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?

I want to see a diagram of the issue before commenting!

You mean land mines.

There is a huge gap between letting people park on your driveway and burning bridges with the neighbour.

you dont have to go nuclear and neither should you allow your neighbours parents or friends to park on your drive almost daily in case you need a one off favour at some point in the future.

id honestly nip this in the bud now. If there is a spot they park in more because it’s closer to your neighbour then an easy fix is for your partner to park there instead, leaving the empty space on the other side.

but I’d also keep an eye out and catch your neighbour on the front, just smile and say “oh lovely to see you, I’ve been meaning to drop by and ask you to let your visitors know not to park in spaces x and y as they are parking on my property”

then just smile again and don’t give any further explanation or apology. If they have the cheek to say anything about it being empty just reiterate that it’s your property and not a communal shared space. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting a car or not. And definitely don’t say anything about minding it occasionally.

Yes place bins as barrier! Great idea. Get shutter style blinds cafe style for privacy.

Park OH car in the middle of your two spaces and if they ask you can say about needing more space to get out and you own both spaces?

😂😂😂😂

I had a similar problem when we first moved in here and I finally got a car. Neighbours were used to us and the previous owner only having one car, also the house was empty for a year before we moved in and they had got thoughtless about staying in their own spaces. We politely pointed this out and the problem ended. We stayed on good terms with the neighbours and still do favours for each other including use of each other's parking when asked and its convenient. As you moved in at the same time this may not work. If you don't feel you can have a polite conversation, my suggestion would be to say to neighbours that you need your spaces kept clear when you aren't using them as you are signed up to a rent my space parking thing. You don't actually have to sign up to one of course.

People shouldn’t be parking on her drive! If they didn’t, there’d be no looking through the window!

OP, I wouldn’t write a note because sometimes they can aggravate things however nicely they’re written. You need to reclaim your space. Put bins or planters there to block the access.

Some people are thoughtless and inconsiderate. I had someone park in my space for hours (well, actually smack in the middle of my two spaces!) and when I bumped into them as they were getting in their car, I said something and they said that they didn’t realise it was my space. Now, at first I thought they were being disingenuous because it’s obvious to me (the spaces are numbered) but they genuinely hadn’t thought about this. They saw a space and parked in it. When I pointed out my house number, they said they thought these were just the numbers of the spaces and they were for anyone to use. This person wasn’t lying. They were actually a nice person but just a bit….can’t think of a polite word….just didn’t think or analyse the situation/spaces.

Someone in our close has tall narrow planters on wheels they can move around - not to stop other people parking in their drive, they paved over their entire front garden because they have several vehicles and when they’re not using the extra space for visitors, they wheel out the planters to make it look a bit less barren. What about something like that? At least you could use them to demarcate the boundary between drives, or you could get several and actually close the end of your drive off. A bit of a pain for you/your husband to move every time you get home but better than randoms parking outside your windows?

Just politely say, can you ask your visitors not to park on my driveway, no need for an argument or bad feeling.
I'm assuming it's all on plan as there's no diagram, can you plant or put planters between the drives?

Your partner is wrong and being big wet lettuce, you can't let your parking outside your window become a free for all. Give people an inch type situation.
Tell the neighbours to ask their visitors to stop parking on your drive.I bet they trot out some rubbish like, it's not being used, or it's only for 10 minutes. Not good enough it's for you and your visitors and they need to keep out.

Start charging? https://www.parkonmydrive.com/advertising.php

Mumsnetters don't have visitors. They don't like to answer the door.

😆😆😆

Have a word with your neighbour. Install a sign at your two parking lots. Install bollards at your space. Park your DHs car in the middle so it takes all space. (Do not) Damage cars parked in your driveway.

Tell her! Her having a polite word with her visitors is the favour you need!

To keep the peace I would be tempted to speak to her and say you've noticed that her visitors park on your driveway, you don't mind it occasionally but you are in the process of getting a car and when that happens the space won't be available. In the meantime if you have visitors you expect them to have priority to use your spare space. Blocking the space seems petty and would prevent anyone visiting you from parking. If people looking in bothers you I'd get shutters or blinds

I solved this problem by blocking up the door. Ok I have to leave the house by an attic window, cross the roof* and descend a ladder to the ground but it stopped people knocking on the door!

*tricky in icy weather 😂

@BreatheAndFocus
Agree with not knowing it's not allowed.
We stayed in a holiday cottage once and the parking space was in front of one of the the garage (of several)
The description wasn't clear and we got the wrong one- out comes permanent residence neighbours not happy as it was his spot (probably happened a lot.
We profusely apologised and was happy ti move ti the right spot - it really isn't obvious sometimes.

After 20 years! They've only just moved in!

Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and say they dont know how spaces are allocated. Go round and say you think there may be some confusion about parking and explain how the spaces work and from now on all parties need to stick to their own spaces.

If they get arsey then it's on them. They should not be parking on your land. If they say but you're not using it/you've only got 1 car you need to look confused and say that that's irrelevant because it's your property. Perhaps mention that you wouldn't park in their spaces?

Hopefully they will be ok about it. However if not you need to tell them every time and ask their visitors to move their car when they park there. Please don't get into an 'it's ok sometimes' as 'sometimes' will be 'whenever they like'. If it persists you need to block the space and/or block them in and record each occurrence then report them to the HA.

We have a similar problem and my neighbours are ridiculous about it - frankly who thinks they have the right to park in someone else's property?! I tell them to move every time and will block them in if the park on my drive.

OP I had the same in our road, neighbour has motorcaravan and two cars in their household. Had to speak to him as it was increasingly difficult for me to get my car out of my driveway. Less of a problem now but he is living in a different world as is the family.
When I challenged him about he had no idea what the issue was and informed him that I have to do a 3 point turn to leave my driveway!
We seem to have a problem in our street where numpties park on the opposite of the street making leaving your driveway impossible. What is even worse is the whole street can be clear of parked cars and they insist for reason in blocking peoples route for leaving their driveways.
In addition people park opposite t junctions which makes for different sorts of issues!
Sorry for the rant OP!

@ricecakes90 I don't get the point of spending unnecessary money on bollards ,planters, seats/ benches etc that you're not going you use " come on Bernard let's eat our cornflakes outside in the car park" or likely to get pinched.
Speak to them

why should the OP have to lose light and privacy because of numpty neighbours?

Is there some reason you can't address this with your neighbours?

I would definitely say something. If you leave them, they will get used to it and it will be very hard to stop them in future