A parking one...

[mrsflanders23]

So I live in a street of mainly terraces. I'm one of few houses that has a drive (I'm an end terrace). There is green space across the road though with no houses so there is generally enough parking for everyone iykwim.

I don't use the drive a lot recently, I have quite a big car and the drive is narrow so I find it more effort to park up there sometimes (a bit of laziness on my part). If I can park on the road I will. I used to have a smaller car and used the drive a lot more.

I guess people on the street have noticed that I'm not using the drive as much and I've had a spate of people parking across my drive... I've not said anything so far as I don't want to fall out with anyone but there have been occasions where I haven't been able to get a parking space near my house and then haven't been able to park up my drive as it's been parked over. I've then had to park further up the street... but hey ho.

Issue is- I'm heavily pregnant, baby due in a matter of weeks. The people parking over my drive thing has started to annoy me a little recently as I'm thinking with a baby I will more than likely want to use my drive if I can park at the front of my house.

I've had various complications and this week I've been at hospital nearly every day. Feeling a bit flustered and stressed. Approached my house in car to see neighbour park 3/4 of way over my drive. No drama, space at front of my house I suppose.

As I got out of my car said neighbour approached me, and told me, didn't ask, but told me, that they now have two cars and would be parking "like this from now on" (gesturing to the way his car was parked over my drive). And that "you know where we are if you want us to move".

I was in such a stress and fluster that I just said "okay" and hurried into my house.

Thing is, I don't want to have to go and knock on doors and ask people to move when I have a newborn baby. I want to be able to use my drive, or not use my drive, or do whatever I like with my drive, which is one of the reasons I bought the house.

If I choose, or choose not to use it, surely that is my choice?

AIBU?

Would I be unreasonable to go speak to neighbour and tell them no?

Oh and I've never parked at the front of this neighbours house or anything like that so it's no kind of weird retaliation from them. I either park in front of my house if available, or across the road where there are no houses.

And no, I don’t think anyone is suggesting you have to accept people parking across your drive, or that it’s acceptable because you’ve parked on the road. It’s not okay. However people are pointing out how the fact you haven’t previously said anything and don’t seem to want or need access might have given some who are prone to cheeky behaviour to decide they can try this once…..and then when they get away with you not saying anything, feel it’s okay.

I have a drive on a road which is tight for parking and where lots of people don’t have off street parking. The drive fits one car. We always park on the drive and make sure the 2nd car is parked across it, even though it sometimes means a bit of shunting around to get the first out. I’m aware that us dropping the kerb removed 2 parking spaces from the road and people struggle to find space sometimes. Of course I am entitled to park on the road and in fact to put both cars on the road if I want….but that would be pretty selfish behaviour, so I don’t do it.

@WombatChocolate it's only been a few months if that since I've stopped using the drive frequently, I only got my bigger car just before Christmas.

Prior to this I used the drive daily or almost daily. I did have issues occasionally with people parking across but not much.

I understand what you mean about communication. Since I've stopped using the drive as much, it has been various vehicles on my street parking across. I recognise the cars as being from the street but I don't actually know all the neighbours to start going to speak to people iykwim.

The neighbour next door I could speak to but the others I'd have to try and work out what car belongs to who... they obviously know my car and my comings and goings though!

I understand OP and yanbu

You're heavily pregnant so getting in and out of your car in a narrow drive is difficult.
Your NDN is a CF

When you see them, tell them it's not ok to block parking across anyone's drive - it's a dropped kerb and when you can you use your drive. Frankly I'd be calling council (it's a civil offence) if someone was parking to block my driveway. If your car is in the driveway and you can't get out as they've blocked it, then police (101) would ask them to move it or arrange to tow it

I'm quite surprised at some of the comments here, usually people refer to the "you don't own the road" attitude so basically park where you can and your neighbours can't reserve spaces on the street
Today you are moaning about a poor heavily pregnant mum it using a drive that's not fit for purpose
Same as the rule that people don't own the space outside their home, why is there suddenly a rule that if you have a drive you have to use it?
OP park where you want

yanbu

I would start parking across your own drive yourself, assuming you aren’t then blocking your neighbour’s “natural” parking space. For one thing, it sounds like it will be really tricky getting a baby in and out of a car seat if your drive is so narrow.

it’s bizarre for a neighbour to inform you they are going to block your drive.

I would leave it for a few day then at the weekend ring on their door and say you assumed they would only be blocking your drive for a few days and of course you need to be able to access your drive whenever you need it because, well, it’s your drive so you like to be able to use it and it wouldn’t be convenient for it to be permanently blocked.

invite them to agree there is ample space to park across the road. It is hardly your fault they have built an extension on their own driveway and of COURSE they don’t have a right to block your drive.

Think you need a friendly chat with neighbour before baby is born. Just explain that with the baby you'll need access all the time so them blocking you in or out won't work for you. If they raise objections or ask where they're supposed to park etc I'd add that really it's illegal for them to be parked over your dropped curb anyway and obviously YOU wouldn't be reporting them but...

Yes, it’s tricky to speak to people who’ve parked across drive, if you don’t know which neighbour the car belongs to.

Unfortunatley, because you have let it go before, more and more people probably do it now.

By you starting to park on the drive again, some will stop doing it again. You could also try putting up a notice which says ‘Access to driveway needed at all times. Please don’t block driveway’. But then do make sure you actually out the car on there at least some of the time.

Inthink you sort of want your cake and to eat it. You want access but do t want to use the drive. Well of course, you are actually entitled to have both. You don’t have to use the drive and legally can park on the street. But if you want people to stop doing what you’ve seemingly implicitly condoned, a good way to do that is to park on the drive, especially if you can’t actually speak to all the people parking across it to stop it. And try to understand that neighbourly behaviour would be to park on your driveway, at least some of the time.

