Parking on neighbours' empty drive

[Vinntet]

I hope not a TAAT, but DP's car is currently parked on our next door neighbours' driveway without their permission and I'm worried this might have us known as as being CFers!

We share almost an access drive which goes across the front of both our actual drives and we've had a skip delivered to ours this morning. I stupidly told them to put it on the side for easiest access to the backgarden, which is also where DP's electric car needs to be parked to be reach the charger which is on that side of the house!

It just won't reach from 'my' side of the drive, but will from the empty spot on NDN's drive, who we think have gone on holiday (not been around since Weds). We'd move onto the road when it's fully charged, or ask nicely if they come home, and DP sees no issue.

Is this fine or CF territory?

I genuinely wouldn't bat an eyelid if we got home and a neighbour was on our drive, but all of the neighbours get on well, and would understand there's a reason for it. We have often told neighbours when they have visitors to feel free to use our driveway as we have space for another car, so I suppose we may be in the minority.

If anything, I'd be quite happy a neighbour had parked on our drive if we were away, to make it look like somebody was home.

It's fine.

Unless they are due home tonight what's the issue?

You can move the car tomorrow.

You already half share access.

It wouldn’t bother me especially if you bought me an expensive bottle of wine to say thanks 😊

... I would probably do this, but I know all my neighbours really well, have contact details for all of them and we share a communal drive/parking area so quite often offer space for each other's visitors, announce that people can use our space from X to Y as we're away, etc.

If I didn't know a neighbour well enough to have their number I'm not sure I'd use their drive.

If it was my drive I wouldn’t give a toss.

But I'd definitely forgive you if there was a tin of biscuits in it for me

I don't think you're quite in cheeky fucker territory. If you were, you wouldn't be posting here and showing concern about it, but your husband might be one though.

The other posters are right though - just because someone's not there doesn't give you a right to use someone's property, although I appreciate there's nuance in that. It's not like you are having a barbacue in their garden. You made a mistake with the skip, so it's not like this is happening regularly, and I'm sure you'll learn for next time.

I couldn’t be that bothered by my neighbour doing this. Especially if you put a note on the windscreen so I understood why. Unless there’s really bad feeling between neighbours, I’d always be up for doing my neighbours a favour or a kindness.

As long as the person had put a note on the car with their number (and answered the phone if I rang) it really wouldn't bother me. I'd be momentarily irritated and then when I realised it was a temporary thing and a sensible reason I'd shrug and move on with my life.

It's nice to be nice, and no one is losing out here so as long as you move it if anyone wants it moving I couldn't get in a tizz about it.

I wouldn't be that bothered either because the OP clearly made a mistake and I assume won't be doing it again. However, it depends on the neighbourhood. Some unpleasant people are looking for someone to take advatange of, and if they see others using a particular house in this way, without consequences, that would mark them as soft and would encourage others to do the same if they felt like it.

I find it hard to understand how you can be nest door neighbours, part share a driveway and not have a number to text them on.

around here we all park on each other’s driveways when ppl are away to make the houses look occupied overnight.

it you actually knew your neighbours this would be a completely non issue.

If you don't know your NDN enough to have their mobile number in order to message them to check it is okay to park on their drive for a brief time then you are definately CF!!!

I would have no issue with my neighbours parking on my drive (if I had one) while I was away,

But I would be very pissed off to find it there when I got home.

It wouldn't bother me at all, as long as there was a note on the car or my front door, apologising and tellingme that they'll move it immediately.

I like having someone's car on my drive when I'm away. It makes it look like the house is occupied.
As I left to go on holiday last week, I slowed down, wound the window down and told the guy who's doing some building work for my next door neighbours that he was welcome to use my drive for the rest of the week. He was really surprised and appreciative of the offer, as he was having to squeeze into a tiny space and pull up on the kerb.

I'm sure they won't mind if you ask but if feels a bit much to park on there without doing so. If you want to carry on when the skip is there I would wait until you have bad that conversation !

That's what I think too, my neighbours know that if I'm away they can park on the drive, I really don't see a problem. These 'parking on my drive' threads always remind me of a few years ago, there was some event on at the Chapel 50m down the road and cars were parked everywhere. We were going out and told a couple of women they could park on our drive, it's wide enough for at least two cars, just leave space for us when we return. On return the car was parked almost sideways, no way could we get onto the drive!

Let's face it your husband doesn't have to park on your neighbour's drive to park his car he's just bone idle to drive to your local Tesco or wherever to charge his car. This is definitely CF territory.

Where I lived previously it was normal for neighbours to use drives if those who were away so the house looked occupied, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I assume of they come back you can move it straight away anyway.

How would those unpleasant people know I hadn’t given permission?

@blossomtoes If they start telling other people on the street what they're doing, then they would know.

My neighbour could host a family barbecue on my drive when I wasn't there for all I care. It's a bit of tarmac.

Exactly. I suppose if I had the family from hell next door, I'd mind very much. But since I've been lucky enough to have decent neighbours in my life so far, I wouldn't mind what they did, as long as I could park on my drive within a minute or two of arriving back from my holiday.

I really can't imagine how uptight you would have to be to get upset about your ndn parking on your drive for a few hours when you are away. I mean, ffs.

Exactly @Frabbits