Neighbour's visitors keeps parking on my driveway

[ricecakes90]

We have just moved into a new build about a month ago and all the neighbours moved in the same day through the HA.

The neighbour seems OK but ever time she has visitors they will park on my driveway.
It has happened a handful of times now, and our living room window is practically right next to the space and the visitors will look in which makes me feel very uncomfortable.

My partner thinks I am over reacting as he points out that there there are two spaces but that's not the point.

The neighbour doesn't even ask, one or twice but it's stating to become a regular thing whenever she has a visitor and I don't think it's right.

I don't want to fall out with her but it's really getting on my nerves, AIBU?

hmm sounds frustrating.
So do you have just one parking space and your neighbour also has one but they sit next to each other?
If you see their guests park in your space from your window does that mean you don’t currently have a car using the space?
Even if the spot is empty when they arrive it should be left free for you to use.
Are they clearly marked for each house?

Each property has two allocated parking spaces.
The driveways are clearly marked and the neighbour is aware of this and when OH had come back from work the first day the neighbours step dad had parked in the middle of the 2 spaces.

I don't mind the odd occasion but it's now starting to become everyday.

I don't have a car at the minute but I am not fast tracking this due to this.

OH has a car.

Typo meant to say fast tracking this as I am
fed up of the people looking in.
Earlier on today her visitor even waved at me when I looked to see who was parking right outside my window.

Oh this has come up before on mn.
Someone ended up using their parking space as a garden, couple of planters in your space and a bench.

Hear ye! Hear ye! A parking thread without a diagram has landed. This will not do.

Penguin bollards! Lockable parking space bollard.

Planters for a fast solution bollards for a permanent one

I think I'd just pop round and have a word with the neighbour, explain what exactly you find annoying, ie, them using one of your spaces without asking, and also the fact that by doing so, they are able to look directly into your house, which makes you feel very uncomfortable. I would also tell them that you plan on getting a second car shortly, so don't want people to get used to parking in YOUR spaces. If you feel you can't do it face to face, then pop a PLEASANT note through their door - keep a copy, in case things get difficult. Hopefully, by telling your neighbour CLEARLY what it is you want and DON'T want, it will resolve this problem before it becomes something bigger than it needs to be.

Store your bins on the drive to break the pattern?

Bins is an even better idea. They'll get the message.

What about that window film that looks like a mirror on the outside but you can see through it? Gives you more privacy in general.

Are you able to put a sign up by it saying “parking for number xx only”?

Get a friend to visit, block them in if you can without blocking the road then ply said friend with too much wine to drive home.

Absolutely not, OP shouldn’t have to sick on window film to stop people looking into her window because they are on her driveway.

My neighbour (attached) always parks diagonally on his drive and he pulls up so close to my window and stares in - it’s fucking weird and it’s horrible to feel uncomfortable in your own house.

OP either talk to your neighbour or if you don’t feel comfortable then just place whatever you can on the driveway - bins, flowerpots etc. it’s only temporary until you have a car.

I would ideally like to politely tell the neighbour that I don't like her visitors parking on my driveway but my OH is dead against this as he feels that if we ever need a favour we would of burnt our bridges.

The bins and planters is an excellent idea, our bins are in the back garden so I will just move them to the front tomorrow.

I don't want to cause any bad feeling but the looking in makes me extremely uncomfortable.

Sprinkle your driveway with tacks.

Not “absolutely not” at all. It’s one solution to something making OP feel “extremely uncomfortable”. Yes, she shouldn’t have to, but it is an option.

Yeah my first thought was penguin bollards too!

Hey, I wouldn’t worry about "causing bad feelings". It’s her visitors that are causing this. I’m not entirely sure why you don’t open your front door and tell them it’s your driveway and they’ll need to move the car. The bin and plant idea seems like effort, but if you’re trying to avoid confrontation, then perhaps it might be a good idea.

by the way, on the issue of confronting CF's and others - it gets easier the more you do it.

Couldnt disagree more.

The reason she feels uncomfortable, in her own home, is because other people are being arseholes. So the solution is to stop them being arseholes, not for her to hide away.

Ffs, just pop in and ask her to please tell her visitors to use her visitor’s bay instead of your driveway. I wouldn’t even discuss this with DH.

I'd be standing by the car as they parked.

"Why have you parked on my drive?"

Make sure your OH always parks on your parking space that is nearer to their property if you get my meaning. They would then surely be less likely to park on the one which means they can see that it is most definitely your space.

Just park your own car across both your two spaces.

I don’t agree with your oh and would pop round and ask the neighbour to ensure their guests are parked correctly. If you don’t want to seem mean spirited, explain you are in the process of buying a car so you want to ensure the space is available.

We didn’t do this with our first house and the neighbour’s mum systematically parked half on our space half on the neighbours second space so that we regularly only had one space. One day I came back and my space ie the second space wasn’t available so I decided rather than inconveniencing dh, who would be back very soon to just parked in the neighbour’s first space. The neighbour was pregnant and went ballistic. It didn’t happen again though and her dh painted white lines designating their 2 spaces. The irony.

I think both you and your OP have valid points of view.

Your OH is right that it’s best to be friends with your neighbours. But you feel uncomfortable when people are parking next to your window, even when being friendly (waving to you).

I suggest getting to know and chatting to your neighbour, then say you find it a bit weird when her mates park by your window and could they be sensitive about it. I wouldn’t be passive aggressive marking your territory with bins. Just chat with your neighbour and sort it out. They probably think you don’t mind. I’m sure they’ll understand you just want a bit more privacy as you settle into your new home. But aim to be friends.