charges to speak to them... Is it my provider maybe? Or is it the actual council themselves?

We’ve got a similar issue, wtf is wrong with some people that they think laws don’t apply to them and they can do what they want?

Sorry OP I get how stressful it is and you probably don’t need the drama of confronting it 🙄

"How much does it cost to call 0800 and 0808 numbers? Calls to 0800, 0808 and 116 numbers are free from your EE mobile and landline."

Remove cones
Throw cones into her garden
Park
Ignore ranting
Call police if she harasses you and/or send snotty solicitor letter

Who cares if she gets pissed off? Anyone can park there. She isn’t entitled to space in front of her house when she doesn’t legally own the space!

@onedayiwillmissthis Yeah, that's what I thought until I saw my extra charges. Confirmed with EE it is indeed the council number, sinister!

YABU you know parking thread rules OP.

But in all seriousness no of course you’re not being U.

Have you actually knocked on her door and said to her that this is not lawful and can she please cut it out?

I would be tempted to thank her for saving a space every day and say how very helpful of her to put the cones out for you, making sure you have somewhere to park. I think she would enjoy that.

In the dead of night, nip out and add 2 long, material legs and arms to each cone. Pop on a bobble hat and draw smiley faces on. Then sit them in the middle of the garden with a note on saying " I'm home, mummy."

No diagram? Pffft.

Do you have written confirmation from the council/police/lawyer? If so, put a copy of each through her letterbox.

Remove the cones and put them in her garden, preferably with a jaunty hat etc to decorate them.

YABU because you haven’t posted a diagram, plus as an aside, Dunelm do great made to measure blinds 😜

See if you can persuade someone from the police to come and park an unmarked car in the space, bonus points if they're not in uniform 😀

OP, see if your local council has an alternative geographical (01 etc) number using this site:

www.saynoto0870.com/

Serious answer, speak to the council roads dept and get the area roads inspector to come out and deal with. Again though, invite them to park in the coned space while they pop to yours for an initial briefing..

No idea what to do with the cones or the CF, but Blinds2Go are very good.

Contact a local councillor about the charges for contacting the council. That is ridiculous.