How to stop neighbours parking over my drive and noise issues

[ButWhysTheRumGone]

I’ll preface this by saying I don’t drive so don’t have a car. However there are visitors and workmen who need to use my drive at times. We have a new neighbour who is consistently parking over my drive. I’ve asked her not to and she’s apologised. I looked out last night and she’s parked over it again making it inaccessible. The neighbours on the other side have had workmen in for weeks now and they also keep parking over my drive despite me asking them not to.

In addition how do I speak to the new neighbours about noise? Im
autistic and struggle with communication. We saw gym weights being moved in and throughout the day until around midnight there are big bangs that sound like weights being dropped on the floor along with lots of general banging about until late at night. They are the 5th set of neighbours to move in since I’ve been here and no one else has made so much noise. We had a family with several young children here for a few years and rarely heard them at all. My dd is doing exams and they are disturbing her at night and during the day on her study leave. I’ve been home with my youngest who is ill so we have heard more noise than we would usually added be out but the night time is disturbing us the most.
The new neighbour seems nice and friendly but not very considerate at all. No heads up that they were starting building work until we woke up to the sound of the front of the house being dismantled for the alterations they are doing.
Any advice much appreciated.

Does your property have fencing, and gates?

I dislike the awkwardness of situations like this too

Online advice:

"To stop neighbours using your drive, start by talking to them politely; if that fails, use physical deterrents like bollards/gates, put up signs, install CCTV, and log incidents for potential police/legal action (trespassing is civil, but blocking access is police matter). For persistent issues, escalate to formal letters, mediation, or a solicitor for injunctions, but always aim for neighbourly resolution first, notes and JustAnswer."

They aren’t using her drive just parking to make access to it difficult / impossible probably as they know she doesn’t have a car of her own. Personally I wouldn’t be too bothered if someone did that overnight as long as the car was away first thing

If you have a dropped kerb your neighbour is committing an offence by parking across your drive. You could point that out to the neighbour & if they still insist on parking across your drive ask your local council to send someone round to give them a parking ticket.

Big plant pots on the inside edge of your drive. . And a ring doorbell.. She can see you will know if they get knocked over it is them.

You could apply to the council and ask if they can paint a H bar across your drive. Obviously, this isn't a perfect solution as CF will tend to ignore and just park anyway, but worth a shot.
I'd also put up signs saying drive in use 24 hours a day do not block CCTV in use.

Are you all homeowners or are these social housing properties?

You put a bin out or a cone, you get a sign made out, access required at all times, please leave the drive free.
You tell people its an offence to block a drive.
If all else fails You ask the council for a white line to be put across.
You can also take the reg number down and ring the police, they can ring the owner and ask them to move it.
You are not allowed to block people in

People really are selfish doing this, you might also ask them how they'd like out if you blocked their access

Answer is they wouldn't.

Anyone putting a cone out - I'd put it in my boot and then fling it in the fucking canal. And I have done before too. (But I wouldnt block a driveway though).

No one "bagsies" the road unless its permit holders only. Sure, blocking a drive is wrong but putting a cone there antagonises such situations.

Parking is easy, you just need to be assertive.

1. Ask nicely
2. Say its the second time it's happened and you're getting frustrated at having to ask each time.
3. If its a work vehicle, photograph it and tag them online.
4. If its private, I'd report each instance after with the police.

Basically you need to be assertive and make it more inconvenient for them to park novels your drive than not to.

The car is parked on the corner of the cul-de-sac tonight so maybe she’s got the message. She was totally blocking another neighbour in earlier today so maybe they had words.
What to do about the crashing about is another matter although it’s quiet tonight thank goodness. It’s not nice being woken with a start at 11.30pm to the sound of a gym weight being dropped on the floor. That’s what it sounds like anyway.

Privately owned houses to whoever asked.

We’ve now got drilling and they were not friendly when I went round to ask if they’d be long because my dc is going to bed.
Yesterday afternoon they had workmen in drilling and banging about for hours in the afternoon. Grrrr.

This is how it starts though.

OP is vulnerable. She is vulnerable because OP feels vulnerable enough to come here for advice and a sense check.

So there are things making her feel that she could be taken advantage of. When some people sense this ( like CF neighbours) they will push and push and test,, even subconsciously people do this.

So OP must demonstrate through actions this shit stops. Because she's vulnerable, and they sound CF to me - she must make them see not to see her as someone to cross boundaries with.

I had the same very subtle creeping behavior with ' nice ' neighbours. As my health worsened they became more CF crossing my boundaries. I took action. It was scary to me but it was to prevent more advantage taking. I then learnt they had to move here because of problems they had with multiple neighbors. ( They told me directly and I felt sorry initially). So the lesson is show early doors not to cross your bloody boundaries. A lesson I missed myself

OP, I would do everything to create a physical boundary. You want the space accessible for visitors. How can you block access to the neighbors yet allow ad hoc access? A gate? Shrubbery and a gate?

They smell vulnerability in you and you most kindly assertively show them not to take the piss.

I am wearing this bloody t shirt as we speak. I also live in social housing. It's dog eat dog unfortunately.

Re the sound, as long as it's in acceptable day time hours then there's not much you can do about it, however as soon as it crosses over into evening, just go round and politely let them know you can hear them and it's disturbing you.
I can't remember the exact hours but I'm sure it's 8am-9pm or something like that.

As long as you remain consistent and polite, they will get the message eventually. You could even record the noise to show them or invite them over to hear. Suggest they soundproof their home gym

Would you believe the acceptable hours are 7am to 11pm.

My own neighbours made a point of letting me know when I asked them to stop the racket non stop. Mowing the lawn under my window at 10.35pm was therefore allowed.

The acceptable hours for DIY according to the council website are weekdays 8am-6pm, Saturdays 8am-1pm, and Sundays not at all. I know they won’t be doing diy all the time but it’s the random bangs late at night that jolt us awake. I’ll keep an ear on things and if it doesn’t settle once they are fully settled in then I’ll start keeping a log but I hope it doesn’t come to that. We don’t cope well with noise generally but during normal hours it’s something we accept as normal. Late at night is a different matter.

Its not easy at all
People are arseholes when it comes to parking.

If they’re bashing around with weights at 11:30pm I’d be getting up and ringing their doorbell, a lot, if some of their house are asleep then fuck it they can all wake up then it’s everyone’s issue so the idiot being selfish will get their arse kicked hopefully!