To think neighbour is an absolute c**t!

[CanNeverThinkOfAName]

Massive row with new neighbours last night which had other neighbours coming outside due the shouting. Totally mortifying and want opinions on whether neighbour is the c**t we think he is!

Moved into property a few months ago with a drive with space for 3 cars back to back at the side round the corner. We enter house through back door as that's where drive is. We have a works van and other cars that park opposite our drive and it can be pain to get out but only takes a few more seconds to manoeuvre. Not a big issue. and not something I'd complain about as it's not parked illegally.

Front door is near the bottom of a dead end road - pavement and road in front two car widths wide. Directly opposite front of house, both houses have drives big enough to fit two cars side by side. Have one car each so plenty of room on drive.

Lots of cars parked at top of road as many do not have drives so it's basically a one car width road due to parked cars. At the top of the road there are about 6 properties with one car drives with cars constantly parked opposite.

No one parks in front of our house and I wouldn't have an issue if they did.

We had 3 cars (including DDs's). DD occasionally parked in road at front of house if she come in late as DH leaves for work early so he'd have to move her car out first. Perfectly legal to park there and neighbours opposite have room (one road width) to get out of their drives.

Anyway DD has now moved in with boyfriend and hasn't been at home for a few weeks so has not parked at front for that period. Last night she popped round to pick up a few bits. Parked in front of house so she could come in front door and carry stuff out.

She'd been in house for literally 2 minutes and neighbour opposite front knocked and said she needed to move her car now. It was 10pm. We've never spoken a word to them before as we rarely use the front door.

DH basically said what's the problem, your drive is not blocked, she'll be going shortly, you're not even going out now are you? Neighbour said DH was being a prick and we had a 3 car drive so shouldn't be parking on the road ever. He's going to call the police.

DH did get rather angry at being called a prick and told neighbour to get off property and car would not be moved, he can call police etc. Neighbour then starts shouting that he's had enough, he's put up with it for ages (we've lived there 2 months!), who do we think we are etc. His wife comes out shouting, other opposite neighbours come out shouting that we're blocking emergency vehicles and rude etc, etc. We are certainly not blocking emergency vehicles, cars are parked all down the road and bin trucks get through fine!

DD is mortified and insists she'll move the car (bit annoyed at that) despite DH telling her not to. Neighbour says to her 'at least you're a decent one' which enrages both DH and I even more. DD is furious her Dad has been called a prick and shouts at neighbour that he's not decent either for swearing at her Dad.

Neighbour refuses to get out of front garden and keeps saying how horrible we are. Other neighbours have opened doors to listen by then so whole street will have heard. Had to slam door on him in the end.

He had his leg in a cast and was going on that he's had to come over to our house while in pain and didn't want to stand there any longer but he wouldn't leave as he wanted to continue the argument🤔

Neighbour now thinks he can tell us where to park and is the dogs bollocks probably thinking that told them!

Who was BU?

I've asked DD's boyfriend to park his battered transit van in front our house for the weekend - unreasonable?

On my road everyone has a drive and there is rarely on street parking. Opposite the row of houses is a park. If people are parking in the street mostly they park on the houses side not the park side. The road is quite narrow and occasionally people park opposite the houses and I can't get out my drive and there's not enough swing.
Can your opposite neighbours get off their drive ok?

I think all of your reactions was poor. I'd have parked on my own drive. I don't see how it's easier to load luggage etc from the front then the back, especially as the drive is at the back door.

The law is that you must park with your rear facing the headlights on oncoming cars... you cannot do that on a one lane 2 way road.

Take it up with the law and insurance not me, it will be you screwed (because insurance absoloutly wont cover you) if anyone crashes into you.

One of your family members parking on the road right opposite someone else's drive when you have more than enough room on your drive wouldn't bother some people, but you would probably be surprised at how many people would be absolutely furious about it because of how awkward it is to reverse out of a drive when there is a car parked opposite unnecessarily.

I wouldn't say I'm furious but I live on a road near a town centre that shoppers use for free parking so it's always busy. My neighbour opposite often parks his car across his own driveway (mainly because he's an inconsiderate dick) and it a real pain in the arse when trying to get off my driveway.

I think your neighbour over reacted but I can see why they would be frustrated if there's a long history, even if it's nothing to do with you. I don't see why you can't park your cars on/near your drive

Depends what you define as "total nonsense" I suppose.

Communities develop parking strategies to stop roads becoming impassable, which is bad news for basic and emergency services, as well as the residents themselves. I don't know whether this is the case here - but from what I see of the diagram plus the multiple neighbours responses it does look like it may be the case.

If you believe that is "total nonsense" then maybe fair enough. I suspect though if you do believe that then it's because you have never lived in an area where parking is challenging and people need to work together to both maximise the space and the access for the good of everyone.

@BlastedIce your offensive posting style (not just on this thread) indicates you might fit in well on a street where all the adults regularly come out and have slanging matches.

Your 1st point - I didn't say that bit was illegal. If you read my message again the 1st paragraph was generalised and an opening paragraph. The 2nd said she may be unreasonable for parking opposite the driveways.

The "possibly illegal" I mentioned does it not depend on road markings.

Often, minor roads don't have to markings but they would be treated the same in Road traffic law.

When it says you should not park within 32ft of a junction this means on any of the roads, including opposite the junction. But, you'll only get a ticket or get prosecuted if a traffic is warden or police officer sees that parked car and could be arsed to do the ticket, or, if there has been an accident at that junction where a parked vehicle may have obstructed a drivers view thereby contributing to the incident and the police have been called (meaning an appropriate person has seen the parked vehicle first hand).

