Neighbours have decided that myself and NDN park some of our cars in another street to make it fairer for everyone. AIBU to ignore the request?

[SumoFarah]

I live on a street with unrestricted parking and few driveways. I know it might sound excessive but my family and NDN family have 7 cars between us. I can’t get a drive out in as the street is really narrow so I would need the space opposite to be empty in order to exit.

A neighbour on the street knocked on my and NDN to explain that our six cars take up too much space and means that:

1. neighbours who finish work late can never get a space so have to park on another street and walk
2. their weekend visitors can never get a space
3. on weekends they sometimes have to park in the middle of the road to unload their shopping and then go and find somewhere else to park

We we’re told that ‘they all’ think everyone should agree to use a maximum of 2 spaces to use as they wish and any further space needed should be used in the free car park about 1/2 mile away.

Also that the two teenagers (one mine, one NDN) don’t need cars as they are still in school so should have no need for cars anyway.

I get that parking spaces are at a premium, and can be frustrating when all the spaces are taken, but I don’t want myself or my dc to walk 1/2 mile in the dark (or the light, for that matter) just to placate the neighbours when there’s a space available. All our cars are pretty much used on a daily basis.

NDN told the messenger neighbour that it’s first-come-first-served. I do understand the annoyance but don’t agree with the suggestion because some houses only have one car and some houses don’t have a car, so should balance out in theory, but obviously doesn’t in practice.

Would I be unreasonable to ignore the ‘request’?

Suggestions welcomed.

I'd agree if it were one car enthusiast with half a dozen cars just for them; but many adults use their cars on a daily basis, regardless of whether they live in a house alone or with several other adults.

I think that's a very reasonable solution on your part, and your neighbours will appreciate it. I get that your teenagers don't like it, but it's part of teaching them to be socially responsible adults.

There was really no need for you to get such a kicking on this thread. You asked for advice, remained polite throughout, and took the advice you were offered. Very unusual for AIBU!

My house also has an excessive number of vehicles.

IMO that's my problem, so I squeeze them onto my property with one in the road outside the house. I sometimes have to move one to get out. When I'm expecting visitors I move it to a parking bay elsewhere. I consider it my duty not to inconvenience the neighbours.

If I had a neighbour like you I would make a point of putting a skip or a van outside my house to prevent you hogging it.

You're not breaking any laws but I can see why they might be annoyed.

So if the suggested 'allocation' is two cars per household - to include a number of households that only have one car but sometimes have visitors - surely that means that, with three cars, if you're going to be parking one of them half a mile away, you'll then be regularly leaving spaces right outside in your own street empty for non-existent visitors - especially if it's overnight?!

Otherwise, if every house has a visitor every day and night, they're not really visitors, are they - more like non-official residents!

I am absolutely staggered you’d spend that much money. Clearly the young adults are too young to have such expensive cars. A bus pass would have been better for everyone. And your neighbours. But especially the kids.

We’re in a public debate forum that’s sort of the point.

You technically aren’t doing anything wrong - but surely you can see this from your neighbours perspective? It must be so annoying for them to not even be able to park up and unload their shopping! I think you should park some of your cars further away as a compromise. I have neighbours who have 4 cars and don’t park a single one on their driveway (2 would fit) as they have put huge plant pots on there instead of- it means it’s a nightmare if anyone else on the street has visitors or tradies round as there’s no where else for anyone else to park so folk double park and block drives 🤷🏻‍♀️

Quite! And was I question I asked. Apparently the miffed neighbours have done the necessary logistics and accounted for such circumstances. The verdict being that parking harmony on our road will reign as long as no one ever takes up more than two spaces.

Does it also surprise you that households with lots of adults spend much more on food than households with one single adult living there alone?

Car insurance for young drivers is enormously expensive regardless of how fancy or expensive the car is.

I really feel sorry for young adults nowadays: not only can they not afford to move out and pay the huge costs to rent or buy their own homes, but they're also criticised for wanting/needing to start driving and owning their own cars as well.

Do we want our children to grow up and become independent adults or not?

👏

2 families have 6 cars beteen them on our road we dont say anything thery pay tax there isnt a free car park near and if they park on another road it will just effect them instead

cant stand the selfishness of people like u. 7 cars between 2 houses is absolutely ridiculous.

What the OP spends on car insurance is none of your business. None at all.

OP does not have 7 cars 🤦🏼‍♀️😆 Try again

OP has stated several times that she does NOT have a driveway

Hmmmm. I bet they'll want it both ways too: they 'need' a space leaving empty at all times for their occasional visitors, as though they were residents; but if ever they have a party, get-together or other event whereby they have multiple visitors' cars, that will also be magically OK for them to take lots of spaces as "they're only here for a short time".

YANBU I think you should carry on parking where you want.

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable.

If you were running a car business and parking cars or a delivery business and parking delivery vans then yes, you would be unreasonable. But if all the cars are being used then it’s first come first served. Just thinking along my road there are 2 HMOs, they are both 5 bedroom houses, 1 has about 6 spaces on the drive and the other has 2. But if each room is occupied by 2 working adults then they both might (reasonably) need cars and they won’t all fit, so some will have to park on the road. As long as they are legally parked and are taxed and have MOTs then it’s just first come first serve surely?

Also, I have a 5 bed house and a good sized drive but if all my children need to live here with their partners (house prices are extortionate here) then all our cars are not going to fit on the drive. So they will have to park on the road. If there’s no space then they would have to park 1 or 2 streets away and suck it up. But ultimately it would be first come first served! Luckily we are not quite there yet, so the drive is usually sufficient for now.

It’s honestly ok, as I’ve agreed with DC to have set days to use the free car park, which will be easier for us to make work.

Three days each for DC. I’ll use the car park on Saturdays (I vary rarely go out of a night) so DCs will park on street and not have to walk in dark if/when they go out and come home late on Saturday nights.

I do appreciate the helpful suggestions and I’m happy with this solution.

As someone who has a similar issue, we have 1car, neighbours have two/three and one person parks the car on the road when there is plenty of room on their drive I have every sympathy with your neighbours and none with you

i have had to park on the next street and walk home in the dark, so why shouldnt you/your family?

There is such a thing as being neighbourly, and 7cars between two families for street parking is a lot, neighbours are being inconvenienced , so why shouldn't you be?

When will your neighbours use the free car park then? I don’t see why it should only be your household that has to be inconvenienced!

My NDN and I have 7 vehicles between us.
one is mine…..
thankfully they are moving. It’s awful.
Anyway, OP you have found a good compromise, and now the other NDN has to do the same for the sake of peace and goodwill

quite a few of my neighbours have 3 or 4 cars per household. A large part of that is because their adult dc are still living at home.

Where I used to live there was permit parking. You were not allowed a permit if you had enough spaces on your drive to accommodate the vehicles in your household. But if there were 4 people with cars living in your house with a car each in their name then you would be allowed 2 permits. So as long as they were registered as living there they would be allowed a permit. It might only be a 3 bed house with 6 adults and no driveway but if all 6 adults had a car, then each would get a parking permit issued. Though just because you had a permit didn’t mean you would get a space. The council was perfectly happy to sell more permits than street parking availability!