Not to let neighbour use drive

[illsendansostotheworld]

Live in a road where parking is a pita. Not for me because l have a big driveway but l would not have bought a house in the road without one as it is near the town centre so a lot of people park here.

Neighbour has no parking and constantly asks if she can use my drive - aibu to say no? Don't really need all the space unless l have visitors which tends to just be at weekends but also don't want it to become a thing!

Double yellow lines at the end of the first three houses in street (including mine and nice neighbours) so we can’t block our own drives unfortunately. CFs have a bigger drive (end of terrace) and don’t have double yellows but they are massive CFs who like to take advantage of older neighbours.

Don’t start, because it WILL become a regular thing & then they will act all entitled when you try get them to stop

Absolutely not. Before long she’s guaranteed to start taking the piss and then you’ll have a problem. It could also cause issues if you decide to sell.

No and park in the middle/different positions however you like, it's your property.

Say no. What would happen if you needed a workman when she is parked on your driveway he could walk away from your job. 🤔

No. If parking is that important she needs to move and buy a house with private parking.

Perhaps you should rent your drive out on YourParkingSpace or similar that will it will be regularly occupied!

There are very effective ways of dealing with this. Typically, either raising bollards (or even raising penguin bollards** [do such things exist? I would definitely go for that]) or opening gates.

Automatic rising bollards are the home version of the ones that you see in certain streets that restrict access. They cost about £2,500 to install.

Automating an existing gate costs from around £600 upwards (Plus the cost of the gate if you don't already have one on your drive.

** The one about the penguin bollards. This was another thread (well, three threads) about neighbours parking on someone's drive.

The OP owned a bungalow on the Isle of Wight next to a large home that had been converted into flats. The LL of that property told one of his tenants that they could park on the OP's property.

OP was upset for good reason and the tenants turned abusive when told that they couldn't park on OP's property any more.

There was then a follow up about four months later. She had got her solicitor to check the deeds of both properties and it turned out that the next door LL didn't own the land where any of his other tenants were parking either.

That land was owned by another neighbour of their's who lived elsewhere and who was unaware that LL was a CF who was telling his tenants to park on the other neighbour's land.

The neighbour then offered to sell the land to the OP and she took up the offer, informed the LL and abusive tenants that they had to shift their cars and, while looking for bollards to prevent them from returning, came across some penguin bollards and got them as she felt 3yo DS would like them.

There were three threads:-

people parking in my owned car parking space

then:-

To buy this land and risk upsetting the tenants next door

and finally:

To start a new thread about bollards on the Isle of Wight

Just saying.

Neighbour should have bought a house with a big drive.

I’d be careful OP. People have a way of taking advantage. We have a parking space opposite our house and no longer have a car. So I noticed that various people were using it. Initially I didn’t mind, it’s permit parking on the street but if I knew whose car it was I didn’t mind as I could get them to move. All the neighbours get on. Then a few different people moved in and I realised my space had become the default spare space - parked on every single day, nobody asking me first - so I started leaving notes to say it was my space (spaces aren’t numbered) and that permission must be sought first.

so I’m answering the door to the Tesco delivery guy one evening. Trying to prevent a dog from going outside and then this guy walks up with my note asking if I own the space. I do. He says he thought he’d park there to be neighbourly to his neighbour and let that neighbour use his space for a skip, so clearly planning to use my space for weeks.

I said no, that it was my space. Tesco guy still standing there holding groceries. Guy proceeds to tell me that it’s a community that loads of people park in my space and that as far as he knows I don’t have a car. Like what?

I know most of the people in my space, have allowed it, irrelevant whether I own a car or not, the space is on my deeds. He repeats. I repeat and say I’ve lived here since 2008 and I know about the community feel etc but this didn’t suit me as I need the space for visitors etc. Tesco man amused. I get annoyed and then tell him in no uncertain terms to move his car right now and that whilst I was minded to consider something I’m not going to now. Can’t believe he argued with me whilst I was clearly busy with the Tesco man and a dog. The entitlement.

he strops off saying he doesn’t care for my tone.

sure, help yourself to my space whilst acting the big man to your neighbour and then argue with me about my car ownership status and community mindedness.

from that moment on I stopped everyone’s visitors/ trades/ randoms from parking. Had several arguments. Word had clearly got around our space was a free for all. I was vigilant and it’s finally stopped.

