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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours blocking shared alleyway - what can I do?

96 replies

ParkingTrouble123 · 05/08/2023 12:09

We live in the middle of a row of about 10 terraced houses.

Parking is a nightmare round here. The road is a busy main road so there is often nowhere to park out front. As a result, several of the houses in our row, including ours - have turned half of their back gardens into a driveway, accessible via a shared lane running along the backs of the houses, which opens out at both ends onto the side roads.

3 of our neighbours (2 on left and 1 on right), who have NOT put a driveway in their garden, frequently park in the lane, sometimes overnight. When one of them does it, it’s not a problem (well, it’s annoying as it means we have to reverse the whole way out, but we can get out). But a few of times a week we’ll be blocked in on both sides.
Most of time when we’re blocked in we don’t actually need to get out, so it’s only started to be an issue in the last month.

Most of the times we’ve been blocked when we’ve wanted to get out, ONE of the houses will answer the door and move their car, but there’ve been a few occasions where the first house we’ve knocked on hasn’t answered so we’ve had to go to the other one (adding 10 minutes to our journey). Then, last week, my husband needed to drive to work due to delays on the train line, and was knocking on both doors for 20 minutes (at half 6 in morning) until in the end he had no choice but to get the train to work because NEITHER of them answered the door!!!

At that point we left a note saying please don’t block us in, you’ve made us late for work, knocked on your door and no answer. For 4 days it seemed to have worked, until yesterday we awoke to find the lane blocked on both sides again!!!

Obviously we’re going to have to talk to them properly, but my question is, say one day we really need to get out and they’re blocking us and not answering the door, is there anything we can do ourselves (legally) to get it moved? Since it’s a private lane and not a public highway I believe the police wouldn’t get involved (I BELIEVE it is shared between all the houses but I’m not sure as we rent). Is there anyone else we could call? Or anything else we can do?

OP posts:
LivelyBlake · 05/08/2023 20:16

itsjustlikeyousaiditwouldbe · 05/08/2023 20:11

Is your 'driveway' an official drive, though? Surely they don't have to respect a driveway that is actually a back garden?

But they have to respect the right of way over the shared path, surely. (If there is one)

GoodChat · 05/08/2023 20:20

You know what this confusion calls for OP... diagram please!

Chappers001 · 05/08/2023 20:27

I'd block their access for a while and see how they enjoy it 😄

CaptainMyCaptain · 05/08/2023 20:30

itsjustlikeyousaiditwouldbe · 05/08/2023 20:12

Like, there are people round here who don't pay to have the kerb dropped and just drive onto their gardens to park. I wouldn't care about blocking them in since it's not a driveway anyway.

Show quote history

When I lived in a terrace like that there was no need for a dropped kerb as there was no pavement so no kerb. I can visualise the OP's situation exactly. There should be no parking for anyone on the lane. Where I lived there was a wider space where 3 terraces sort of came together and a few people parked there. We never had any trouble though because everyone was reasonable.

TrainspottingWelsh · 05/08/2023 20:32

If you’ve tried all the reasonable routes with no success, just play them at their own game. Block them in at a time which is convenient to you, but not to them.

Motomum23 · 05/08/2023 20:32

Contact your landlord and ask for clarity on the access firstly. Secondly talk to the neighbours face to face - you get much further with being reasonable.... do you have spare parking for example to offer to one of them to ensure you are never blocked (might not be possible but it doesnt hurt to offer solutions to their own parking issue).

caringcarer · 05/08/2023 21:03

Teacherteachernotapreacher · 05/08/2023 19:39

I could be wrong but it sounds like they’re just doing what you are - parking in the lane - but unfortunately due to where your houses are, you’re getting blocked in?
if so - surely it’s no one parks there or it’s unfair? Don’t know about legally but they’ll have the same rights as you I’d think unless land registry proves someone owns the land.

OP is not parking in the lane. She is parking in her back garden.

caringcarer · 05/08/2023 21:05

itsjustlikeyousaiditwouldbe · 05/08/2023 20:12

Like, there are people round here who don't pay to have the kerb dropped and just drive onto their gardens to park. I wouldn't care about blocking them in since it's not a driveway anyway.

Show quote history

If the council have given a home owner permission for having a dropped kerb you can't park in front of it.

girlfriend44 · 05/08/2023 21:06

crowsfeet57 · 05/08/2023 13:57

We have a problem with people parking across our drive. I have found through bitter experience that the only way to stop them is to tell ask them to move every single time they do it whether you are going out or not. Sometimes I drive round the block when they move, more often than not I just go back indoors. I gave up saying please or thank you many years ago because the nicer you are the more they will do it.

Ask the council to paint a white line an h box across your drive.

monpetitlapin · 05/08/2023 21:07

Oh I viewed a house with this exact setup earlier this week so I can picture it really clearly. These people are twats and you can't be the only person they're pissing off mightily. All the neighbours who need to get in/out and are blocked in should get together and have a word with the ones who are being dickheads. They probably are both assuming that the other lane is free and they need to be relieved of the burden of that misapprehension.

