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.

All other residents only have one car, however as I said in my original post, if another car showed up, I’m happy to park on adjacent street, it just seems futile when there is always space. There is even space now with EV son parking there. Angry neighbour was just angry I was breaking the agreement (which I never agreed to as didn’t attend the AGM)

Angry neighbour was just angry I was breaking the agreement (which I never agreed to as didn’t attend the AGM)

There you go then. Next time someone says anything tell them you didn't agree to any of this nonsense.

What the heck is the point of a one car per household rule when there's always plenty of space anyway ?* *

I expect she would have been outvoted if she had been at the AGM, as the only person adversely affected. Mob rule.

It's quite unusual that you are the only family with two cars
If not all residents have cars there should be plenty of space....unless

• the elderly neighbours are actually the only ones without a car?
• the road is so narrow you can only park on one side?
• the houses are very narrow old terraced cottages/very narrow modern townhouses?

The only way the leasehold commwould be able to have a say is if its a private road.....or when you say "land" you are not actually parking on the road but on some other land?

Each household has a parking space. This seems reasonable. Elderly neighbours are only likely to become more reliant on their son for transport and visiting surely?
Asking family and friends not to park on the road at all is unnecessary....as long as everyone only uses one space it doesn't matter who it is....sons, cleaners, district nurses, emergency plumbers.....I mean good luck if anyone decides to get any building work done!

i think the woman who lived here before us was a bit of a nightmare and had lots of friends parking on the road for weeks and when they went on holidays etc as it’s one of the few places in London with free parking.

had considered a dropped kerb but moving soon so just holding out for new house with driveway!

Narrow Forest Road, can only park on one side. Most residents are single or elderly as it’s converted maisonettes. We are the only family.

People are so weird about parking.

Does everybody follow the committee rules usually? Whether it is public or private it doesn't sound enforcable, but if you expect your neighbours to stick to other rules then I don't think it's fair to bend this one to suit yoursevles. Raise it at the next meeting and ask if you can use a non car owner's spot? It may not get you anywhere because you are breaking their 'rules'! Also be clear that you'll stop once there are extra cars. I do think it's a bit mingy and a double standard to bring up your elderly neighbour's son staying with them - he may be keeping an eye on them/helping them out - and they have put in a charger for him.

Of course you shouldn't be shouted and sworn at by anyone. Honestly, who cares as long as people park sensibly? He must not have much going on. However, out of interest, were you parked outside his house? That really gets some people's undies in a knot!

Edited because I have just spotted you are moving soon. Not really worth raising at next meeting if you are even there for it. Ask around to see if they anyone minds you using 'their' unused spot? If you ignore angry man, there may be reprisals.

Batshit rules, but as per the rules you are quite clearly both in the wrong, so is your neighbour with the charging port.

There’s plenty of places for EV owners to charge their cars in London. One fast charger on pretty much every road. Running a cable across a pavement to a spot that is not yours is a risky way to try and charge an EV

Dropped kerb would help sell house OP ...

Especially if potential buyers get wind of the weird bad tempered Great'er Good club.

But if he parks at his parents, he knows he's guaranteed to get a spot. The public charger could be in use or broken, plus surely he couldn't leave his car there overnight?

I mean, I'm playing devils' advocate as I think the entire situation is absolutely batshit from all sides, but I can kind of see why angry neighbour is more annoyed with you than with the elderly neighbours' son.

Thankyou. We’ve already sold. Just waiting on completion date. See ya old angry neighbour 👋

But he’s not guaranteed to get the spot outside their house. He will most likely get a spot on the road as there’s no issues with spaces, but someone else may park outside his parents house.

I appreciate your points, it’s good to see other sides as I’m biased due to just being told to fuck off whilst holding my toddler.

YABU because you're breaching the agreement to only park one vehicle. If you don't like the rule, make the effort to attend the next meeting and lobby for it to be changed. If people see others breaking the rules, they feel they have permission to break them too.

It wasn't great of him to tell you to fuck off but in fairness to him you baited him a little with the "call the police" remark. Quite clearly you weren't committing a crime, parking a car on a private road without the appropriate permission isn't something the police will care about. Might be in breach of your obligations as a leaseholder, but that isn't a crime.

I thought you said they blocked their space with bins so he could park/charge outside?

Nobody should be telling you to fuck off, though. People are ridiculous.

Yes they do thad, but someone could just move the bins. The point is, it’s not their space.

It’s very easy to find out - if the road is a public highway, the local council highways dept will be able to tell you. Just give them a ring rather than asking a neighbour who could be wrong.

Ultimately, you all can park wherever if the road is council owned, and if there's ample space for everyone, what is the drama? Sounds like you were pretty restrained with batshit neighbour, I might not have been so polite. If one neighbour is consistently breaking the "agreement" why should you abide by it? Especially in the face of "it's OK for them to do it but not for you". YANBU.

Assuming the AGM is legit and they have the power to pass such rules…

Not attending the AGM doesn’t give you the right to ignore the rules that were passed at the AGM. If the rules passed in your absence are particularly problematic and you didn’t know they were being ruled upon at the AGM, then you’re within your rights to request an extraordinary AGM to reconsider the matter. What you cannot do is just ignore the rules that have been passed.

Also, you can’t use someone else breaking the rules as an excuse for you breaking the rules. What the elderly couple and their son are doing is a totally separate matter and nothing to do with you. It’s one car per household, end of discussion. You are repeatedly violating that rule. Therefore YABU.

Thanks. I was thinking of a few choice words but with toddler in arms thought better it.

Is it one space per apartment whether they have a vehicle or not? That seems fair so everyone has a space for either themselves or their visitor.

Wasn’t excusing it, was questioning why I am being sworn and shouted at whilst others are breaking rules of the AGM and this seems to be fine in neighbours eyes.

i suppose my justification for parking two vehicles is that there is always plenty of space on the road, so no need to park anywhere else. However, as noted, if more cars suddenly arrived from non car owning residents, of course I would park on the road.

You are in the wrong for involving your elderly neighbour who is only using her allotted one space per household for her son. She may own her son’s car but that is non of your business anyway!

Leave her out of it.

You come across as very entitled and dislikable.

She doesn’t have an allocated space, she doesn’t have a car.

She may own the car her son is driving! Do you know for certain she doesn't?

Regardless deflecting and trying to justify your own disregard of the rules onto your elderly neighbor's is deplorable. They will need support as they age and if their son is providing this and needs to charge his car and they are only using one car space not two why do you feel it is justified to bring them into your petty little world.