Neighbour parking in our driveway

[sanfair]

We live in a square in which parking is a big problem and have one of the few houses with offroad parking.

We don't have a car so the driveway is usually clear although we do use it occasionally for renting a CityCarClub car or when friends come over.

For the second time now, we have had the same car parked in our driveway (which pretty much looks straight into our kitchen window)
She parked there again last night and only came and removed it at 7pm today. This time my husband put a note under the windshield asking her not to park here.

She rang the bell and apologised and said it was only because she arrived home very late and there was no parking.

I'd thought before that we might have neighbours wanting to use our driveway considering the parking problem in the road but I thought they'd ask first.

Am I being unreasonable in thinking this is incredibly rude? What should I say if she does ask nicely to use it? I'd like to keep on good terms with the neighbours but am frankly quite annoyed.

Yes, it was definately rude and slightly shocking that she would even consider it.

However, your DH had dealt with it and the woman in question was gracious enough to apologise face-to-face. Sounds like it is sorted? I wouldn't be rushing out to spend money on signs, clamps and bollards just yet.

How rude!
YANBU
Next time you have a barbecue, have it in your neighbours garden. Just look innocent and say there wasn't room in your garden.

YA so NBU. She is taking the piss massively because you didn't object the first time, so then thinks she can leave her car there for nearly 24 hours.

The only thing you (or rather DH) has done wrong is not telling her when she came to the door that she is not allowed to park there any more. Not at all. Not even if she has two broken legs and the nearest free parking space is 300 miles away and she has shopping to take home and a baby left in the car seat. With lions prowling about outside.

If she asks to park in future, and you let her, next thing you know she'll have annexed your drive and be building a granny flat on it. She is an unreasonable cow.

YANBU but she rang the door to apologise so I don't think you should assume she will keep doing it, as SeaTrek said!!

Pot plant or garden furniture in the drive to block it?

We have similar parking problems on our road and at first we did'nt want to upset the neighbours but we found that people take the mick (even the nice ones) and we had to block the no parking area. If I'd had my time again I'd nip it in the bud straightaway making sure the neighbours knew in no uncertain terms that they could'nt park on your drive and if they did you'd call the police (which we had to do on one occasion). Do it now and adopt a zero tolerance stance.

My sister had something similar happen to her except in her secure underground parking. She happened to have 2 parking spots - one only used irregularly as flatmate spent time at girlfriends. There was only a limited number of 'guest' parks.
Someone took to parking in it everyday leaving flatmate without park. Sister tried leaving notes etc. Car still parked there.
So she called the police and reported the car stolen. Keep in mind she had tried all the usual routes to get to the owner. Needless to say the car was never parked there again.

Small, bored child?
Permanent marker pen?
Just a thought.

at Goblinchild. Plus, it's a terrible squeeze getting the buggy past the parked car, isn't it? Sorry about the scratches, but well, just what you have to expect if you park there.

get a wheel clamp!

parkatmyhouse.co.uk You could rent it out properly

Why would you ever park in someone else´s drive?
How does this come about?

I agree with hogshead - I'd buy a wheelclamp too! :-D

She was very rude. It would have been the work of a moment after sticking her car there, to knock on your door and say "Awfully sorry, there's absolutely nowhere else to park, do you mind if I leave mine here?" Hardly difficult, is it?

Print yourself out a Police Aware! notice and stick it on her car if she does it again without permission.

Op. I have had this a couple of times. Neighbour knocked and asked if she could park for a month or two. I just said no ( it really doesn't kill you if you just say no you know )
I said 'sorry, I am not interested in having to factor your needs into my own comings and goings'. We have loads of room so she knew it was a fuck off but I did it with a nice smile.

I was pleased I did as she persuaded a neighbour and that poor woman still has her on her drive 18 months later.

If you are in a good location you can earn money. I have had half a dozen people knock to ask if I would rent them a space.

