driveway wars

[MXVIT]

well, not wars, bit dramatic, just want hive mind view

Normal southern terraced street, all have driveways fortunately but kerb parking length of the street is rife because multi car households.

Neighbour has just had her driveway done (pressed concrete so looks like cobbles, lovely tbh) and is refusing to let her household park on it for fear of damage.

Result is my driveway (dropped kerb) has been half blocked consistently by one of the cars from their house since it was done last month. I'm a single car house so can get in with some crafty manoeuvring but tbh its a fucking pain (esp at 5pm when im blocking the traffic trying to back in and round) and also I like to have the extra space for visitors - which I now cant have as theres no access.

Feels like I've lost half my driveway - would you say something>

Just ask them to stop blocking your drive?

I would be tempted to just park on her driveway. But having a word would be the better route.

If they are blocking your driveway/dropped kerb then go and ask them to move every time they do it

Yes ask them to stop blocking your drive way. I wonder if her sofa is covered in plastic to keep it "good" too? 🙄

Yes I would say something, if they're parking over dropped kerb and it makes part of your driveway unusable and makes it hard to park then they're bring selfish- especially when they have a drive they just don't want to use it! One of our neighbours doesn't have a drive and due to the shape of their front garden can't ever have one, they asked if they could park part way over our drive dropped kerb if they couldn't find space nearby, I said yes that's fine because they don't have one and had the courtesy to ask. If it wasn't causing you issues I'd probably let it slide even though technically they shouldn't, but that's not the case.

They don’t have to park on their driveway if they don’t want to.

But they shouldn’t be blocking any of your drive so yes, I would say something.

No you wouldn’t 🙄

Start with having a word.
Always works better to make it non accusatory

Then see what happens from there.

technically you could get one of their cars towed.
If you are on driveway and they are blocking you so you can't get out, then apparently police will tow.
But that is pretty extreme!

why would the police tow? Is this one of those special laws that the police actually pay attention to rather than shrugging?

I would start by asking them politely not to park over your dropped kerb and mention it makes it very difficult for you to get on your driveway causing traffic hold ups while you make multiple manoeuvres to avoid hitting their vehicle and damaging either car.

If that didn’t stop them then I would be knocking on their door and asking them to move the car every single time you need to get on/off your driveway to make them aware of just how inconvenient it is for you.

If this still didn’t work then I would wait until an occasion when I was on my drive and then I’d call whoever is responsible for parking in your area (some towns thats the police in others the local council depending on whether they’ve devolved parking controls) and report them for obstructing your driveway - unfortunately it’s not an offence to block an empty driveway and preventing you getting on it, but it is an offence to block a driveway when a car is on it.

Hopefully it wouldn’t come to this but, if they’re that stubborn to continue blocking part of your access to your driveway after the polite approach and regular disturbance to move their car, then they deserve the consequences.

The “tempted” and “but … better route” was the clue that the remark was tongue in cheek, not intended to be a serious suggestion.

A neighbour got tired of people parking across his driveway and put a couple of wheely bins with some old planks laid between them. He was hoisted by his own petard when he forgot it was there and backed into it when reversing out of his driveway.

The poster didn't say she would park in the driveway. She said she would be "tempted to". How do you know she "wouldn't" be tempted? I think most of us would be tempted. Doesn't mean any of us would actually do it!

OP can you park on the road across/blocking her driveway? You know they won't be using it for access and it kind of makes the point. She might not care but she sounds like just the sort of person who will!

Go and speak to them, their decision not to park on their drive shouldn't impact on you

You need to tell them assertively not to park on your dropped kerb, even an inch.

If they continue, start blocking them in.

Each time they block the drive go to their door, I did this with my neighbour, he kept partially blocking our drive with his works van, kept chapping his door, I’d even pop to the shops at 9.30pm just to get him to move his car.

he eventually has learned to park better!

I think you’ll need to get creative. The fact someone has spent lots of money on a DRIVEWAY whose entire job is to be driven on and then refuses to use it shows you are dealing with someone who will struggle with logic.

Of course you need to say something!!!! Go over there and tell them to move their car and not park where they are partially blocking your driveway. They can't just decide to inconvenience you because they don't want to park on their own driveway.

I think @DonnaBanana is right, this is going to take more than logic and reasonableness! She won’t let them park on their new drive?! Bonkers!

It’s illegal to park over a dropped kerb so start there.

Is she waiting for the drive to settle for some weird reason or is she never going to use it?

Those pressed concrete drives are very slippery in the frost / wet etc, not that I’m hoping that she slips and gets her comeuppance of course …

But yeah say they are making it difficult/ hazardous for you to get on and off your drive.

Why wouldn't you say something ? 🤔

Every single time call over, 'Hi Katie, your car is blocking my drive and I can't get in could you move it please' if she says there is enough room tell her don't think there is and you're worried you will hit her car/ other house hold persons car

My neighbours few houses down had this issue a year or so back, they called police who said that nobody owns the road outside their home so there’s nothing they can do unless they are entirely blocking their access in which case contact operation crackdown & report it or get in touch with council which they did who told them the same except that if it wasn’t taxed or insured then they could get it towed after trying to find the owners otherwise tough luck basically. It is not illegal & certainly not something that the police should be bothered with but have a word & if they choose to continue to do it then unfortunately you just have to accept it. Don’t start anything petty in retaliation as what starts petty often ends badly