Neighbour complained about DD’s parking

[soupofthedays]

We live in a cul de sac. Our driveway (red) can fit 2 cars, but since DD just got her driving licence, we now have 3 cars. Every house, except for the 2 at the end, has its own driveway. Our neighbour (green) parks her car on the pavement in front of her house. The neighbour across the street doesn’t own a car, so DD (pink) has started parking there. Our other neighbour (yellow) has asked if DD could park somewhere else, presumably on the road across from the cul de sac, because it’s causing her some trouble. She mentioned that she can still get in and out of her driveway, but she has to pull out, reverse, and then drive through. She can’t just swing around DD’s car as the neighbour (green) parks on the opposite side. She won’t ask the other neighbour to move as she’s always parked there. DD is reluctant to park on the other road because she wouldn’t be able to see her car from our house. I can see both sides really. Are we being unreasonable by saying no as she’s not actually blocking the driveway, or should we have DD park somewhere else?

Sorry about the terrible diagram!

Re parking legally, it's a grey area, because in the highway code it's a DO NOT park there, not a MUST NOT. But it's not ideal and a worst case scenario would be that the neighbour reports it to the council as causing an obstruction, both green neighbour and your daughter are prevented from parking there, and everyone in the cul de sac hates you.

Is there actually space to park her car on another road without inconveniencing those residents instead?

Why can't the yellow car drive into their driveway, so they reverse out towards your house then drive off?

Why on EARTH does your DD need to see her car from the house?!

Why does she need to see the car from the house? I’m confused.

I don' care you have 3 cars for a 2 car drive way - you pay taxes DD is allowed to park on the road. It would take neighbour less time to reverse than it would for DD to walk further plus I would be telling neighbour my mum prefers I am not walking as far in the dark by myself.

If she's parked legally then it is what it is. My neighbours park on our narrow street in such a way that I have to do a bit of manoeuvring on and off my drive. Adds about 20 seconds to wherever I am going and it has never crossed my mind to ask them to park elsewhere because it slightly inconveniences me. Non-issue in my opinion.

Unless it's a really wide road it is inconsiderate to be parked opposite another parked car, it does cause issues especially for larger vehicles.

Why is DD not parking across your driveway then you can shuffle the cars if needed? From the diagram it looks like it would be wide enough to do that without inconveniencing anyone else. That's what most people do round here if they've got extra vehicles.

I’ve had this in my new build estate - private roads. There’s a different étiquette and on street parking isn’t the norm. My neighbour has multiple vehicles which meant that their visitors would often be parked in front of my house, making it awkward to swing in/out of driveway and intrusive as the houses only have a small patch of land in front. I now habitually park on the front instead and dont use my driveway.

I’d carry on parking there assuming it’s wide enough for wider vehicles to get through. It’s not inconsiderate or ‘entitled’ to park there and it’s not ‘entitled’ to have three cars in one household.
If she can safely and legally park further towards the junction then she do that but otherwise I wouldn’t worry.

Some of the comments on this thread are so snide.

I thought you shouldn't park opposite another parked car for this very reason of it narrowing the road and reducing visibility? So your daughter shouldn't really be parking there anyway?

It's also not a hill to die on either, just park somewhere else.

Why can't she park blocking your drive? That way she is inconvening you instead of the neighbour.

Yes this, you're meant to park a bit further down on the opposite side so you're not narrowing the road - they're often narrow enough that parking opposite leaves less than a lane width.

She also doesn't need to see the car from the house. We have 2 and one is round the corner in an allocated space, the other is behind our garden and a 6ft fence.

As an aside her car insurance would be cheaper if you let her have a drive space.

If your neighbour isn’t usually an arsehole DD should park further away. She doesn’t need to see her car. When she owns her own house she can choose to pay more for one with parking. Until then she’s a third car to a two car driveway.

your DD can legally park wherever she likes.

What good is seeing your car to anyone? You either see you car and its there, or you don't see you car because its been stolen. What difference does being able to see the car from your house make?

Another vote for last person to arrive parks over drive. Unless there is anyway she can park in front of your home or on your front garden.

Weird thing of your neighbour to ask, I guess it's because you live on a cul-de-sac and what she is used to her ways, but I think she is unreasonable. I have to do the same every morning as my neighbours car is parked on the street and I can't just drive out of my driveway and have to drive out, reverse and then drive off. It seriously would not cross my mind to ask my neighbour not to park there as there are no parking restrictions, not my street and it takes all about 5 extra seconds and not a big deal.

DD is reluctant to park on the other road because she wouldn’t be able to see her car from our house

Why does she want to see her car? Does she sit and watch for something to happen? Transformers?

Are all the neighbours who have a car, park on their own drives?

If there are any drives not used could your DD approach that neighbour and ask if she could park on their drive?

Neither is wrong but not worth the animosity. I’d suggest DD does park further away for could she park across your drive?

I think Mrs Yellow is BU. If she parks on her drive either front or back first, she still has to engage reverse gear at some point.

It looks very much like my cul-de-sac arrangement and we all just laugh and call it car tetris.

I’ve been the neighbour struggling to get out because of two cars parked on the road and it did drive me completely bonkers, so I am team neighbour. Your daughter doesn’t need to see her car.

I always reverse onto my drive.
Yellow neighbour can easily do that.

Let them moan. Your DD is fine where she is.

Can daughter park across your drive ... blocking you in? I'd just say, sorry she's not prepared to park it on the road.

Why can't DD block your driveway and the inconvenience 'suffered' by those who cause it.

I think yellow neighbour is reversing on to her drive. But when she comes out, the parked cars have narrowed the road so much that she has to essentially do a three point turn to be able to point her car into the gap to get out.