Neighbour parking dispute

[Calismom]

We live on a road where all leaseholders are part of a committee who manage the land including the road out the front and make agreements regarding parking (not sure this is legal but I’m assured it is).

At the last committee meeting (which neither me or my partner were able to attend) it was agreed that all residents would park only one vehicle on the road to leave enough space for everyone. Fine. Also agreed no family/friends to park on this land. There is free parking on a road close by so not an issue.

Not all residents have vehicles, and we are the only family with two, meaning there is plenty of space for our two vehicles plus all the other residents vehicles. Have lived here 5 years, thus far no issues.

Recently, elderly neighbours with no cars, son has been staying the odd night, and they have had an electric charger installed so he can charge said vehicle when he stays. He is not a permanent resident. They have been saving his space with bins when they know he is coming, and recently several days prior to ensure space is there. Again not a problem per se, we can just park further along the road.

This afternoon, another very angry neighbour accosts me as I am getting out of my car telling them I can’t park there as we already have a vehicle on the road. I explained that there are plenty of spaces for residents and perhaps the issue is this non resident taking up a space to charge his car and the space being saved by bins. He told me that the man had more right to park there than I did and when I queried this he had no response.

I then told him that if he felt I was committing a crime then he should call the police. He then told me to fuck off.

question is- who is being unreasonable here? Me or angry neighbour?

I fully accept that we have two vehicles and if another resident purchased a car and there was no room then I would happily park around the corner, but at present there is plenty of space for residents.

Is the road private or has it been adopted by the council?

Those rules are absolutely batshit.

There's nothing wrong with you parking there, and nothing wrong with the neighbours allowing their son to park/charge there either. At a push, I guess the man's argument is that you have two cars there all the time, whereas when the neighbours' son visits, they still only have one car.

But it all seems a bit very silly.

There is free parking on a road close by so not an issue

other than for the residents of that road I presume.

Angry Neighbour is being a nutter

I'm slightly understanding about Electric Car Son as he would need to park in that spot to charge his car.

You're all completely mad.

Stupid rules, but you can't ignore them and bitch that others aren't happy about that.

Also, visitors are very normal - where do you ask people to park if they visit you?

I really don't miss parking disputes from when I was a Neighbourhood Officer. People lose their minds over it. Fucking stupid.

Not sure. Can’t find it on the borough maps so assuming private

On the road round the corner as I said

I explained that there are plenty of spaces for residents and perhaps the issue is this non resident taking up a space to charge his car and the space being saved by bins.

Why is it okay for you to break the rules (however batshit) but it's not okay for the neighbours' to do the same?

I don’t care about the son parking or charging car, but I do care about being accosted by a different angry neighbour about parking my car when a non resident is parking

But you're constantly taking up two spaces, whereas the neighbours are only (occasionally) taking up one. Do you not see the difference?

Do you all own the road or is this just something you've all agreed between yourselves that has no legal standing at all. Is it in your Lease, what does the freeholder say.

I see that two permanent residents are parking outside their property, whilst one family member comes and takes up a space, and then I get hassled about it from an angry neighbour. Why should a non resident take priority over a resident?

Down to interpretation- each house is allocated one space, the neighbour has chosen their visiting son uses it 🤷🏼

Two wrongs and all that - you could maybe have been approached better but your post does come across somewhat entitled. And you are assuming that just as you don’t see it as an issue nobody else does. Maybe attend the next meeting to put your opinion across ?

Because you all agreed that each resident would park one car on the road, not two. They're using their "one spot" for their son to charge his car occasionally.

I personally wouldn't consider the son of an elderly couple to be a "visitor" in the real sense of the word, though.

Who owns the road, the residents or the council

I believe it to be the council, however I am told there is some proviso in the lease agreement regarding parking

The OP says it was agreed "no family/friends to park on this land"

There only seems to be room in your road as most residents seem to be sticking to the decision that it's one car per household.

What would happen if they all went against that and returned home before you, would you be miffed that you had to park both of your cars on another road.

If you're against the neighbours son parking his vehicle on the road due to the outcome of the meeting decision that visitors are to park elsewhere that's something that needs taking up with the committee.

But you can hardly argue when you're not sticking to the same rules, crazy or otherwise.

She also says it was agreed that only one car per household should park there, yet she's willingly ignored that for five years.

So I don't think she can get annoyed that her elderly neighbours allow their son to charge his car their occasionally, tbh.

Sounds like its a private road and therefore the HOA can pass and enforce whatever rules it wants and the residents have to live with the vote. I'm in a similar HOA and they keep passing more ridiculous rules all the time to the point I may move just because of the ridiculousness of it all! They did eventually get around to passing enforcing rules - first offense warning, second a formal letter with instructions not to do it again or a fine will be levied, third offence £25.00 then £100, then £300, etc. as escalation for repeated offenses.

How can you have a spot if you don’t have a car?

whatever way you choose to describe electric car charging son, he is not a resident, he is a family member, where the agreement was that family members should park on the adjacent road.

I’m not annoyed. Happy for son to park there and charge his EV and have even moved my car to allow access. Annoyed at being yelled at to move my car when there was space for everyone, and that I was targeted and not neighbour car where there are agreements for both of us

Your solicitor, estate agent , freeholder and all the residents need to read the lease, if its council property you all need to check that there is an actual legal agreement.

Yep, and the agreement was also that you don't park both your cars on the road, yet you still do it.

The angry man is more annoyed with you because you've been breaking the "rules" everyday for years, whereas the neighbours only do it occasionally and only because their son can't park his car on a different road.

I wouldn't get worked up with the son of an elderly neighbour charging his car occasionally - especially as it's not possible for him to charge his car elsewhere. However, I would probably get annoyed with someone taking over two parking spaces every single day when they know they shouldn't - especially if it meant I couldn't park easily myself.

You were targeted because you do it every single day. They don't and also don't have anywhere else for their son to charge his car when he visits.

I think i'd ask for another meeting.

Have you any front garden you could convert to a parking spot OP, and have a dropped kerb put in?

If there's a fairly good balance between numbers of cars and houses (some have none, some have one, you have two ect ect) why did all this start in the first place ?!