Now, if OP actually OWNED the works van and it wasn't the neighbor's van parked across from HER drive; I'd say you have a point.

Since she doesn't and it IS the neighbor's van and NOT HERS; you have no point,

And yeah, the lack of people having any sense of reading comprehension has pissed me off too, tbh!

Yes, that is unreasonable and possibly illegal parking. You need to re-read the highway code!

Unreasonable as directly opposite 2 driveways.

Possibly illegal as you should not park opposite or within 32 feet (10m) of a junction.

You would be surprised, and shocked, at the amount of people killed or injured because someone has parked too close to a junction therefore causing an obstruction.

The word obstruction, when used in traffic law, does not just mean people cannot get past. It also means (the vehicle is) obstructing the sightline of drivers entering or exiting a junction.

I don't understand why people are misinterpreting my message:-

Yes, that is unreasonable, and possibly illegal parking. You need to re-read the highway code!

This (2nd paragraph) does not say it is illegal to park directly opposite a driveway. It says she was Unreasonable as directly opposite 2 driveways

This 3rd paragraph Possibly illegal as you should not park opposite or within 32 feet (10m) of a junction. This is where the "possibly illegal" part is covered. They are 2 separate items.

As for your council; they don't need telling. They have to use road markings and take guidance from the Government, not someone on mumsnet 😂. Regardless of that silly point, Road markings do not override the law and lack of road markings at junctions doesn't mean the road traffic act doesn't apply .

Just because your council may only use 5m of double yellow lines on some roads that doesn't imply that you can/should park less 10m from a junction.

Just because your council have marked parking bays opposite driveways doesn't mean it is always OK or always legal to park opposite driveway.

Common sense should also apply, as in if the road is very narrow you would be causing an obstruction opposite dropped kerbs; you should not obstruct dropped kerbs.

Urgh how council.

It's pretty clear to me too. Not sure why others cannot understand it. She makes it clear in the very first post, so even reading just that one should make it understandable.

Must be one of those common sense things.

Apologies @WhistPie for some reason the quote of mu original post has shown up on my response to you.

Good to see someone else knows the rules.

Its scary to see how many here don't know the basics of where you should not park!! (or know other basic rules of the road)

And you're making this point to me because...?

This reminds me of a time when I had an appointment and was so pleased to find a parking space that I didn't notice that it was a disabled space (for some reason the signage wasn't that obvious). I came out of the appointment to discover that every single one of my tyres had been slashed. That was when I noticed the disabled parking sign. I had to put it down to experience because I could sense the fury of the disabled person who slashed my tyres; imagined that they had to deal with this day in and day out when they obviously needed the space. Well, you live and you learn. I never did that again.

As they say on other sites - ESH (Everybody Sucks Here)

Neighbour is quite clearly a prize cunt who was spoiling for a fight. However, the diagram does make it look like your daughter could easily have used your driveway and was blocking more of the road than would have been appropriate. Given that so few houses in the area appear to have driveways and the neighbour had no idea she wasn't going to park there for long I can see why street parking is such an issue for people.

I think your cut & pasting hasn't worked properly as most of your reply is total gibberish.

Your neighbour certainly overreacted but considering that you’ve not lived there very long there could have been an extenuating back story which might have explained his emotion.
However, due to the fact that your family responded with knee jerk aggression in return this escalated into a shouting match which in turn led to the involvement of more of your neighbours. The fact that the other neighbours sided with your first neighbour suggests that the first neighbour did have some sort of a point.
Your family’s response means that you are likely to be ostracised on your street. Tensions are now high and if there are any further issues (even ones that hardly involve you) it’s likely you’ll be dragged down with it.
I would strongly advise going to your neighbour to diplomatically attempt to deescalate the situation. Understand his point of view and try and find a mutually agreeable solution going forwards. This applies even if he is being completely unreasonable because you have to find a way to rub along together living in close proximity. You never know, a calm conversation might end in him seeing your point of view. Regardless, I would absolutely very strongly advise you to not antagonise the entire neighbourhood by parking a van in the disputed area. How this pans out now is up to you.

Are you sure there’s not more to this story..?? If other neighbours are backing up the other neighbour it sounds to me like there’s more gone in here than you are saying? No one would rant about the car being parked there as a one off? We get blocked in by our neighbours visitors all the time.. but we wouldn’t go round shouting at him.. unless he was In The habit of being obnoxious?

What a nightmare for everyone. I'd be honest I'd be annoyed too. The cars are all parked on the left and your daughter parks on the right which would make it near impossible for cars using the road to see if any other cars are coming. If someone was turning would they be able to actually see if a cat is coming?

Also parking opposite someone's drive is annoying as they might need the full road to safely pull out or into the drive. Especially as we can't see how narrow your street is. Then the fact that cars are parked right by the corner makes it worse.

But saying this, I'm sure if he came and talked to you or your husband nicely instead of shouting like a 🔔end things would have went a lot better.

To me it sounds about even between you both.

YTA. You have a 3 car drive, compared to most of the other residents 1 or 2. But yet you still park a VAN and others cars on the street. Whilst it's legal to park where your parking, surely you can see how this would annoy your neighbors. The spaces on the road that your using, could be used by other neighbors or their guests. But they are unable to do so because your taking these spaces, even though your drive would accommodate a reasonable number of vehicles for one family. Your personal choices are impacting other people.
Your neighbor shouldn't have screamed on your doorstep at you, but this is obviously months of frustration at your entitled behavior.