Just had a blazing row with a builder

[musicthroughthewall]

Not working for me, he keeps parking across my driveway. I’ve asked him again to move it and he said all I have to do is be polite and ask.l each time.

I responded with I was polite the first time and how about he just doesn’t do it. And wow did it escalate. He was screaming that he pays road tax and can park where he wants, I pointed out it’s a dropped curb so no he can’t.

Honestly. It got so much worse, he called me a fucking bitch. Now I feel vulnerable in my own home.

Aibu? I shouldn’t repeatedly have to ask someone to stop blocking my car. I’ve noticed he doesn’t block the driveway of the people he’s working for.

There is no use calling the police as it's not a criminal matter. You can run the reg for gits and shiggles but since you lost your temper, he's unlikely to cooperate now. Blocking him in isn't going to help either. The situation needs to be neutralised, not escalated.

It's illegal to "willfully obstruct the free passage of the highway", the builder is breaking the law if your car can't access the road because of them and ignore anyone that says to block them in, that's also illegal.

Nobody will do anything if you say someone was blocking you and has now moved. If they block you in again, then call for parking enforcement to come out.

This has happened to me numerous times, the friendly "don't worry just ask me to move it when you need to get in and out." Is not good enough and preys on the kind and vulnerable. Who wants the inconvenience to get in and out of their own driveway and what if there's an emergency, your relative is in the hospital and you just get there right now, you don't want to be messing about finding a builder. It's infuriating.

You need these 😀

Definitely talk to the neighbour he is working for. our old NDN had loads of people who would come to his house but park over our driveway and not his. Drove us mad. After we'd had to ask his people to move many times, he started running out and telling peopel to move when they arrived!

As a side bar, I will NEVER understand this. Happens with delivery people all the time. Delivering to my house? They park over the NDN drive. Delivering to NDN? Park over mine. WHY!?

I've had issues with neighbours parking over my driveway. Last time they did it I had had enough so I reported it online - your LA or police may have a similar thing - and the police came out and made them move it. It was about 3 am apparently. I was fast asleep by then. I made the report around 11pm before bed, expecting them to get ticketed or something in the morning. I actually felt a bit guilty when I found out what happened 😂

I any case, this builder sounds like a bloke who could do with a reality check.

Yeah but he’s moved it, so nothing they can do.

What did it look like when you lost your temper, you’ve only said what he was saying to you. Of course he shouldn’t park across your drive, but the blazing row sounds like it wasn’t one sided.

Could be worse- a builder parked ON our drive. And shouted at me when i complained. I was i PJ as my dc was ill with hfm and he was rude about the PJ. It wasnt like i intended on going out

Can't you park across your neighbour's drive and say you'll move it when the builder moves his van.

Take photos of the parking and report to the police that and his aggressive behaviour.

I might just park across my own driveway for now. At least I can come and go as I please.

I would and don’t interact further.

Yeah, builders...funny how the nice pleasant ones, especially when they come and give you the best initial estimates, turn into the nastiest, most unpleasant bastards when you have any kind of issue with them. Speaking from experience, here!

I find it exceptionally hard to believe that the police brought a tow truck or that the police came at all

Search your local council website for parking enforcement and give them a call. They may be interested in ticketing him.

He’s moved the van!

Why? I complained on the 101 live chat that someone had parked almost entirely on a pavement with a lampost right next to him meaning people had to walk on the road to get past. The police came out and told him to stop being such an inconsiderate prick. Or words to that effect. He had to move.

You could be me a year ago. Next door neighbours were having a massive renovation that lasted 9 months and they weren't living there. All sorts of builders coming and going, most of them tried to park over my driveway. I asked the first one to move, he said he would only if I "asked nicely". I let rip, I'm 60 years old, he was mid twenties.
He then proceeded to park so that his van was right on the edge of my drive so that I had to do a 3 point turn to get in and out of the drive. I told the project manager and things improved for a short while but then started again. The only solution was for me to park on the road slightly across my drive. Total pain but I did that till the build was finished.

Next time go out, camly tell him you are videotaping your encounter given the way things escalated last time, and you would like him to move it as he is blocking a dropped kerb. Women don't owe him nice.

If yu aren't comfortable then I'd straight up call 111 next time and say you feel unsafe challenging him directly based on past experience.

Then it might get damaged- not a good idea!

101 is for non urgent police matters. 111 is for non urgent health concerns.

Right…. but OP’s post says this is happening time and time again. So next time call parking enforcement.

Did you call to report the parking or to report the fact that he came onto your property and verbally abused you? As it seems unlikely they’d ignore the latter.

I would definitely do this while he is doing building work at your neighbours

You can’t blame the US for being incorrect. Don’t criticise other people if you can’t get things correct yourself!