Anyway I am now the unoffical over flow car park for DS1s school friends. I am going to start chargingthem and give the money to an autism charity when DS1 finished his A levels.
Some evenings when the liftees are here butthe drivers are late I get loads of boys playing rugby out the front. I will get local cougar queen reputation eventually.
[sigh]

I am pretty sure you can get the car towed away. How very rude of her. I think perhaps you could understand if she came home very late at night and was desperate to park BUT then retrieved her car first thing the next day. I'd simply say either make it a commerical arrangement with an agreed price and agreed days/ times when she can park there or tell her, sorry but we don't want to look at your car from our kitchen window, we own the land and it is our perogative to leave our driveway clear.

No one should park on someone else's drive without agreement, especially if you don't know each other.
Our neighbour doesn't drive and allows neighbours to use his drive (we all have two parking spaces so it is usually when we have visitors) but we always ask him if it is OK, even though he says "You don't need to ask" just because we don't want him to think we take him for granted. If we use it for several days (eg when DD is home) we always get him a small gift.
Your neighbour needs to develop some manners.

It sounds like the kind of set up my cousin has where she lives. I would creep out, let down her tyres, and when she asks, tell her that the reason why you don't park there is because local kids let yours down too! Squeeze your buggy past, let the kids write in the dirt on her bodywork, stick a spud up her exhaust, anything petty you can explain away. it will make you feel better and put her off!

Might be worth getting one of those lockable fold-down posts installed. That's what was done in my block of flats to prevent car park spaces being used by anyone other than their owner.

yanbu in thinking this is rude.

cannot believe that people are suggesting deliberately damaging her car though - i think that would be very unreasonable and criminal damage to boot.

i would explain to her that you don't want her parking on your drive - you don't have to give a reason, it is your property.

if it is an ongoing problem with more than one person using your drive then i would look into the post thingy that earlybird has suggested.

hope you get it sorted - we used to have problems with people parking accross our drive (although not actually on it) and it was very annoying.

Very rude.
Put a notice at the end of your driveway stating that your drive is private property and any person parking their car on your driveway is trespassing and that you will call the police to have the car towed away.

Very rude - tell her not to do it again.

It was rude of her.

...but on the other hand i do understand the stress of not being able to park close to your home late at night.

I live in an area of london where parking is a nightmare and it is scary to have to park at a distance and then walk alone at 2am to your house.

If she knew you didn't have a car then I can understand her using your drive if she was nervous - but she should have put a note through your door explaining why and have turned up and moved the car sharpish the next morning.

I agree with the others - come to a deal.

If i had a neighbour with a drive and they said I could park on it I'd certainly be prepared to pay them.

Goodness, doesn't parking enrage people. We have no parking space and to park near our house have to park up close to a wall which makes it a right hassle getting in and out with a toddler and a baby.

The neighbour opposite has a massive drive. One neighbour was a bit psycho and gave me a right bollocking when a delivery driver parked on his drive for 5 min to deliver us a parcel. I hadn't told the delivery man to stop there and knew it was cheeky, but thought his reaction was OTT especially as he wasn't trying to get in or out at the time. Now he has moved and our lovely new neighbour offered that we could use her drive as she only has 1 car and there's room for 2. This has saved my back and made my life so much easier. So far she's only had a few dodgy homemade cakes as a thankyou, after this thread I think I should get her a rather nice bottle of something, as it seems she's a 1 in a million by mumsnet standards.

Er anyway back to the OP - yes very U of her to use without asking so I can see why you wouldn't want to let her park there now...but... if you felt like earning some good karma points you might think about offering it to her. Its not much inconvenience to you - it could be a lifesaver for her and you'll have a good and grateful neighbour for life - maybe she'll do you a big favour in return along the line?

Yes, you're right, it's rude. And no, I wouldn't do it.

BUT just to be the voice of mild mannered naivety for a moment... you left a note asking her not to, she rang your bell and apologised - surely she now knows you don't like her doing it and won't do it again?