FredaFox · Today 19:19

Today you are moaning about a poor heavily pregnant mum it using a drive that's not fit for purpose

Yes, there are some very preachy posters here today!

Lots of people suggest contacting police or council to enforce or ticket cars. Or they suggest pretty aggressively telling neighbours not to do it.

Usually best results with neighbours are achieved by a friendly conversation. If this fails, then later steps can be taken, but it’s better if they can be avoided. Too many people go straight to the complaint to authorities stage because they’re too embarrassed to have a quick word with a neighbour…..and then they wonder why the relationship breaks down. Of course if you do t know whose car it is, you can’t communicate, but you really have to be prepared to speak and speak nicely but clearly to those you do know, including the man you said ‘okay’ to. This can probably be resolved pretty easily.

Just park across your own dropped kerb ffs.

WombatChocolate · Today 19:26

Usually best results with neighbours are achieved by a friendly conversation. If this fails, then later steps can be taken, but it’s better if they can be avoided.

Yes, that's good advice.

I live on a similar street in that all across from us are terraces with no drive & there’s about 8 of us across the road with drives. The parking is bad because there is a train station a 10 minute walk away, so it’s usually worse in the week days and fine on weekends. I always use my drive, it is also tight & I have a 7 seater so not a small car but I’m aware I’ll get my neighbours backs up by taking a space they can use. You can’t really park in a normal space and expect your drive/space in front to also be yours, just park infront of your driveway?? Seems the most logical explanation, your neighbours don’t have that choice.

The problem you have created is agreeing with your neighbour which he will consider to be you giving permission for him to park that way. You need to speak to him ASAP to advise he can’t do that.

@NoGoodUsernamee I've explained the narrow drive is difficult to navigate on a good day in a tiny car, I'm heavily pregnant with health problems at the moment which makes it even harder.

My old neighbour came to visit when I moved and had trouble getting her fiat 500 up there!

I don't have parking "on the front" of the house. The terraces go right to the pavement and the drive is a narrow space between my house and neighbours. They extended and lost their drive.

I said earlier on when I have the baby I want to use the drive more.

Have my cake and eat it 

So I want access to the drive that I own. I also want to park on my street if I need to as well which I am legally entitled to do. There isn't an issue with parking here.

I agree, and he didn't ask me he just told me when I was feeling extremely flustered. That's why I wanted opinions before I knock on the door tomorrow.

If I tell them I'm not agreeable to it, I'm doing it in a nice way as the last thing I want is to upset anyone or cause any bad blood.

Tbh when I stopped using the drive daily it just never occurred to me that people would start parking across it.

Have you considered just telling him that they can't park there as you will be using your drive more frequently?

He is taking the piss but maybe he thinks your driveway is defunct now you have a bigger car and never use it.

You say the drive is pretty much inaccessible, especially with your new bigger car….but then you also say you want to use it more once you’ve got the baby. But will you if getting car seats out in a narrow driveway is difficult.

Youre right that you are as entitled to park on the street as anyone. Having a drive doesn’t make you less entitled. But can you see why it makes the neighbours feel a bit put out? They probably dont spot it is pretty narrow, but just think you’re being quite selfish. Can you see how it appears to them?

It doesn’t justify them parking across it. Even if your road was very tight for space, they shouldn’t block a driveway, even if you’re parked on the road. It is wrong of them to do it.

So what are you going to do now to stop it happening?

Can you park across your own driveway? Is it wide enough for that?

@WombatChocolate the drive opens out at the rear, next to my kitchen.

It is difficult to navigate but when I'm on maternity leave I'm going to have far more time to be slowly manoeuvring up the narrow part. I won't have the issue with opening the gate once I've recovered from the birth hopefully!

I want to be able to access my drive and park up there if I for instance have baby sleeping in the car, I can be grabbing my shopping out and taking into the kitchen etc.

I want to be able to use my drive if I need it.

If I know I'm having a day where I'm going to be in and out of the car 10 times or have multiple things going on, then I will probably park on the street due to the time getting in and out of the drive.

I'm not sure what is wrong with that?

Even when I had my VW golf it took quite a bit of time to manoeuvre. If I knew I was having a mega busy day and would be in and out multiple times I did tend to park on the road.

It's always been difficult to navigate but I feel I should have access when I want/need it?

Just the width of the drive as such no, as it's too narrow. If the width of it was the length of my car I'd have no issue!

If cars either side left a bit of space and weren't parked right up on either side then yes I could in theory.

But if you are parking elsewhere, then you don't need access to your drive, or am I wrong? I don't see how you can ‘save a space’ in front of your own drive and park elsewhere...but then neither can the neighbour assure himself that he has a space near his own house either....confused😆

I have a ‘drive’ and a dropped kerb. I live in a 1930s house where a car then would have fit on my drive, but todays cars do not fit on my drive now, I applied for a bay outside my house due to a disability, the council came to my house and assessed my drive and it does NOT fit the assessment of a drive, therefore I was successful in getting a bay. My neighbour has a right shit on about me not parking on my drive and having my own space on the road. I’m not telling the ignorant twat the reason why!

My neighbour parks outside our house despite having 4 car drive. It is infuriating as he parks there for days and on the end of the curb so I can't get on the street at all because of the curve in the road.

This is a good point. My house is Victorian.

Just looked and the minimum driveway width for a single dwelling now is 3m.

I had a golf before which is roughly 1.8m wide.

My car now is 2.08m wide.

There is quite literally a centimetre either side to spare with wing mirrors in. So my drive would be just over 2m wide... nowhere near the 3 required now.

But I should be able to access my drive should I need to park on it or use it for any reason surely?

It's not expecting to reserve a space... no one should be parking over my dropped kerb?