Neighbours family blocking my drive.

[Whatdoyouthink65]

So I know this is a first world problem,
there’s much worse things happening but I can’t stop being annoyed non the less.

i live on a ‘ normal 1930 residential street. The house has a dropped kurb a in front of the garage side of the frontage, and we have a small driveway. I have an EV vehicle which lives on the drive ( when not being driven) so that
a) I can get the 2 under 3 year olds out/in easily and
b) it can charge when not being used. We have solar panels on the house and all the time they’re producing and the car is plugged in- it charges the car - essentially for free.

Our next door neighbour is elderly, and her daughter in law comes in a few times a day to care for her. If the space directly outside her house is taken by someone else she parks across my drive whether I am in or out.

usually there is a space outside my house ( not blocking the drop curb) as although literally anyone can use it, when my DH goes out to work it typically doesn’t get filled until evening when he may or may not be able to park there. We 10000% accept that on the on road parking it’s pot luck but I really really think I should be able to park on or get off my drive whenever I want.

i have asked them lots of times to stop doing it, but it falls on deaf ears. The final straw was that yesterday I was 35 minutes late picking DD up from nursery because I had to walk there unexpectedly after not being able to get my car off the drive… and today I’ve come
home with both kids and a full car of shopping and had to park about 800m away because she has parked half in the space outside the house and across the drop curb.

ive tried knocking on to ask them to move , but on both occasions they haven’t answered the door. They stay 90-120 mins per visit ( not a few minutes like just dropping off).

AIBU to be absolutely fuming?

I agree, a diagram is needed 😊
Would one of those pop up bollards help, or is she is blocking you in horizontally to your driveway?

I agree. I have often seen this too. Unfortunately my car is 2.227m wide and the widest point of the gap I would have is 0.9m between the front of her car and the dividing boundary wall. I have Multiple advanced driving qualifications, including EFAD, CERADL3, Police advanced driving, class 2 LGV etc, and am extremely aware of the width, size and manoeuvrability of each vehicle.

honestly levitation would be the only way in or out 😕

OP you're not fuming enough.

My finger would be on that bell CONSTANTLY until the cheeky cow opens the bloody door.

I'd try this first too. She can't park there if a car is already there.

We have a similar problem in summer from tourists, the council will come out and give a ticket. Doesn't solve the problem right there and then but she won't do it again! Call the councils parking team

So is she completely across and obviously blocking....or do you think she thinks you could get out?

Have you tried talking to your neighbour or putting a note through the door explaining all of this?

I know, i get that but i was just thinking if the person comes same time daily, just be petty and move your car there

This is a situation where I would bang on the door repeatedly until they answered and tell her to move off my fucking drive.

Being polite and calm clearly hasn’t worked.

Four flat tyres, job done. They won’t do it again 😆

Assuming OP is in the UK I don't think this is possible.

Criminal damage

Op- If you have police advanced driving, among others, do you have any friends in the police who could visit?

Please can we have a diagram

You need to start calling the police non emergency when she does it. Report it every time. Make a nuisance of yourself.

When she does it, just go round and hammer the door for the whole 90 minutes she is there. Maybe they’ll call the police on you and she’ll end up in trouble!

Alternatively get in your car, drive forward, then lean on the horn. Dont stop.

We managed to stop it with a note of the car, explaining it was not only antisocial but illegal and potentially dangerous if we couldn’t get out in an emergency.
I did put at the bottom though that if they did it again I’d write the message in lipstick across their side windows.

This

just stand there and press the bell repeatedly every 10 seconds until she answers the door

This. Every time ⬆️

It says in the OP she has spoken to them many times..

sorry about GIF. Can't delete.

There is a website called parkedlikeatwat post her picture up there... Shame her on local FB page.. Report to local council. Personally letting her tyres down and inconveniencing her is the route I would take.

She’s a weapons grade CF.

I’d put a letter through her door and pin one to the car every time, saying that parking across a dropped kerb is illegal and extremely dangerous, that you’re keeping a photographic record and that if this continues you’ll be referring them to the police, taking legal advice and looking to claim any expenses you incur (such as taxi fares, nursery late fees) from them via the small claims court. And that you reserve the right to have a private enforcement company tow the vehicle.

Yeah I would literally not stop ringing the doorbell, banging on the door. Knocking on the windows. Can you walk round to the back of the house from the front? Check if they're in the garden or the back of the house and can't hear you.

BTW letting tyres down in itself isn't a crime. Doing so to gain entry to the car to steal it or contents is.

Christ you have an admirable amount of patience and tolerance. I could be out there now leaning on their doorbell and banging on the door and I wouldn't be stopping until they came out.