To want the car to move!

[honeyandbutterontoast]

Looking for honest opinions here because I’m aware this may make me seem like an AH.

I live in a road where the majority of houses don’t have drives. We park on the road. I knew that when I bought the house, it’s not permit parking but there is usually space for two small cars in front of my house. It has never been a problem in the time I’ve lived here, occasionally if there’s a local event I’ve had to park up the road for a few hours if I’ve been out, or for an evening.

Four weeks ago I came home from work to find a big car taking up both spaces outside. So I parked elsewhere. The car is still there.

Nobody has been to it, or moved it in that time and frankly I’m getting annoyed. I have to now park a long way from my house (else I’m in someone else’s space), which has been annoying with heavy bags of food shopping, or if I’m going out with the dog/DC. It’s meant if my mum has visited she’s also had to park elsewhere, again not ideal.

But what can I do? No point leaving a note as nobody has been to the car in that time (it’s right outside my window so I would see). None of the neighbours know who it belongs to either. It seems a stupid thing to get stressed about but I just want to be able to park outside my house!

And the council could legitimately tow it... If it got reported by an equally petty person.

Funny that I had someone as incredibly petty as you on my street once, that was until they got sick of repairing their tyres and paying to get the scratches out of there car ect.

Not as clever as you think you are, 🙄.

So criminal damage then to someone who hasn't done anything wrong. Riiiighhht what a lovely person you are!

Pretty sure the council would at most just contact the registered owner first who would confirm it wasn't abandoned. Otherwise anyone e.g. requiring a lengthy hospital stay or going on a big holiday would be pretty knackered.

It took our council over a year to shift a pair of derelict Luton vans with broken windows, no inflated tyres and moss growing all over them despite umpteen reports.

Stop whining. It is not your parking space. All those suggesting calling the council are out of their minds. The car is taxed and MOTd. It can sit there until otherwise and it’s none of anybodies business.

Buy a house with a drive then you won’t have this problem.

I once had a neighbour who, while lovely for the most part, was incredibly petty about parking.

She had a driive that could take 2 cars. She lived alone and had one car on it. We were having some work done on our driveway so for a few days I needed to park elsewhere. I put my car opposite her house, on the other side of the road, where there aren't any houses just a hedge.

Within 24 hours She came round to ask if we knew whose car is was (she knew perfectly well it was mine) as she thought it might be abandoned and was going to ring the council about it.

The OP is being totally Unreasonable

So annoying OP. I’d ask around a bit more then report as it may be stolen.

Wrong

What a sad way to approach life.

Just park outside next doors house. You wouldn't be parking in "their space" any more than this car is parked in "your space".

I've spent most of the last 30 years living in houses without drives, and it's always a free for all. Sometimes you get the spot outside your house, sometimes you get the one outside next door, and sometimes you end up 3 streets away.

Stop being a martyr and park as close to your house as you can.

But they're entitled to park there.

A car was dumped for several months outside my old place, council weren't bothered nor were the police until someone smashed the windows in on it. Then it took several days for it to be shifted.

Thanks for that. But when you buy a house with parking on the road you kind of expect to be able to do that.

Not in the places I've lived! Crazy time parking in some areas!

You purchased a house. The road is outside your house. It's not yours.
It's also not inconsiderate at all. It's a public road

Well I posted a link to a council site detailing their approach, but the overwhelming elegance of you writing "wrong" has won me over.

Shit like this is why I absolutely loathed working as a neighbourhood beat officer.

Yes it's less convenient for you if there's a car parked legally on the street. No, you don't buy a house with the expectation you'll park outside - if you don't own the land, you're expectations are unreasonable.

Unless you're prepared to sell up to buy a house with off street parking, that's the end of it.

maybe someone is visiting a relative? OP, it is a public road.

Just because there is space to park outside the house you bought doesn’t mean anything.

You don’t own the road and anyone is free to park there.

If you wanted a space outside your house then you should have bought a house with a drive.

Or just claim public road as your own.
#entitled

There are some really petty twats on this thread, watch it your car might be next....

Thank you for the suggestion of contacting the council. I hadn’t even thought of that.

Turns out there is a whole section on it and you can report a car after 2 weeks. So I’ve done that. Had to take a photo of it to send and I can see it has obviously been in a minor accident so maybe why it’s been left there.

I can write a five page essay on the subject if you like. The fact is you are incorrect. As long as the vehicle is parked within the restrictions of the road, had valid tax, insurance and MOT and has not been abandoned or stolen it cannot be removed.

And I won’t be parking in front of someone else’s house. Whether it’s a public highway or not! There are elderly people along this road who have carers in, families with young children. Everyone is nice and polite about the parking and keeping to their space/s. I’ve lived in places with street parking before as well and it was never an issue there either.