To say something to the neighbours about using my parking space?

[someoneelsesshoes]

My house shares a parking area with the neighbour. Two space each, with my second space opposite mine and vice versa.

I have one car but if I have a visitor they will use my second space. Generally though I like having it as I can reverse all the way back and go when I do go out.

New neighbours moved in a few months ago and have 2 cars. However, they seem to have visitors every weekend and often during the week, and they’ve started parking in my second space.

AIBU to say something, or should I just let it slide if I’m not using it? I feel like putting a note through the door to remind them that is my parking space for this property and I’d like them to ask before using it out of courtesy. Would that be petty?

YABU - let them use it and stop caring
YANBU - they are CFs and I should put a note through

I wouldn’t speak to them I would simply install a lockable bollard. In my experience people are more likely to be rude/ignore you/park on it even more if you speak to them. There’s also a danger that they say it’s no problem and that they’ll move it if you ask/it’s inconvenient.

The problem is you have no way of blocking them in/stopping them and it could get nasty. Simplest and easiest is to just make it impossible for them
to park there by installing a bollard or putting a planter there.

Knock on their door every single time they use it and tell them to move

weeks after I moved into an empty house I still had visitors from next door still parking on my drive as next door had told them they could still use it as I hadn’t fully moved in yet. I had moved in but as having works done so I wasn’t always there

Can you park using half of each of your spaces? What can they do? Knock and ask you not to use your own spaces!!

I think just nip this in the bud and ask politely enough, unless they are the type of people who see politeness as ‘permission’ to take the pi**.
If you realise they are this kind of person then just say something firm in a neutral tone such as ‘I need my space kept clear’

@someoneelsesshoes I'd approach in a friendly manner. Poor neighbour relations can be a nightmare. I'd ask them to ask first. If they ignore your request or are belligerent then park over both spaces.

Park in it yourself, if they aren't aware they will be then.

It could be that their visitors are the CF.

I have a client who has four spaces near the row of houses. I park in a free one but I genuinely have no idea how they're allocated and the client has never said I need to move. If I were in their neighbours' space I suspect they'd think it was only for an hour and "no harm done".

I certainly hope it's not CFing on my part. I'd talk to the new neighbours before making any assumptions.

Yep raise it asap - don't wait. The longer you wait the worse it will get and the more difficult to change as they will be used to it. What if you get a new car tomorrow and suddenly need it but they are used to using it and start complaining. Or what if you have a guest the same time as they do? They are either oblivious and will politely apologise and change, or they are CFs who need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly.

I would normally agree with you but they are in the wrong there is no grey area with this the op is not at fault at all

I have the same set up as you, and my second space is often empty as I don't have two cars. If people ask, I let them use it. If people park in my second space without asking and I don't know who they are, I always leave a note on the car letting them know it is private property.

Being firm about it feels awkward sometimes because I'm not using that space, but I'm the one paying the mortgage on both my parking spaces and it's nobody else's business if one is empty most of the time. I'm sure my neighbours wouldn't appreciate me using their gardens or spare bedrooms if they're not using them so I figure it's fine for me to assert my boundaries and not allow randoms to park on my property.

Honestly @someoneelsesshoes nip this in the bud now, “hey neighbour, you or your visitors keep using my space, that’s not acceptable to me, please don’t in future”

I know the neighbours are in the wrong but I still think its best to approach cordially then if that fails take action. Bad blood between neighbours can wreck your head.

Then she’d be parking on the bit they drive through for access. The parking spaces are not beside each other, She says they are opposite sides ..that’s how she can reverse so far back