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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

10 YEAR PARKING DISPUTE WITH NEIGHBOUR.

419 replies

eastafricanomad · 01/02/2023 17:23

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Puzzledandpissedoff · 01/02/2023 18:34

Can't the police send a PCSO around to have a word with her especially if she is harassing people who park legally

I was going to suggest the same, but for now I just love the idea of dressing them up

Either that or move them slightly and add a "surprise" hidden underneath ... your imagination can supply suggestions I'm sure Wink

ScroogeMcDuckling · 01/02/2023 18:36

U say she has woken the sleeping bear, if it’s a mobility car, then she should very easily get a disabled bay outside her property, with it maybe overlapping your front garden, because it’s about her!!

this could seriously seriously backfire on you

MrsPnut · 01/02/2023 18:37

You don't want the Highways department, you need the Anti Social Behaviour Team and your local councillor.
I'd launch the cones in her garden every single time just to get the rage out.

Activelyannoyed · 01/02/2023 18:37

Ok I think folks are winding you up to go to war and probably escalate this. They will then fuck off to the next thread and leave you in formal neighbour dispute.

ok she needs to park at rhe front due to mobility. She’s scared about people blocking her in, so she’s putting cones out.

you wish to use the space she’s blocking in front of her house regularly, is this right? How many cars do you regularly park?

prh47bridge · 01/02/2023 18:38

eastafricanomad · 01/02/2023 18:08

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

If it is an 0843, 0844, 0845, 0870, 0871, 0872 or 0873 number there is a charge. These are business rate numbers. If it is an 0800 or 0808 number it is free. If you are being charged by EE for calling an 0800 or 0808 number you should not be fobbed off with suggestions that there is a charge to speak to this number. Tell them to sort it or you will refer the matter to Ofcom.

pompei8309 · 01/02/2023 18:39

eastafricanomad · 01/02/2023 17:23

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.

i would take the cones ,she’ll get fed up buying them . If you chuck if in her garden she’ll keep use them. every time there cones there chuck them in your boot

Original poster
eastafricanomad · 01/02/2023 18:39

@ScroogeMcDuckling But the thing is, she has had the council come out and survey her property, you can not install a disability parking bay on public highway, it isn't even a legitimate parking space - let alone try and make it disability friendly. Like it just can't happen.

OP posts:
BananaBender · 01/02/2023 18:40

Put the cones around her car so she has to remove them to drive away, or around her empty spot so she has to get out of her car and remove them so she can park. Make it annoying for her.

Will you have motion activated dashcams front and rear in your new car? If she tries to fuck with your car you’ll have video proof of it.

Couchpotato3 · 01/02/2023 18:40

If they're flimsy little cones and you can't be arsed to move them, why don't you just drive over the little feckers and park where you damn well please?

Brendabigbaps · 01/02/2023 18:41

remove and park there when you get home, when she comes out to shout just wave and say “ thanks for saving the space for me” whilst walking away with a smile on your face. She’ll soon get bored

Tinkerbyebye · 01/02/2023 18:41

Speak to your local Borough/district/county councillor and ask them to contact her, or ask them to get the council to write to her to tell her she can’t do this

personally I would just carry on parking there, moving the cones each time but I would also report them to the council as flytipping and get the council to remove them

Brotherlove · 01/02/2023 18:41

ScroogeMcDuckling · 01/02/2023 18:36

U say she has woken the sleeping bear, if it’s a mobility car, then she should very easily get a disabled bay outside her property, with it maybe overlapping your front garden, because it’s about her!!

this could seriously seriously backfire on you

You cannot get a disabled parking bay if you have a driveway or an allocated parking place.
(Why would need a space when you already have an allocated space is the rule in my council)

Original poster
eastafricanomad · 01/02/2023 18:43

@Brotherlove This is exactly my thoughts. She has an allocated parking space already, privately reserved for her. They are not going to redo the entire floor plan of the cul-de-sac just to fit a disability bay for her - it would be much easier for the council to just rehouse her.

