AIBU to object to a neighbour reserving shared parking spaces with cones?

[CoastalGrey]

I own a property in a small busy town where like most places, parking is an issue. I have my own drive but only big enough for one car. The road is unadopted and not in great shape.

All of the houses on my side of the road are privately owned, opposite is a row owned by a housing association which has its own parking, next to that are some ‘free’ spaces and on my side off-road space for 2-3 more cars.

It annoys me that people who don’t live in the road often park here, contributing to the poor condition but I realise I can’t do much about it. What really irritates me though is that one of the HA tenants (who doesn’t even own a car) has appointed herself parking controller and constantly puts cones in the ‘free’ spaces for various people. This means if I have a visitor they often can’t park easily or nearby. She has actually offered to ‘save’ me one but that’s not the point - it has nothing to do with her where people park!

I accept that I bought a house with limited parking but AIBU to think someone who has access to the HA reserved parking if they need it should not be attempting to control where everybody else can park. I’m not keen to get on the wrong side of her but it doesn’t seem very fair. Is it even legal to do this?

Yanbu. Just get your visitors to move the cone and park there anyway - it’s not official.

Pick up the cone and take it back to the council yard. That's what we did when our neighbour started reserving spaces with a traffic cone.

Oh God that's really irritating. I think just move the cones if you or your visitors need to park there, otherwise ignore it (through gritted teeth). Maybe if enough people keep moving the cones, she'll stop.

It isn’t legal to do this though is it?

Well it's not illegal, but it isn't legitimate. You can't save or block unallocated road parking.

Just move the cones and stack them neatly to one side.

Why did you tell us that she is HA and you own your house? Does that make a difference to whether she should or shouldn't block spaces?

You say it's an unadopted road - is it private as well?
As a home owner do you have any ownership of the road? Presumably you pay towards its maintenance as the Council won't. What is the HAs role with respect to the road?
Is there a management company or committee for the road - you could ask for residents parking only signs or similar?

I knew someone would pick up on that! Simply because she has access to allotted spaces for the HA residents so has no need to concern herself with the parking that other people use.

I don’t know to be honest but I’d like to find out. At the moment I don’t pay anything and the road is not maintained as far as I can tell.

Ownership of the roadway is the cusp of the matter. The only people that will have an overview are your local council’s planning department. That said, if privately owned, even by householder ownership,
they’ll not get involved.

Just move the cones

Obviously you have a right to move the cones and park but be prepared for a row with the neighbour. You might want to even warn them that if you or your visitors want to park, you will park in that space if necessary.

“Hi Neighbour! I’ve noticed you are putting cones out regularly. I wanted to let you know that if that is the only space, I will move the cones and park.”

Oh she's fine with that, she's even said she'll put a cone out for me! It's that she's putting them out in the first place which annoys me, she has no right or reason to get involved with those particular spaces. I dont want to get into a row though as she's the neighbourhood busybody and it'll be all round the street in no time 🫣

Well it could possibly be the highways department, but if it's not adopted, the OP needs to have a look at her deeds. I'm surprised none of this was addressed by her solicitor when the property was purchased.

Whilst she is definitely in the wrong I can see this informal arrangement might work to everyones advantage. So if you have someone coming you know theyll have a space tp park in? The rest of the time, you dont need to worry about her as you dont need the space?

Better than never knowing if your mate will be able to park or not.

I need to look back at my deeds but as I understood it the road is unadopted and the parking spaces are for anyone to use.

@Guidanceplease20 perhaps I should just let it go but it annoys me more than it should as it's people who dont live here using the road and contributing to the terrible condition of it. If residents were to pay to have it mended/maintained I would be expected to contribute to the cost but nosy neighbour who's encouraging people in wouldn't.

Collect cones, drop off at local council depot somewhere. If she doesnt have a car, she wont be able to get any quickly either.

Move the cone....
Buy lots of cones and double down.

I mean if she’s basically reserving the street for residents and their visitors I couldn’t get mad.

If she was just reserving for her home I’d be mad.

I mean if she’s basically reserving the street for residents and their visitors I couldn’t get mad.

No she's not, for example she's recently started reserving one for someone who's moved into a property down there road which doesnt have its own parking.

Ah well then she can bugger off.

Find out who owns the road and if it’s genuinely nobody see if the council will adopt it. Then report her cones.

Remove the cone? Contact the HA manager and explain you have an issue with that. They’ll talk to her.

If she’s said she’ll put a cone out for you then she’s hardly likely to object if you have a visitor needing the space and they move the cone.
I wouldn’t think it’s illegal to put the cones there. Stupid and a waste of time, yes, because of course she isn’t entitled to reserve the spaces.

I'd just take the cone away and dump it.