It's a parking one..

[laughingheart]

It's a parking one! And it's long, apologies.

I live at the end of a cul-de-sac. There are 4 parking spaces and inevitably some cars end up parked alongside some garages nearby (that are empty) as the 4 spots are taken. No drama, no one appears to mind this. My house is the only house that has a dropped curb. The previous owners put this in as they had a work van they kept in the garden (garden backs onto the area where the parking spaces are). The garden is the size of a stamp and half of it is slabs and gravel as the owner before me used it as a second parking space. So you open the double gate at the end of my garden and they open into one of these parking spaces over the dropped curb.

The other houses don't have drives at all and so rely on the 3 out of 4 spots or the less desired spaces alongside the garages (not individually owned, rentable by the council for storage etc, they aren't in use as far as I'm aware).

I don't park in my garden. I could do, but unlike the previous owners I have small children that play in the garden and I don't like having to get out the car and open the gates to park in the garden space. I also don't like that the car then prevents me from closing my gates so people can walk past and see into the garden/back of my house/living room.

So I just park in the space in front of my gates. I've come home today and parked by the garages as had to do a car switch over with my ex who was parked in "my" space with his car. Once he left I got caught up doing tea and when I've gone to move my car there is someone parked in my space. It's a small village and I don't want to be shitty and put a note on their car when my car technically is fine in the spot it is but it's more the principle!

The gates have a sign on them saying that the drive is in use so please don't block them which is very visible. I wonder if I'm annoying neighbours by not parking in my garden but surely it wouldn't make any difference as if I was parked in the garden they'd be unable to use my space anyway as I would need access down the dropped curb to leave!

AIBU by expecting people to not park in my spot or have I wound them up by not utilising my garden space.

I feel like I wouldn't know what to write on a note as technically they are not blocking me in but have just pinched my spot! As a one off I don't mind but I don't want it to happen routinely really as I bought the house mainly for the parking spot after many years of driving around roads in the city praying for a spot to squeeze into.

Diagram attached (hopefully). I have artistic skill of a manatee so sorry in advance.

I would assume they saw your car parked in one of the very limited spots so parked in your space.

I don’t understand the drawing, are you wanting people not to park in the space outside your house on the basis it has a drop curb? Even though the other spaces aren’t specifically anyone’s spaces?

So the space outside your gates isn't actually owned by you/part of your property and despite your sign they weren't blocking you in as your car was parked elsewhere? YABU.

it sounds like you don't have a "my space". there are simply first come first served spaces and it annoys you that someone else got there first.

If I knew someone never used their dropped kerb for accessing their garden to park, I would probably ignore an old sign saying access is needed for parking, because it clearly isn't.

Have they parked across your dropped kerb ? If so I would be annoyed but probably wouldn’t ’ take it further ‘ by leaving a note if it was a 1 off

I don’t understand the issue. You don’t use your drive and regularly park across the dropped kerb but don’t want anyone else to? If so YABU.

I did fear I may be being unreasonable. I guess the point is that I could be using my garden space (and do, at times, when I have visitors for example) and then would be blocked in if someone parks over my dropped curb. For example I have a skip being put in the garden in the coming weeks and will need access to my garden space then.

We have a neighbour like you. We (and most other people that live around here) park in ‘her’ space at every opportunity and have a childish giggle when we do so

Yes, this is fair.

But you weren’t using the garden space, there’s no skip today, and you haven’t been blocked in. You have somewhere else you can park your day and don’t use your drop curb. YABU

Why? That makes you ‘that’ neighbour.

Like me? I don't see why it makes any difference whether I park in the garden or in the space by my dropped curb, regardless of which one I use it prevents people from using the space, no? As if I was parked in the garden they couldn't park in the empty space as it blocks me in.

I would park across my own dropped kerb but not somebody else’s ?

Yes this is true. It appears the consensus is that I am being unreasonable, glad I didn't put a note :)

sounds like you took their usual space so they took yours 🤷🏻‍♀️ technically neither of you should be parking over a dropped curb even if you own it.

This is also what I think, that they saw your car parked elsewhere and were right in thinking that you can’t both ‘reserve’ the space outside your garden AND park somewhere else. Also, a dropped curb is to allow access to a driveway, not to park on it. Otherwise, every neighbour with no space for a driveway would drop the curb outside their house to reserve it for their parking. I know it doesn’t make a difference if you park in your garden or in front of it but I guess your neighbours are getting a bit envious

It's possible that people see various cars (yours, your ex, visitors etc) parked over the dropped curb, and so just assume it's a 'free for all' space now.
We have a dropped curb and a driveway - and I invite guests to block my car in and park across the drive if there's no other parking. Occasionally strangers block my car in and I think it's a dick move.
Strictly nobody should park over a dropped curb, but I think if it's your dropped curb, that's a different matter.
So, going against the grain, YANBU.

If it’s a one off, first event with this car, I would let it go.

If it happens repeatedly, then I would make a point of parking inside your gates a few times a week - to be seen to be using it - and then take it from there.

I probably would always try and have a verbal friendly chat rather than resorting to written notes myself (but only because of my own poor experience anticipating that a neighbour would be “reasonable” when I gently raised an issue).

However if you did use your garden then ex would have parked there and you behind leaving the garage one free for thd person in your spot cause you were taking one of theirs.

You are correct. Except it's illegal to instruct a dropped curb, weirdly enough - even your own.

id leave it for today, but would leave a note if it happens again.

Is the space your space as in comes with the deeds of your house or is it your space because it’s outside your house and you usually park in it?

Is it actually your space or have the double gates from your garden and dropped kerb been put in opportunistically by the previous owners - I can’t quite tell? It’s coming across like illegal access in which case tough shit if someone else parks there and more fool you for buying the house on that basis. Your solicitor should have advised yo when you bought it?

You like parking in a particular spot that you dont own. But because you took up a different spot someone utilised the free spot you prefer?

No you shouldnt leave a note. Yes YABU

Its stupid buying a house because of a parking spot you dont own. Additionally, its illegal to park on a dropped curb so whoever parks on the dropped curb is risking points on their license

There would appear to be two issues here. One is whether these 4 parking spaces are owned or allocated?
The other is that it is illegal to park in front of an official dropped kerb, even if it belongs to you.
However, do you know whether permission was gained for the dropped kerb from the Council? If not it’s not an official one and anyone can park there. If the parking spaces are are not owned of allocated then I doubt the Council would agree to a dropped kerb