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!

😂 Love it!

I’d be tempted to post a photo of the car on a local Facebook page, asking if anyone knows whose it is, because you’ve bumped it and you’ve been hoping to speak to the owner.

@honeyandbutterontoast

utter nonsense.
its a taxed and MOT car parked on the public road
it has as much right as you, outside your house or not.

if you want you own space by a house with drive.

jesus

Exactly, why be a martyr and park far away when
it is pouring down with rain and you have to do multiples trips to unload your Christmas shop??
Just park in the free space that is closest to your house - either the people living there only have one car and they will use the other space or they have two and they will in turn use a space from a neighbour. Everybody still ends up parked near their house, what is the issue?

Actually WhammyYammy is correct, nothing you can do it’s a public road! And you really expected to be able to park outside your house all the time? When I just had street parking, actually parking outside my house was a bonus! All you can do is contact the police in case it’s stolen!

Whilst agreeing with those who observe it is no-one's parking space, I would be concerned it has been dumped. Depending on age. Doubt the police would be interested, as you don't know who parked it there, so could not prove if moved there say by a disqualified driver.

You can do very little about it sorry @honeyandbutterontoast but I get how annoying and infuriating it must be. I have a driveway so don't tend to have this issue, but we do occasionally get inconsiderate muppets people parking in an awkward place, making it difficult for us to get in (or out) of our driveway...

Right now, a big black car is parked directly opposite a lady a few doors down from me, and it's been there 6 days, and not moved the whole time (similar situation to you,) and the lady I know is super pissed off because it's making it hard for her to get in and out of her driveway.

NO-ONE seems to know who the car belongs to. 6 full days it's been there. DEFINITELY no train station or airport nearby. OR bus stop. Nearest train station is 20 minutes drive, nearest bus is 3 miles away, and nearest airport is 25-30 miles away!

I agree with the posters saying take a photograph and post in on your local Facebook group.

The council won’t tow it away unless it’s causing an obstruction to emergency services or it’s not taxed and insured!

Whilst agreeing with those who observe it is no-one's parking space, I would be concerned it has been dumped.

Is a taxed, insured and MOTd car "dumped" ?

I don’t mean this nastily but no, if I bought a house with ‘parking on the road’ then I would immediately assume this meant a free for all. Whenever the words ‘parking on the road’ are used, I mentally add ‘(good fucking luck getting it)’. Had it with a previous rented house (terrace, never once managed to park outside!) and when we’ve rented cottages (each time something was in the spot right outside the property for the whole stay - a trailer, a broken down trike (big motorbike not the kids toy), a motor home that stank. Would piss me off too. Wouldn’t even consider buying a house with ‘parking on the road’. Should be more honest as say ‘no parking’.

This post comes from someone in a place of privilege!

Maybe homes with driveways are much more expensive than homes without driveways in the OP's area.

OP still has the right to be a bit annoyed. She is entitled!

It's lovely that you are all considerate of each other. I live in a similar situation, however it's a free for all. I wish they would permit it to stop the twats on the main road parking their 3 cars on our road. And the people that park here and go off to the train station to avoid paying for parking.

I live in a long street, all terraced houses and maybe 4 have garage/driveways out of nearly 200 houses. If I can park in our half of the street it's a bonus, everyone just parks wherever but obviously cars are moved most days so never an issue. I would never expect to park outside my house however if a car has been parked there for 4 weeks then clearly they have had loads of opportunity to move it.

We recently had a car parked outside next door for over 2 months, large SUV that was parked really badly also making it hard to park alongside. My neighbours left a note on it as they have 3 DC under 5 so it was crap they could never park outside their house ever but it didn't move. There was extensive damage to the drivers door inside so I was going to eventually report to council as an abandoned vehicle but they suddenly moved it. I was kind of disappointed that I didn't see them as I am nosey to see who it belonged to, I don't think it was someone in the street as the note was on there weeks.

Hopefully the council will contact them. Did you report it as abandoned?

Yes, but it's taking up two spaces and it has not been moved in four weeks. I think the police need to be contacted as it might be stolen etc.

If it hasn't moved for a month and neither you or your neighbours know whose it is then I think it's reasonable report it to police/council as potentially stolen/abandoned car.
But I would also stop being a martyr and park as close to your house as you can, no one owns the space outside their house, and tbh if the car starts to inconvenience others maybe word will spread and it will get moved?

If it's taking up "two spaces" that would imply that spaces are clearly marked. In which case a traffic warden will be along to sort it.

OP: you need to lobby your council to introduce parking permits, marked spaces, roadside signage and traffic wardens to come round and patrol it. Doesn't sound cheap though 👛👛👛

Until then, Mumsnet justice is all you can hope for.

No. For the past 30 years I have lived in terraced Victorian houses with parking on the road. I have never expected to be able to park outside my house, although it’s very exciting on the few occasions when I have been able to. It could well be someone parking up over the holidays but there’s nothing practical that you can do.

@honeyandbutterontoast

jeez you reported to the council
its doing nothing wrong
and people wonder why taxes are going up
if councils have to deal with things like this

please seek help for your attitudes or with your apparent dissatisfaction with your lot.

you have zero right to the place outside your house if the car is legal and parked legally

Actually, here the parking bay ends just short of our side pathway. I've seen parking violations given for bad parking in this space either over line or with a bad gap.

Indeed, but "abandoned" is the key word here which one or two pps seem determined to gloss over. On receipt of such a report the police (or the local authority) would conduct checks to establish ownership, if the car is road-legal, whether it's been stolen and if possible would contact the owner to understand why the car hasn't apparently moved in a month. Only these enquiries would establish if the car has been abandoned and therefore they have a duty to tow it, but neither local authorities or the police would tow away road-legal cars (with MOT, VED and valid insurance) that aren't causing an obstruction because they would have no duty to do so.
Of course it's perfectly sensible for OP to have reported this car to establish if it's been abandoned or stolen and if so, she will likely get the satisfaction of it being towed, but if it hasn't been abandoned or stolen she's going to have to live with it until the owner decides to move it.

it is not marked bays. Just the space outside the house so for most people it’s one medium/big car width (or 2 small).

I walk my dog at a park belonging to our council, which has its own car park. I regularly see abandoned cars there. I used to report them after 4 weeks (if they weren’t taxed and MOTd). However, our council are no longer interested.

The online form let me report it and attach a photo but then sent an automated response saying they wouldn’t do anything unless the vehicle had been burnt out.

This happened to me once, I emailed our neighbourhood police officer and asked if if was stolen/dumped. Miraculously it was gone in 24 hours!