Give people an inch they really do take a mile. And tell their mates. Don’t do it unless you come to a very strict arrangement.

Im still happy to lend my space to neighbours who text me first but have realised being relaxed about it was a terrible strategy. People very quickly feel entitled

Absolutely not being unreasonable OP! You paid for that drive - you are under no obligation to let someone use it! It would deffo become a thing if you even let her do it once

Cant you put a gate or low fence on it to block it off completely. Presume you don't already have one.

Or make it into a garden area with plant pots, containerised flowers , shrubs and trees.
Lovely .No need for grass

See you on Gardeners World.

🚙📛🌲🌻🪴🌴🌳

😻

I don't drive. I have a driveway. I let my neighbour park on my driveway for years, but it started because they were parking on it while my house was empty, and when I first saw them doing so I was surprised (as they had pulled up with headlights on and I was looking out the window!) so just smiled and waved like "oh it's okay!".

They took that friendly gesture as a sign they could continue to park there and I was honestly fine with it, but... I wish I hadn't. I don't have a garden, and if I hadn't been so young and compliant and self conscious, I could have made use of the space.

Literally 6 years later, our bin collection changed from bags to wheelie bins and I politely asked them if they could park at the bottom of my drive instead of on it, and they are lovely neighbours so of course obliged. I've honestly been kicking myself as I really enjoy being able to walk up my nice clear little driveway, see into my window, and now I can actually make a little courtyard/garden area!

All this to say, OP it's not just about parking. It's your property and your space and if you elect to share it with somebody else, it could impact on you in ways you don't even realise affect you until they're gone. You really don't owe anybody else any type of use or agency over your home.

Once they start they take the piss. We let our neighbour let their friend park in our space once for a party and then they thought it meant every day going forward…!!!

Say you checked with your home insurance and they want to charge a small fortune to add this to cover you for liability.

Definitely refuse, you must stick to that, it can lead to all sorts of problems

Yeah, good for you that you’ve put it to bed.

Then she should move. This is not your problem.

Give an inch and she’ll take a yard!

Her car and then her mums car and then her friends car and she’ll be a complete nuisance. Just say a firm no.

A big no here. Apart from not having the freedom to use my drive as I wish I wouldn’t want to see someone else’s car sat there . It would end up being a permanent thing where you’ll be asking her if she minds moving it for your visitors !

Regardless of whether you bought a property with a drive or not, it is NOT your responsibility or obligation to provide her with parking.

People don't always appreciate generosity or kindness. I had just moved into a house waiting for a fence to be put up. My neighbour decided to put something in the space. Assumed incorrectly until the fence was ready.

While at work they started to sneakily try to take about a foot of land by building on it. Needless to say they got told where to go and the fence went up pronto!

The old saying is "give an inch, and they take a mile" which was true in my case!

Do not give in !!!

Absolutely no way. Sounds like she has poor boundaries as it is so agreeing to such a huge ask would become a huge pain in the ass very quickly. I should imagine her friends and family would then park there too, you’d find yourself blocked in. And what if either of your cars were to become scratched or damaged? No, just no.

DS doesn’t drive and told the neighbours they could use her drive occasionally, This became permanent and her visitors had nowhere to park. When they moved she put up a No Parking sign in case they had told the new neighbours about their arrangement. It’s ok on an ad hoc basis - if people have visitors once in a while - but not on a permanent basis.

Sign up with one of those companies who rent out your parking spaces in your drive on your behalf. Then tell your neighbour you need to keep it clear in case someone books it. She is, of course, welcome to pay to book it for herself.