Neighbour complaining about my parking

[nightmareparking]

Diagram attached, it’s shit sorry!

I moved into my flat in October. It’s a block of flats. There is off street parking available, but it’s not allocated to anyone and is on a first come first served basis. Some families have several cars and others, like myself, only have the 1.

Shortly after moving in, I encountered difficulties with parking. I usually finish work later, and by the time I get home, most of the spaces are taken. I began parking on the street adjacent to the flats, but it got damaged in February (likely by a group of kids as other drivers in the village have experienced similar issues). Subsequently, I resumed parking outside the flats again.

Occasionally, I find myself parking on the corner (highlighted) when there are no other spaces available. I understand that reversing past can be challenging for some people, but with careful and slow driving, it is possible. I have done it myself. When I returned home on Sunday, the son of my neighbour approached me and asked if I could avoid parking on the corner because his elderly dad has difficulty reversing past. I apologised and explained that I typically park there because there are often no other spaces available when I get home. I also mentioned that I can no longer park on the street because my car was damaged the last time. He agreed and asked if I could avoid parking there when possible.

I returned home this evening and he approached me again voicing his complaints. I proposed that his dad could park on the corner if that worked better, and I could take his spot (highlighted) at the front. But it seems he wants / needs to park closer to his flat. I’m feeling a bit lost about what to do and he refuses to talk to the other neighbours, even though they have several cars. It feels like I’m being pressured to park on the street. I’m 26 and he’s in his 40s (I know him a little through a friend), which makes me feel a bit intimidated.

Should I just go ahead and park on the street, even if it risks my car getting damaged again? AIBU to park on the corner if there are no other spaces available?

@WheresYourSnickers it is an odd set up, I agree. These are not purpose built flats. They were initially 3 story houses. With fewer residents at the time, it is likely that parking was not a significant concern back then. It is now a block of 10 flats.

Yes the ambulance had to reverse out.

Could you parallel park on the corner which might give a bit more room to reverse out?

Can I just point out that an ambulance having to reverse slowly could cost precious minutes in an emergency

The drawing shows all the cars 'car-park parked' (like in a supermarket) but your photo (and commentary) suggests the cars are parallel parked (parallel to the kerb). Which one is it?

@Createausernameplease they would still have to reverse slowly because of all the other parked cars next to them though so I’m not entirely sure what the solution is.

Is there scope for widening the parking area?

@Newlittlerescue like this. You can only park on one side. People then reverse past / drive out onto the road adjacent to the flats.

If he approaches you again tell him firmly that you will park where you damned well like and if his father is finding it hard to drive then perhaps it’s time for him to give up driving! If you are parked legally there is bugger all he can do.
your problem is in by trying to be accommodating he now thinks he can bully you. Don’t let him!

It really isn't your problem if other people haven't learned the art of reversing. I would stick to your guns and tell your neighbour that you have every right to park near your flat. Maybe the neighbour's son could discuss this with the other flat owners - who seem to be using more than their fair share of parking places. He is targeting you because you are young. Is this man even a resident there? I would turn the tables on him and accuse him of harassment.

It's a low kerb so I suspect a large fire engine would just drive partly over the grass if it were needed.

As the set up has changed over the years (from houses to flats, hence more cars) maybe you and your neighbours could petition the council to create a cut through at the other end of the grass section, so you drive in one end and exit the other? They probably wouldn't want to allocate the funds, but if you explained about all the reversing, and state it's a safety hazard, they might consider. The worst they'll say is no.

My guess is that the elderly man was reversing past your neighbours cars and turning his car in your space to drive out onto the road. Or he can't see your car clearly and is afraid he will damage it.

Some elderly people can find it difficult to turn their head or body fully to get a good view when reversing out on to the road.

The man may be avoiding driving now and has asked his son to speak to you. They aren't trying to put you out, he just can't drive past your car.

The solution should be each flat gets one space but as you're last to return, you will always find your space used. It's an unfortunate situation, could you offer to help him drive the car onto the main road if he can't get past when you're there? It's a hassle but means you can still park there and it might resolve your feelings of being intimidating or is there a particular day he needs you not to park there and you would only be risking your car one day a week.

I bet the neighbour has a CF parking thread about you op! 😂

@Bloompetal probably 🤦‍♀️😂

@Acheyelbows yes I don’t mind helping him if I can. I do park elsewhere if there are other spaces available, but then usually somebody else takes my spot so it doesn’t make much of a difference really.

I also suggested that he could park on the corner if that worked better, and I could take his spot up front but he declined.

Looks fine. Tell him that if his father cannot safely drive then he shouldn't be driving. You are right that he could ask any of the other neighbours with more than 1 car to park elsewhere.

I always take OP’s diagrams with a pinch of salt

Hardly like to be objective is it!

He can reverse into his preferred spot or take any of the other easier spots. He's taken the most difficult position.

Can you park sideways instead of forward to give more space?

But yeah you're fine there.

His dad just needs to use his mirrors 🤷🏻‍♀️

Seems to me that you are just parking on the end of a line of cars but it happens to be where the road starts to bend. I can’t see how you being there makes it any more difficult to drive or reverse past.

you're parking nose-in to the kerb? can you park parallel to the kerb to leave more space at the corner?

TBH my instinct is to say you can't park there because it's almost a corner, but if only one person is having issues, i might think that he needs to reconsider driving at all.

Tricky.

What amazes me is the fact that so many driver just can't reverse into a parking space!!! Isn't that actually part of the driving test?

While I agree that drivers should be able to reverse into a parking space, it wasn’t part of the driving test when I took mine (although obviously I can do it!) - don’t know when it was added, but there will be an awful lot of drivers who were never tested on their ability to reverse park. I think my father may have actually taught me how to do it after I’d passed my test.

So you are parking parallel to the kerb, on a bend in the road?
So you must be taking up more of the carriageway than parallel parking on a straight section.
And people have to reverse passed you going round the bend?

I can see why that could cause problems.

Is this parking area actually part of the public highway?
Any chance of a Google satellite view - I don't think either the photo or you sketch are giving a true picture of the situation.

If an ambulance can get past then it is big enough for a car to get past.
There are no yellow lines there on the photo, so it's legal.

If he speaks to you again please ask him if he has also spoken to the people who park there when you don't. Ideally use their names, or "the man at #2" and have photos. That will show both of you whether he's trying it on because you're only a woman. That would be end of for me.

As others have said, you are clearly wanting to be helpful and keep the peace, but if his father can't drive safely any more he needs to stop driving.

You are actually asking the OP for their address!
Are you a journalist or do you just need more coffee before you post?

Don't be ridiculous. You can easily edit a screenshot of google maps to remove anything identifying.
There are hundreds of thousands of roads in the UK - I don't think anyone is likely to recognise it.