Original poster
ParkingTrouble123 · 05/08/2023 21:28

One of them actually could very easily park in their own garden right now without even having to make any modifications. Their Garden is already completely concreted over, and they don’t have a fence at the end, so literally all they’d need to do would be to move their table and chairs 5ft or so (for which they have plenty of space). So I have no sympathy for them. What’s more, the street parallel to us almost always has parking space, but is a bit further to walk and is no parking between 8 and 9 am weekdays, so if you park there you have to get up early around move your car before 8, which is annoying BUT we’ve had to do it several times when we’ve come home and found access to our garden blocked, so again, no sympathy as at that point it’s just laziness on their part.

Unfortunately, it’s just us who are being inconvenienced, as the three houses immediately to our left don’t have a drive in their garden.

it would be quite easy for me to block them in as I wfh whereas I know they all use their cars for work, so part of me is revelling in the thought of blocking them in and watching them sweat (like they did to DH the other day!!!) but on the other hand I don’t know how much it would help...

OP posts:
itsjustlikeyousaiditwouldbe · 05/08/2023 21:37

caringcarer · 05/08/2023 21:05

If the council have given a home owner permission for having a dropped kerb you can't park in front of it.

Show quote history

I'm talking about people who dont' have permission and don't have a dropped kerb,

Molehillminnie · 05/08/2023 21:50

The real point here is that the lane is for access. Presumably that also applies to emergency vehicles and so on. What happens if an ambulance or fire engine needs to get through? If you rented the house based on the fact it had a ‘drive’ then you need to take the lack of access up with your LL.

Original poster
ParkingTrouble123 · 06/08/2023 04:43

@Molehillminnie what would our landlord realistically be able to do though?

OP posts:
WiddlinDiddlin · 06/08/2023 04:58

I would find out if you actually have vehicular access to the back of your property in the first place - depending on when it was built and the deeds, that 'lane' may not be ok to drive (or of course, park!) on at all, it may be for foot/bins only.

It either belongs to one of the properties (unlikely if its open both ends), all of the properties or in fact, none of the properties (and therefore be an unadopted road or waste land).

If it does have vehicular access then its almost certainly not to be blocked - but it may depend on how much you and your landlord are willing to push the matter. I doubt there is much legal recourse as whilst your vehicle may be blocked in, you can leave the property yourself and getting a vehicle moved that is blocking you in can take days.

Clymene · 06/08/2023 04:59

I think I'd just park at the end of the lane. They know they're blocking you but they don't care.

Bozzicle · 06/08/2023 05:08

YABU for no diagram. Thems the rules.

FloofCloud · 06/08/2023 05:42

northernpixie · 05/08/2023 19:24

Could you ask them to park next to each other so you are not trapped between them? This would stop it escalating, best to start off with a solution, not a complaint and threats of legal action

Yes I'd do this too, at least they're blocking 1 end only and everyone can get out still, including them

Paq · 06/08/2023 06:26

Bozzicle · 06/08/2023 05:08

YABU for no diagram. Thems the rules.

Indeed. You know the rules OP.

Neighbours are being arseholes. I lived in a terrace with this exact set up and no one was cheeky enough to block the lane like this.

As a PP has said, it doesn't matter if OP has "permission" to park in her garden, these cars are blocking all access which they are presumably not allowed to do.

ParisP · 06/08/2023 06:42

I like the air horn at 6am. Then just keep going for half an hour solid through their doorway. It’s utterly selfish of them, particularly not moving.

HaveYouHeardOfARoadAtlas · 06/08/2023 06:50

Be a real shame if local kids vandalised that car!

TakenRoot · 06/08/2023 06:55

Unfortunately, it’s just us who are being inconvenienced, as the three houses immediately to our left don’t have a drive in their garden.

But surely once 2 cars are parked in the lane everyone else between those 2 is blocked in whether they have a drive or not?

user1492757084 · 06/08/2023 07:09

Communicate the law and your inconvenience via a written page on their windscreen every time you have to knock on their door.. Include other options for parking in the note.
Thank neighbours when you see them if they change their habits.

Communicate the road blockage to the local police and the local council as the cars create a danger should someone need to exit due to fire etc. Ask the council for the official legal use of the laneway written on council letterhead which you can include on the paper placed on the windscreens.

Original poster
ParkingTrouble123 · 06/08/2023 07:24

They are blocked from vehicular access to the rear of their property, yes, but since they don’t have a drive it doesn’t really bother them day-to-day. I have seen them use the lane for eg. Delivery of a new tumble dryer, but that’s quite a rare event.

OP posts:
MikeRafone · 06/08/2023 07:30

Park at the end of the lane, so no one can block you in. That way no one will be late for work. If it blocked cos one end you’ll be first up to go to work.

if it blocks the cars that usually do the blocking- they’ll soon knock to get you to move and you can explain about how you can’t get to work if you park in your garden