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?

Lipstick and write "I park like a twat" on her windscreen in big letters, but high enough that it does not obstruct her eyeline. It'll be a pain in the arse to get off but you won't have done anything dangerous.

If she does it again you then write it on all of her windows, again being careful not to obstruct her view. Repeat until she gets the message, or upgrade to using Pritt Stick to stick "Don't park here" notes to her windows.

For fun and information, I have learned due to the situation described (someone parked in our drive for 6 hours and we called the police) - it is perfectly legal for ANYONE to park in YOUR driveway unless it is specifically sign posted with rules and the penalty for disobeying the sign. 😡

I would certainly use 'fix my street' as mentioned above as my experience is the council always replies to these messages. Again do it each and every time. I would also send an email to my Councillor as again they rattle the councils cage. If you have definite times that the issue happens contact the community police as its their job to keep harmony between neighbours. Again we have used them and they contacted us quickly. I dont know why people have to be so obnoxious. Its usually the ones that wouldnt accept anything themselves but dont see the problem if its something they have done. I feel enraged for you.

The problem with that is that there will be a never-ending stream of different tourists, like flies at a picnic: get rid of one, but there are 100 more waiting around the corner.

@Whatdoyouthink65 If you are at home when the person arrives, can't you grab her before she goes into the house?

If you car is in the drive then I'm assuming you are at home?

If it bothers you this much surely you can sit in your lounge or wherever and nab her when she arrives?

You say she comes several times a day- so surely you can speak to her?

If you have spoken to her I'd be muttering things like 'trespass' if she's on your driveway - or is she on the road blocking your drive?

When she tells you to call an ambulance if you can't get off your driveway - which is a terrible abuse of precious NHS resources as, if the emergency wasn't appropriate for you to drive there in your own car, you would be calling an ambulance anyway - does she realise that ambulances still have to drive along and park on the same roads that everybody else does?

Not that I'm wishing a fire on you at all, but a fire engine needing emergency access would be better than an ambulance. Those things are massive and extremely solid; if a car is illegally and/or dangerously parked where they urgently need to be and they can't get it moved, they just ram it out of the way and leave it a write-off.

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).

This happens several times a day but you've only knocked twice?

You need to woman up!

I think when she parks across your drive would be a really great time to pressure wash your drive, and spray mud all over her car. “Ever so sorry, I tried to knock on but you didn’t answer! If you weren’t blocking my driveway…”

Trespass on someone's property?

Problem with trespass is that it is a civil, not a criminal offence. You have to sue in the civil court, and if there is no actual property damage it can cost more than it's worth.

I'm sure she's doing a kind job in caring for her MIL, but she seems to have got it into her head that doing so makes her into an untouchable saint and gives her automatically far more right to be there than anybody else.

People wouldn't mind as a one-off, but the regularity and length of time she's there, she can't just claim 'carer's rights' and ignore everybody else. It's not even like she's got to dash in and out in 10 minutes before speeding off to her next client, like she would if she were a professional.

I’d be going full fishwife over this.

It's likely just one of those things that simply cannot be legislated for, as it requires context and common sense.

There's probably no law against bringing the family along with a blanket and hamper and having a picnic on a random stranger's front garden, but all but the worst CFs would know that you just don't do that. However, if you made it illegal for somebody to enter your property at all, where does that leave the postie, other delivery people, legitimate (but unexpected) visitors and leaflet-droppers who, although slightly annoying, don't really bother most people much if they're only there for 10 seconds.

This is what I stated above and is correct

I haven’t read all 7 previous pages and also don’t know whether you have a dropped kerb but you should read this https://www.thewindscreenco.co.uk/help-advice/is-it-an-offence-to-block-a-driveway/#:~:text=If%20someone%20parks%20on%20your,are%20unlikely%20to%20get%20involved.

Lip stick - really cheap ones really smear and difficult to get off!

Just write STOP -

Go out and video the car before and after to show no other damage.

I sympathize OP - I bought a house which had belonged to a very old couple who did not drive much towards the end of their lives. Neighbours got into the habit of parking across my drive and although it has now going on 2 years I still have times when I have to ask their family members not to block my drive. I had a lively debate with one sides father about why I did not want to 'just knock on the door for me to move it when you want to go out'. People get into habits and just dont seem to ever think about it again.

I'd get a portable loudspeaker and announce to the entire street, "Can the arsehole presently in number 5 with car registration number xxxxxxxxx who has blocked my car in please move it or I'm calling the police".

According to police, its not trespass unless you have told them they are not allowed to be there, so you have to catch them in the act of parking AND tell them they are not allowed to be there - in our case we came home to find the situation described.

It's illegal to park on a drop kerb.

Inform your local Council, tell them what you said here, besides she's potentially putting you and your young kids in danger of oncoming traffic.

Take pictures including number plate as evidence.

Sit on the car and wait for her to come out. Bring a book to read. Make sure you have muddy boots on.

I did this. Was very surprised the call handler checked DVLA record, got a phone number for car owner and told them to move it. He did tell me they can make them move if you are blocked in but not if you're blocked out.

It's totally unacceptable to park outside someone else's house over a dropped kerb. I would report this to the police too if it was outside my house.
In some parts of England it's illegal anyway.

It’s illegal to park blocking someone from exiting their drive onto the highway ( but not getting onto their drive).

The other day someone parked totally blocking my neighbours two car wide driveway. They could not get either car off their drive and didn’t know who it belonged to to ask them to move it so they could get to a meeting.

They called the non emergency police who towed the car away and the lady had to pay both a fine for obstructing the highway ( or something like that) and the fine to get her car released.

cheers

I've looked it up and your useless coucil does not do what our london borough does, eg, you can nominate your drive as a no parking zone and if the parking officer sees car parked there they ticket it - they will also come if free to any reports of blocked or partially blocked drivers - sadly, your coucil does not do that its a police mater

from your worthless council
Are the Police still involved with parking issues?Yes the police will retain responsibility for parking enforcement issues (points on your licence) including parking on pelican and zebra crossings, obstruction of the highway and school keep-clears.
If someone has parked and they are not on a waiting restriction but are obstructing a footpath, highway or access to your property only the police can deal with this as they may be able to issue a Fixed Penalty.

https://www.tameside.gov.uk/parking/faqs#2