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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Only CF don't park on their driveway?

34 replies

rubyjan · 20/10/2023 16:18

So neighbours next door recently dropped the kerb outside our houses and built themselves a driveway. They can fit 2-3 cars. They have 2. A small pick up truck and a car.

Doing this they removed 3 parking spaces that were used, and inconveniently the next available parking space on our side of the road is in front of my home where I've managed to park for years with no issues.

Each neighbour sort of parks outside their homes but before they dropped the kerb they would park outside theirs but there was extra space for other cars to. (Their drop kerb spans more than 3 curbs) because they wanted to ensure they could reverse out as people opposite park on the opposite road in front.

My aibu is, they never fucking use their drive. But they don't park on their dropped kerb either. They park opposite!!! So the residents who usually park there, now fight for my parking spot or the woman's next door to me.

Because of working hours, I've now found myself without a parking spot and I have to park round the block as if I manage to park outside mine if I dare leave, it be taken.

I actually want to shout at them for not using their drive! But my mum said I would be unreasonable as it's a public road.

Im council and they won't give me permission to turn my front garden into a drive either! And it's just a ball ache walking an extra 10 minutes to my house heavily pregnant with small children purely on the basis they don't use their drive they put in 4 months ago!!

Would I be unreasonable to actually have a word with them?

OP posts:
Longtimelurkerfinallyposts · 20/10/2023 16:20

ask them if you can park on their empty drive?

did they actually get permission to drop the kerb? were you or the other neighbours consulted first?

JustALittlePotatooo · 20/10/2023 16:22

I'm surprised they were allowed such a wide dropped kerb. I would start by trying to find out if it was done legally or if they just dropped it themselves 🙈 we aren't allowed a dropped kerb at all because it would result in the street losing out on a parking space 🙃 Never mind the fact we're the ones who park in the space in question...

Zingy123 · 20/10/2023 16:22

They could get a ticket parking over a dropped kerb. That's probably why they aren't doing it.

TheThingIsYeah · 20/10/2023 16:23

It's a bit of a pain when a road gets turned into a series of dropped kerbs as it implies no one can then utilise on-street parking.

But I looked this up years ago when our then neighbour was being a twat. I think you can park across a dropped kerb as long as there is no vehicle on the property, i.e you can block someone from getting ONTO their driveway from the road but you can't block someone getting OFF the driveway.

Not sure if this is true and would like to hear if anyone's had the balls to try it!

Blackbyrd · 20/10/2023 16:31

Don't speak to them at all, report your concern to the relevant Planning Authority. As PP said, there is no way they'd get permission for a triple width dropped kerb

Original poster
rubyjan · 20/10/2023 16:33

TheThingIsYeah · 20/10/2023 16:23

It's a bit of a pain when a road gets turned into a series of dropped kerbs as it implies no one can then utilise on-street parking.

But I looked this up years ago when our then neighbour was being a twat. I think you can park across a dropped kerb as long as there is no vehicle on the property, i.e you can block someone from getting ONTO their driveway from the road but you can't block someone getting OFF the driveway.

Not sure if this is true and would like to hear if anyone's had the balls to try it!

When I arrive home, if their drive is empty and they are all parked opposite.. I will test this out! L

I was all for them getting their driveway,

I totally get I don't own the road I front of my home and when residents have guests they generally park in my spot but it really bothers me that I can't park because they removed parking spots on road and then use others!!

OP posts:
BeingATwatItsABingThing · 20/10/2023 16:37

I would definitely want to know why they aren’t using the driveway they’ve paid for. 🤔

TheFlis · 20/10/2023 16:41

There is a guy on our street who has a driveway that easily fits 2 cars side by side. He has 2 cars but only ever parks one of them on his drive. Everyone hates him. It’s just so selfish when parking is limited (to to an unusual road layout, most of us aren’t allowed to have drives).

I bet they tell their insurance companies the cars are parked on a drive!

paintingvenice · 20/10/2023 16:41

Why wouldn’t you get permission from a dropped kerb but they would? I’d look into whether thru actually did it with permission- and see if they have set a precedent for you?

WiddlinDiddlin · 20/10/2023 16:45

OP won't get permission because she doesn't own the property.

This is infuriating OP. I'd park on their fucking drive tbh and see what they have to say to that!

TheThingIsYeah · 20/10/2023 16:46

@rubyjan I've had a Google and it seems you are liable for a PCN for parking over a driveway regardless of whether or not the vehicle is on the property.