OP posts:
SeaToSki · 01/02/2023 18:44

If they have property of the council stickers on the cones (even if they are fake) can she really claim they are hers if you remove them? I would ‘return’ them to the council and if she has a fit suggest they couldnt be hers as then she would be impersonating government workers (or some such like) which is surely an offense?

BasilParsley · 01/02/2023 18:45

Activelyannoyed · 01/02/2023 18:37

Ok I think folks are winding you up to go to war and probably escalate this. They will then fuck off to the next thread and leave you in formal neighbour dispute.

ok she needs to park at rhe front due to mobility. She’s scared about people blocking her in, so she’s putting cones out.

you wish to use the space she’s blocking in front of her house regularly, is this right? How many cars do you regularly park?

I'm not sure that's quite right @Activelyannoyed reading the thread, I believe the designated parking space for the perp is in a an area not on the highway and that's where the perp is parking. She has the mobility to walk from there to her house. She is, however, reserving a different parking spot outside the front of her house on the public highway which she doesn't need because she wants to retain her view.

This is why we DESPERATELY NEED A DIAGRAM !!! :)

AlbertaAnnie · 01/02/2023 18:46

Take the cones away every time and store them - do not give them back - she will soon get sick of buying new ones

academicallyblonde · 01/02/2023 18:49

There is a woman like this who lives a few doors down from the school where I work. Actually threatens physical violence if anyone parks outside her house, even on the other side of the road! She has a triple driveway of her own to use and it is not a permit parking area. Once a parent who was accompanying us on a school trip parked there. We didn’t return until midnight and the woman waited up specially, coming out in her dressing gown to berate her! There are obviously more of these nut jobs around than I thought.

Lordofmyflies · 01/02/2023 18:49

I think we have the same neighbour OP! Our's shouts and sticks her middle finger up at anyone who parks on the public highway outside her house. She then escalated to filming people parking on the road and recording their reg number.
One day I caught her filming my kids as they played by outside and called the police. She got points towards as ASBO and an account for us to log further harassment or unsocial action.
You are completely in your rights to park there. She will probably blow up though before its resolved!

showgirl63 · 01/02/2023 18:49

If you are going to use the cones to line her drive can you decorate them first - an impressive big dick on each May deliver a subtle message?

prh47bridge · 01/02/2023 18:51

eastafricanomad · 01/02/2023 18:39

@ScroogeMcDuckling But the thing is, she has had the council come out and survey her property, you can not install a disability parking bay on public highway, it isn't even a legitimate parking space - let alone try and make it disability friendly. Like it just can't happen.

You can have a disabled parking bay on a public highway. However, to get one she would need to have a blue badge, be receiving the higher rate of DLA or PIP, find it very difficult to get a space outside or near her home, and not have a specific place to park. From what you've posted, it sounds like she doesn't qualify.

DixonD · 01/02/2023 18:52

I think you’ll have to be really thick skinned here and move the cones every time and ignore any yelling. Leave the cones on her property as they belong to her. Do nothing that may be considered wrong (legally). If she wants to get to the point of damaging your vehicle then she’s the one who’ll be in trouble.

Hopefully she’ll give up if people don’t stand for it.

MondayBob · 01/02/2023 18:52

Take photos of her putting them out, and report her for fly tipping. She will get a nice fine, and the cones will be removed.

Badbudgeter · 01/02/2023 18:55

It’s an offence to wilfully obstruct the highway. I would photograph and email the local council. I hear you on the unexpected phone bill. It cost me £10 to call the 24hour home emergency insurance people as it took them so long to answer the phone. I was unimpressed when bill came in.

Girlgift97 · 01/02/2023 18:55

Squashed cones it is !

Twillow · 01/02/2023 18:56

You have my sympathy. Neighbours that behave like this are a disgrace. Nobody owns the highway! We have some that are a bit like this, get arsey if anyone parks on 'their' side of the road. We ignore it now but it really upset me to begin with.
I agree with all the above advice - don't 'steal' the cones, just place in her garden and ignore or blandly state that you've taken legal advice and she has no right to block the highway. And get a camera on her!

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