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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:
BitOutOfPractice · 07/08/2023 10:43

Excellent diagram op.

do they could also park a few doors down in the alley, next to 5 and 6 that have no drives and not inconvenience anyone?

they are indeed, arseholes.

Cantrushart · 07/08/2023 11:01

The legal side of things can be quite complicated. DM had a similar setup which her DP didn't like because burglers were accessing properties from the back alleys then just driving straight through. When they looked at the deeds, it turned out that the two end properties had access rights from one end of the lane, and the rest of the street had access from the other end. Her DP then pissed off the neighbours by completely blocking the track to through traffic, but there was nothing that they could do to stop him.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 07/08/2023 11:40

You need to find out if youre actually allowed to drive down the lane. If it is for pedestrians only then your drive way isn't a drive way. This happened to one of my co-workers and when he started complaining to the council or whoever it was and they all got banned from driving there so could no longer access their 'drive way'

PuppyMonkey · 07/08/2023 12:17

Fantastic diagram. No idea what the solution is but what crappy neighbours.

Robyn847 · 07/08/2023 13:02

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?

Knock on each person's door with a cake, explain the issue and discuss sensibly over coffee and a slice of cake.

If they persist in being self centred arseholes put a marble in one hub cap.

If they still persist let all their tyres down.

If they still persist then expanding foam filler in their exhaust. See how they like it when they're late for work.

If they still persist then you'll have to DM me. I'm not going to reveal all my secrets for free!

LivelyBlake · 07/08/2023 15:45

What's the surface on the lane? tarmac?

Eglatina · 07/08/2023 20:24

Yeah, sounds like a quiet word with the green car people and ask them to park outside 5 or 6 would do it. CFs though. It's really rude of them. Do people at 5&6 have cars? Where do they park?

Eglatina · 07/08/2023 20:26

Either that or start parking outside number 9 😂

Original poster
ParkingTrouble123 · 07/08/2023 20:49

LivelyBlake · 07/08/2023 15:45

What's the surface on the lane? tarmac?

Gravel and mud... do you reckon that would make a difference?

OP posts:
knockyknees · 08/08/2023 00:19

I'd block in the repeat offender(s) and not answer the door to them. Do this for a week, and they might get the hint.

toomuchlaundry · 08/08/2023 00:38

Do you have any drains/manhole covers down the lane or in your back gardens?

WiddlinDiddlin · 08/08/2023 05:02

The side streets each end of the row - is that a 'mutually understood' no parking, or are there actual proper signs saying 'no parking'.

If its official no parking its a hint that there may well be vehicular access to the back lane servicing your properties, its no parking because it'd block that access (I have seen this exact set up in the past).

Other factor to consider - if its a shared ownership access lane, all the properties will be responsible for maintaining it. However those who do not drive on it may well baulk at doing so... your landlord may be unwilling to rock the boat in case they are asked to cough up for maintenance.

SD1978 · 08/08/2023 07:23

I'd ask green care to park beside blue car, as you are always being blocked in. It's not a solution at all- the laneway shouldn't be blocked if it's for access, and there may very well be something in the deeds about it being kept clear. Who maintains it? Residents or council? If they are going to park their regardless, coming up with a solution that means you can live there peacefully makes more sense to me than blocking them, causing the same issues, etc.

CrotchetyQuaver · 08/08/2023 10:14

That's knob behaviour from the neighbours. I'd speak to your landlord ideally directly rather than via agents and see what he wants you to do. This may be some kind of PA battle because they don't like having tenants next door

Sisterpita · 08/08/2023 11:21

@ParkingTrouble123 the surface may make a difference but the age of the original freehold granting the ROW may mean it either says ROW or ROW on foot. Cars may not have been common enough to be mentioned.

As I said in my previous post until you have the Filed Plan, Register and original Deeds from Land Registry you do not know your exact rights. Each of these cost £3, I’ve given you the link so for £10 you know what your/LL’s legal position is.

Nanny0gg · 08/08/2023 11:30

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...

Very unreasonable - there is no diagram and I can't picture it!

Elsiebear90 · 08/08/2023 11:32

I think you need to find out if the lane is for driving, it could just have been for bins and walking access to rear gardens, if it’s not for cars then you all shouldn’t be driving on it and using your back gardens as driveways.

I sympathise as I have a shared access road between my house and NDN, I posted a thread about it a while ago as NDN and their visitors frequently park on it and seem to view it an extension of their driveway (when we would occasionally park there they would kick up a fuss). As we all own I’ve decided to let it go as I don’t want dispute when coming to sell and luckily I have a driveway at the front of the house to park on.

Lifeinlists · 08/08/2023 11:33

Very unreasonable - there is no diagram and I can't picture it

Yes there is and it's a very good one. * *

Lifeinlists · 08/08/2023 11:36

Oh yes, sorry, wrong situation🙄

pikkumyy77 · 08/08/2023 11:38

In the US this back lane would be a fire lane and blocking it, which would block fire trucks, would be a very serious offense. Report it every time.

Neverseenbefore · 08/08/2023 18:53

Is anyone actually allowed to drive down the lane, never mind park?

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