Bit of a pain losing the on-street parking, I'm surprised councils go for it - maybe installing dropped kerbs and issuing PCNs is a nice little earner for them.

Shame as well that front gardens keep getting paved over and then roads flood and people scratch their heads as to why.

Fahbeep · 20/10/2023 16:53

Park on their drive? When they ask why you are parked there, tell them it's because you are pregnant, but because they won't park on it, you can't get parked near to your house on street. Make sure you park at an angle that fills as much space as possible. Keep doing it until they get the hint

filingpapers · 20/10/2023 17:05

The previous poster is correct.....it is not illegal to block someone out of their driveway, you mustn't block them on it though.

JezzJazz333 · 20/10/2023 17:05

We have a similar issue, we live in a highly populated housing estate, our house is at the top end of a long road, and we are finding that people that live in other nearby roads are parking in our road, making it difficult for us to park as well as our friends and family when they come to visit. We also live opposite a care home so we see staff coming and going 24/7. We know of 3 people who simply don't care, they don't think about us residents, they see a space and in they go. Neither of them live in our road and one of them has a massive driveway that could easily take 4 cars and is empty most of the time, but he still insists on parking in our road!!! One of them has been known to leave their car in our road for a week! Totally understand that they are legally allowed to park in our road, but it is so frustrating when they all have alternative parking spaces that they could use that is still very close to their home!

potatoheads · 20/10/2023 17:14

A) how did they get permission for a dropped kerb and you can't
B) how did they get permission for a triple wide dropped kerb?
C) why did they go to all the expense if they don't want to use it?

Wendysfriend · 20/10/2023 17:22

I'm not really understanding this, maybe I need a diagram.

Anyway am I right in thinking, your next door neighbour can fit 3 cars in their drive and they dropped 3 kerbs outside, leaving the road without 3 parking spaces as they now park across the road and not on their drive and not outside at the dropped kerb ?

You need to find out if they got permission, I'm assuming by dropping kerbs they removed walls too?

How come they have a drive and you don't ? Why do you need permission to drop a kerb ?

Sorry I'm just confused about it all

DaftyInTheMiddle · 20/10/2023 17:27

Out neighbours opposite did this. Drive wide enough for at least 4 cars but only 1 ever parks on it, their other car is always outside our house/next door, in a really inconvenient place so it means 2 spaces have become 1, then their transit is parked on the street too, plus a 2nd transit sometimes. They’re inconsiderate fuckers though, run a business from the house which means noise loading and unloading the vans at antisocial hours. The street would be lush if it wasn’t for them arseholes. What can you do though? They’re pricks and won’t stop being pricks because you ask them nicely.

SoRainbowRhythms · 20/10/2023 17:29

I hear you op! Next door but one never use their drive and park their massive car and van on the street. The council wouldn't give us a droped kerb so we're reliant on street parking (and have a tiny 1l car). We can end up a good 5 mins walk away which is annoying when you've been shopping!

combioven · 20/10/2023 17:33

Our neighbours have off road parking for 3 cars, but both park on the narrow road, even when they’re on holiday for 3 weeks. It shouldn’t annoy me as much as it does, but how hilarious they find it when you mention it winds me up even more 😅

Crumpleton · 20/10/2023 17:34

Blackbyrd · 20/10/2023 16:31

Don't speak to them at all, report your concern to the relevant Planning Authority. As PP said, there is no way they'd get permission for a triple width dropped kerb

Agree here...

Not sure what county you're in but where I live you have to have planning permission and it also has to be dropped by a local authority approved contractor.

doodleZ1 · 20/10/2023 17:39

I would report them to environmental health for running a business from home, ie a residential area and causing noise at anti social times. They need an industrial Unit. All complaints are anonymous and they wont be told it was you.

Showdogworkingdog · 20/10/2023 17:41

This happened to a friend. If he couldn’t park on the road because they’d parked there he’d just park on their (otherwise empty) driveway. Ultimate cf but he’s a big bloke and they didn’t say a word to him. They did start using their drive though. Selfish arseholes, hope you get it sorted.

happylittlesloth · 20/10/2023 17:43

Ask the council to see if it's compliant

2jacqi · 20/10/2023 17:47

well it is not an offence to park on someone's drive is it? the police will just tell them it is a civil matter

Loubelou14 · 20/10/2023 17:50

My neighbour always parks a car outside his house simply because he doesn't want someone else to park there. There are neighbours who are happy to park on the road rather than adapt their front drive so I think he wants to stop them.